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10 Extraordinary Health Benefits of Ginger You Need to Know

The AHA! Team — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 05:58:31 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – Ginger has long been recognized as a flavorful and versatile herb in the kitchen. But you may be surprised to learn that it also has many benefits beyond your favorite culinary creations. If you have ever taken ginger ale to relieve an upset stomach, you probably have some inkling about its effectiveness as a natural remedy. But you would probably be surprised to discover that settling a queasy stomach is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many health benefits associated with this extraordinary herb. Ginger has powerful healing properties It is well-researched, with studies supporting a long list of traditional uses passed down for generations. The use of ginger may support a broad array of antibacterial, antioxidant, and even antiparasitic effects. It has also been credited as an anti-inflammatory agent, opening the door for its potential use in treating many chronic illnesses. Ginger can be consumed fresh, dried, or in extract form. It can also be made with tea or as a supplement. Here are just 10 of the many beneficial uses for this versatile herb: 1. Normalize blood circulation Because it contains the minerals zinc, magnesium, and chromium – which help to improve blood flow – ginger is known for helping to support normal blood circulation. It may also aid in preventing chills, fever, and excessive sweating. In addition, there is evidence from one study that ginger could aid in preventing a heart attack. 2. Prevention of colon cancer According to a University of Minnesota study, the same substance that gives ginger its distinctive flavor appears to play a role in inhibiting the growth of human colorectal cancer cells. The research results strongly suggest ginger compounds may help combat colorectal carcinomas. Other studies have suggested ginger is effective in the battle against several other aggressive cancers, including cancers of the lung, ovaries, breast, pancreatic, prostate, and skin carcinoma. 3. Diabetes prevention There is evidence that ginger may play a role in diabetes prevention. Recent studies have found that ginger is beneficial in preventing and treating the disease, along with its ability to lower blood sugar, fats, and cholesterol. Research also supports the use of ginger for lessening the complications of diabetes and reducing bodily damage caused by the disease. 4. Natural antibiotic There are many reasons to avoid the overuse of antibiotics, from the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to the need to maintain healthy intestinal bacteria. Ginger appears to offer a healthier alternative, exhibiting effective antibiotic action. Again, research also supports using ginger as an antibacterial against respiratory and periodontal infections. 5. Anti-inflammatory Many chronic diseases that are the most prevalent in today’s society can be traced to inflammation. Research has shown that ginger can be very helpful in managing the symptoms of chronic illness. It has also been shown to have the ability to inhibit nitrous oxide production and pro-inflammatory cytokines, which may affect neurodegenerative diseases. Lessening inflammation could make ginger useful in treating arthritis, prostate disease, cancer prevention, and general inflammation. 6. Detoxification The toxins and impurities in today’s environment are at war with our bodies on a daily basis. Pesticides, pharmaceuticals, GMOs, bacteria, pollutants, EMFs, and the effects of processed food all contribute to diminishing health and aging. However, studies suggest ginger has a preventive effect on many toxins, lessening their toll on the human body. 7. Relief from nausea and gastric distress Your grandmother was right when she served you that old fashion ginger ale for an upset stomach. Research supports the idea that you can alleviate nausea and gastric distress. This herb can also promote a healthy intestinal environment and contains an anti-spasmodic agent to relieve the pain of gastric distress. Other benefits include the relief of motion sickness, nausea, morning sickness and the prevention of ulcers. 8. Protection from radiation Research has shown that you can reduce the negative effects of radiation. For example, some studies suggest that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can help to protect against radiation-induced damage to various tissues, including the kidneys, by lowering the risk of oxidative stress and inflammation. 9. Menstrual pain relief A double-blind study found ginger to be as effective at relieving menstrual pain as common over-the-counter remedies, such as ibuprofen. 10. Reduced arthritic pain Studies have shown that ginger is just as effective as commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals at relieving pain due to inflammation of gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis. There is evidence it may be even more effective. How to easily incorporate plant medicine into your diet Adding this herb to your daily routine doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s one of the most versatile herbs for sweet and savory dishes. Whether you prefer fresh, dried, powdered, or extract form, there are plenty of simple ways to enjoy its benefits. Start your day with ginger tea. A warm cup in the morning can help wake up your digestion and support overall wellness. Steep fresh slices of this herb in hot water, or use a tea bag for convenience. Blend it into smoothies: Fresh or powdered form of this herb adds a spicy kick to your favorite smoothie and offers digestive and anti-inflammatory benefits. Try pairing it with citrus fruits, carrots, or turmeric for a powerful nutrient boost. Use it in cooking: Grate fresh ginger into stir-fries, soups, and curries for a burst of flavor and health benefits. It also works well in marinades and salad dressings. Bake with it: This herb can add warmth to baked goods like muffins, cookies, and breads. Combine it with cinnamon and nutmeg for a comforting, aromatic treat. Enjoy ginger shots: For a concentrated dose of ginger’s goodness, try blending this fresh herb with lemon juice and honey for an energizing shot. Make ginger-infused water: Drop a few slices of this herb into your water bottle for a refreshing, subtly spiced drink throughout the day. Sprinkle ginger powder: For an easy way to include this herb in your diet, add a pinch to oatmeal, yogurt, or even your morning coffee. By incorporating ginger into your meals and drinks, you’ll enhance the flavor of your food and reap the many health benefits this powerful herb offers. Enjoy! Sources for this article include: NIH.gov NIH.gov NIH.gov Medicalnewstoday.com To read the original article click here.

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How Might Ginger Help with Obesity and Fatty Liver Disease?

