Ginger is one of the common ingredients for cooking in many places of the world. It’s also one of the healthiest spices in the world. Here is why;
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- Ginger can keep you warm. Ginger is diaphoretic, which means it promotes sweating and warm the body. Drinking ginger tea is particularly useful in cold weather. Ginger also inhabits rhinovirus, which can cause common cold.
- Ginger can help treat dyspepsia. Ginger can stimulate saliva and bile production as well as speeding up emptying of the stomach, which can be beneficial for people with ingestion and related stomach discomfort.
- Ginger can treat nausea. Ginger has a long history of use as a sea sickness remedy. Also it’s been shown to be effective for pregnancy-related nausea such as morning sickness. However, talk to your doctor before taking large amounts if you are pregnant.
- Ginger can ease menstrual pain. Some studies have shown that taking ginger can reduce pain including menstrual pain effectively as the drugs mefenamic acid and ibuprofen.
- Ginger may lower cholesterol levels. Some studies have shown that ginger can lead to significant reductions in LDL (bad) cholesterol and blood triglyceride levels.
- Ginger is good for your brain. Some studies have found that the antioxidants and bioactive compounds in ginger can inhabit inflammatory responses that occur in the brain. Also there is also some evidence that ginger can enhance brain function directly.
- Ginger can help fight infections. Gingerol, the proactive substance in fresh ginger can help lower the risk of infections and ginger extract can inhibit the growth of many different types or bacteria including oral bacteria.
- Ginger can reduce inflammation. For centuries, ginger has been used to reduce inflammation and treat inflammatory conditions. It has also shown to be effective for treating inflammation associated with osteoarthritis.
You can add ginger basically in any dish including soup, stir-fry, fried rice, curry etc. When I’m cold, I usually put chopped ginger into porridge and drink ginger honey tea. (Just add sliced ginger and a teaspoon of honey into hot water.) This ginger honey tea can keep your body warmer than coffee or tea.
What is your favorite way to use ginger?