Ginger ‘A Good Source of Antioxidant’

Ginger has been used as a spice and as natural additives for more than 2000 years, ginger has many medicinal properties, studies have shown that the long term dietary intake of ginger has hypoglycemic and hypolipidaemic effect.

Ginger has been identified as an herbal medicinal product with pharmacological effect. In traditional Chinese and Indian medicine, ginger has been used to treat a wide range of ailments including stomach aches, diarrhea, nausea, asthma, respiratory disorders.

Ginger is a good source of antioxidant, the herb root contains 80calories per 100g, it composes many essential nutrients and vitamins such as vitamin B6, vitaminB5 that are required for optimum health, they contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, copper and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. 

Other health benefits include:

• Anti-Inflammatory Properties Help with Many Conditions

Ginger possesses awesome anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, it may be what the root is best known for. The anti-inflammatory compounds responsible for significantly reducing inflammation are called gingerols. These compounds make ginger an amazing beneficial tool for various inflammatory-related health conditions.

• Ginger is found effective in decreasing pain from arthritis. Ginger’s anti-inflammatory properties also help reduce hip and knee pain in some osteoarthritis patients. In a recent study, daily small dose of ginger reduced pain, swelling and morning stiffness in arthritis patients. Ginger is believed to block formation of prostaglandins and other inflammatory substances. Further antioxidant properties of ginger breaks down inflammatory acids in joint synovial fluids. It has been found that powdered dry ginger powder is effective in combating pain and swelling from the inflammation of osteoarthritis.

•  Ginger is an effective treatment for Nausea originated by seasickness, motion sickness, morning sickness, chemotherapy. It is used for relieving nausea during pregnancy.

• Ginger good on Diarrhea, compounds in Ginger mainly Zingerone is very effective on diarrhea. Ginger root and Ginger oil is often used for stomach upsets. It is one of the best remedies for indigestion, stomach ache, dyspepsia, colic, spasms, diarrhea, flatulence and other stomach and bowel related problems. Chewing a fresh piece of ginger after meals regularly is an insurance against these ailments

• Ginger is effective remedy for cough and cold. Extracted ginger juice along with honey should be taken 3-4 times a day for relief on cough. People also drink ginger tea made from dried or powdered ginger during Coughs.

• Ginger is an antibiotic and antiviral and helps fight infection. It has been used for centuries for treatment of infectious diseases like cholera, chest congestion, and whooping cough.

• Ginger as an anti-cancer agent: Gingerol, the main active component in Ginger and the ones responsible for its distinctive flavor, may also inhibit the growth of human colo-rectal cancer cells. Gingerol, the active phytonutrients in Ginger, kill ovarian cancer cells by inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death)

• Ginger can be used in the kitchen in the following ways:

Ginger is used mostly to flavor sweet dishes, desserts and even some savory dishes. It is used in various ways, chopped, minced, crushed, sliced, grated etc. Ground ginger and fresh ginger taste very different and hence to get a recipe right, you need to use ginger in its right form. Ginger can be pickled with sherry or vinegar. Slices of ginger can be used as garnish as seen in Japanese cuisine. Ginger tea is very popular for its invigorating effect as well as potent health benefits. Ginger is a strong tasting spice and imparts a slight heat to all the dishes. Ginger tea can be brewed by steeping grated ginger in water or alternately, grated ginger root can be added to hot black tea for almost similar effects. Ginger root is used to flavor ginger ale and ginger beer.