AHA Publisher — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 07:00:52 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Ground ginger powder is put to the test for weight loss and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Ginger has been used in India and China for thousands of years to treat illnesses, but so has mercury, so that doesn’t really tell you much. That’s what we have science for. But, when you see article titles in the medical literature like “Beneficial Effects of Ginger…on Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome: A Review,” for example, you may not be aware the researchers are talking about the beneficial effects of ginger on fat rats. Why don’t they just conduct human clinical studies? That may be attributed to “ethical issues” and “limited commercial support,” for instance. Limited commercial support I can see: Ginger is dirt cheap, so who’s going to pay for the study? But ethical issues? We’re just talking about giving people some ginger. Cross-sectional studies in which you take a snapshot in time of ginger consumption and body weight are relatively inexpensive and easy to do. Researchers have found that people who are obese tend to eat significantly less ginger, so they suggest this “demonstrated that the use of ginger could have relevance for weight management.” You can see a chart below illustrating this and at 0:59 in my video Benefits of Ginger for Obesity and Fatty Liver Disease. But, maybe ginger consumption is just a marker of more traditional, less Westernized junk-food diets. You don’t know…until you put it to the test. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the effects of a hot ginger beverage made with two grams of ginger powder in one cup of hot water, so about one teaspoon of ground ginger stirred into a teacup of hot water. That’s about five cents’ worth of ginger. The findings? After drinking the ginger beverage, the participants reported feeling significantly less hungry and, in response to the question “How much do you think you could eat?” described lower prospective food intake. Since the control was just plain hot water, the participants knew when they were getting the ginger so there could have been a placebo effect. The researchers considered putting the ginger into capsules to do a double-blinded study, but they thought part of the ginger’s effect may actually be through taste receptors on the tongue, so they didn’t want to interfere with that with a capsule. Not all of the effects were just subjective, though. Four hours after drinking the hot beverage, the metabolic rate in the ginger group was elevated compared to control, as you can see in the graph below and at 2:12 in my video. Though, in a previous study, when fresh ginger was added to a meal, there was no bump in metabolic rate. The researchers of the hot ginger beverage study suggest this discrepancy is “likely due to the different method of ginger administration,” giving participants fresh ginger instead of dried ginger powder, and there are dehydration products that form when ginger is dried that may have unique properties. “Although satiety and fullness were greater with ginger compared to control, [the researchers] have no objective measure of food intake.” They didn’t then go on to follow the participants to see if they actually ate less for lunch. The problem is there’s never been a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of that much ginger and weight loss…until now. After 12 weeks of that same teaspoon of ginger powder a day, but this time hidden in capsules, consumption of ginger “significantly reduced BMI,” that is, body mass index. As you can see in the graphs at 3:12 in my video, there was no change in the placebo group, but there was a drop in the ginger group. Body fat estimates didn’t really change, though, but that was kind of the whole point. What about using ginger to pull fat out of specific organs, like the liver? Evidently, “treatment with ginger ameliorates fructose-induced fatty liver…in rats.” You know what else would have worked? Not feeding them so much sugar in the first place. We aren’t rats, though. We didn’t have this type of study on humans…until now: “Ginger Supplementation in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study” in which participants were given a teaspoon of ginger a day or placebo for 12 weeks. All of the subjects were told to get more fiber and exercise, and to limit their dietary cholesterol intake. (My video How to Prevent Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease discusses why this is important.) So, even the placebo group should improve. And how did the ginger group do? Any better? Yes. Daily consumption of just one teaspoon of ground ginger a day “resulted in a significant decrease in inflammatory marker levels,” improvements in liver function tests, and a drop in liver fat. All for five cents’ worth of ginger powder a day. And what are the side effects? A few gingery burps? I searched for downsides and didn’t find any other than ginger paralysis. What? Indeed, “in 1930, thousands of Americans were poisoned by an illicit extract.” Hold on. Who drinks ginger extract? The year 1930 was during the Prohibition, so some people bought ginger extract as a legal way to get their hands on alcohol. “It was the poor man’s way of getting a drink of liquor.” But, “bootleggers had taken advantage of the demand for this old household remedy as an alcoholic beverage” and swapped in a cheaper ginger substitute—a varnish compound—”in order to make greater money profits.” The moral of the story: Don’t drink varnish. The video about the dietary cholesterol effect that I referred to is How to Prevent Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Oats might help, too, as you can see in Can Oatmeal Help Fatty Liver Disease?. And, for even more on fatty liver disease, check out The Best Diet for Fatty Liver Disease Treatment and How to Avoid Fatty Liver Disease. Key Takeaways Ginger has been used for thousands of years to treat illnesses in China and India Cross-sectional studies (snapshots in time) have found that ginger may be useful for weight management, but its consumption may simply be a marker of less Westernized junk-food diets. A randomized controlled trial found that a hot ginger beverage (with about five cents’ worth of the spice) was more satisfying to participants so they felt significantly less hungry and thought they could eat less afterwards, compared with the control of just plain hot water, but that still leaves the possibility of placebo effect. The researchers didn’t put the ginger into capsules to do a double-blinded study because they thought some of ginger’s effect may be through our tongue’s taste receptors. Dehydration products form when ginger is dried, and they may have unique properties that fresh ginger doesn’t. This may explain why the study using dried ginger caused a bump in metabolic rate while the trial with fresh ginger didn’t. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of ginger and weight loss that followed participants to see if they actually ate less in a subsequent meal, researchers found that consumption of ginger (hidden in capsules) significantly reduced BMI. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled ginger study for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in which participants were given a daily teaspoon of ginger or placebo for three months, the ginger group achieved significant decreases in their inflammatory marker levels, a drop in liver fat, and improvements in liver function tests. To read the original article click here.

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