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8 Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Ginger
There is nothing like the smell of fresh cut ginger to brighten your senses. For sweet and savory dishes ginger can add that fresh spicy bite. But what’s in it?
There are a few of main compounds that offer the health benefits:
Compounds
All the health benefits of ginger have been found in it’s bioactive compounds:
- gingerol
- paradol
- shogaol
- **tongue twister alert** 1-dehydro-gingerdione
- hexahydrocucurmin,
- tetrahydrocurcumin
- gingerenone A
- 1,7-bis-(4′ hydroxyl-3′ methoxyphenyl)-5-methoxyhepthan-3-one
- and methoxy-gingerol
There is not a single form of each compound; for example there are five (5) groups of gingerol and each have their own unique properties.
Since you don’t separate ginger at home into specific compounds when you use it we won’t separate the compounds per its benefit in this post either. But knowing that there are a number of things that is responsible for all the health benefits of ginger is still good to know.
Health Benefits of Ginger
1. Antioxidant properties
Aging itself creates free radicals and ginger is able to be show antioxidant properties by inducing the production of NADPH as well as protecting the cell walls from oxidation.
The free electrons that damage the DNA, RNA and cell walls eventually cause aging. In the presence of NADPH these free radicals are neutralized and the cascade slows down. Reducing the aging process.
Check out our post here where we talk more about free radical damage.
2. Anti-inflammatory
Ginger has been found to reduce inflammation and swelling by reducing the size of blood vessels. Dilated vessels carry a large amount of fluid that may pool.
Constriction reduces the chance of fluid pouring and filling into areas causing swelling. The constriction also reduces the flow of heat to these swollen areas
The other properties are proven with scientific experiments and the dosage of ginger and duration of administration is included here.
3. Anti-nausea agent
Dosage and duration: As little of 1 gram of it or a cube smaller than the first notch on your finger should be able to do the trick. Use as needed 3 to 4 times a day.
The mechanism for ginger to work as an agent for anti-nausea is by it’s ability to break up any gas in the gut and pass it out the body. That relieves stress on the rest of the bowels and induces a calming effect.
Another way is by speeding up the movement of material out of the stomach and along the intestine. Ginger also reduces nausea is by interacting with the nervous system by way of the gut.
There is still research being done on how exactly this happens but what is known is that it is able to give relief to persons suffering from occasional nausea, seasickness, pregnancy, chemotherapy and surgery.
4. Anti-carcinogenic
Dosage and duration: 50mg/kg ginger of body weight for 15 weeks
Only certain types of cancer has been shown to respond to treatment with ginger these are: lymphoma, hepatoma, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer, liver cancer, and bladder cancer.
It does this by causing the cancer cells to enter into cell death and stop multiplying. Since prolonged inflammation in the body can lead to some forms of cancer, ginger’s anti-inflammatory property also allows it to be anti-carcinogenic. It also inhibits the promotion of the gene that causes the cells to proliferate without end.
There is yet to be a solid study on humans but the results so far is positive and it is worth including in the diet at least for preventative measures at the very least.
There is still no concrete cure for cancer which really sucks!
But we can try to prevent as best as we know how at this point and wait for technology and medicine to advance to the level of the lethality of this horrible and disgusting disease.
Keep fighting, warrior!
5. Cardiovascular support
Dosage and duration: Five (5) grams for seven (7) days.
Ginger reduces formation of platelets in some types of heart diseases. A blocked artery starts when cholesterol rich plaques form over the blood vessels. Whenever these rupture platelets form to create a clot to stop the bleeding but sometimes the platelets keep aggregating and could eventually clog the vessel and cause a heart attack.
Ginger has been found to reduce platelet formation when it was eaten by 20 men (who were given 100g of butter to eat for an entire week!) Chances are this may also work for persons who are affected by plaque deposition and platelet aggregation.
Other studies that have been done in animal models include Reduction of LDL (Low density lipo-protein) This is the bad cholesterol. Reducing high cholesterol, and reducing blood pressure.
6. Anti-asthma
Dosage and Duration: 50-800 𝜇g/ml of ginger extract for 24 and 48 hours
White blood cells from 25 people that had mild to moderate asthma were harvested and compared with healthy cells of 25 other people. Asthma is sometimes measured in severity by the detection of certain cells (Th1, Th2 and Th17).
These function of these cells are controlled by the expression of specific genes (T-bet, GATA 3 and ROR𝛄t)
The researchers found that the genes’ expression were reduced in persons that were given the ginger. They took that as proof that ginger will reduce asthma at the genetic level.
Users could not report on this by referencing to their physical symptoms because they weren’t given the ginger; it was only applied to the cells that were removed from their cells.
7. Anti-diabetic
Dosage: Two (2) grams per day for twelve (1)2 weeks.
Exactly 25 persons were given ginger in split doses morning and night. It was found that the fasting blood sugar of the persons that were diabetic had been reduced.
Based on this finding alone, researchers believe that this is a significant contribution to uncovering the antidiabetic properties of ginger.
8. Cognitive support
Dosage: 400 and 800 mg of ginger extract once a day for two (2) months
Sixty healthy women were divided into two groups. Some of them received ginger and some did not. The study found that their memory was better after the treatment than it was in the beginning.
This small insight gave researchers the impression that if ginger can be this effective in such a short time it can be a very effective long term treatment for other conditions for persons struggling with cognitive deficits.
Types of ginger
Ginger is a part of the Zingiberaceae family and these include Galangal (Thai ginger), Turmeric (Yellow ginger/ Curcumin) and Cardamom and some inedible ornamental flowers.
But the one you’re reading about in this post is Zingiber officinale: The official ginger.
The different types of ginger are not different species. They are just different ages: old ginger and young ginger.
Both are fragrant and pungent but are best for different purposes. But health the benefits of ginger are not lost because it is harvested earlier or later.
Old ginger
This is very spicy, dry and really fibrous. The skin is papery and brown. It’s perfect for ginger teas and in recipes where you want that sharp bite. It is harvested later than the young ginger. The best use for this type of ginger is as a “warming” food because it is believed to increase body temperature and speed up metabolism.
Young ginger
This type is pinkish and the skin is very thin, almost transparent. It’s juicy, crunchy, it’s spicy but not overpowering so it’s perfect for pickling and adding to fresh salads. It’s harvested earlier than the old ginger. This is considered a “cooling food” since it reduces body temperature.
Ginger Recipe
Fragrant mushroom chicken soup (xiang gu ji tang)
Chicken mushroom soup: This chicken soup is very popular in Asia and is found in local eateries. This soup has over 20 grams of protein and of course all the health benefits of ginger in just a couple cups.
Serves 2
4 cups unsalted Bone broth. Check out our easy recipe or buy it on amazon here and reap all the healthy benefits.
2 cups water for scalding chicken
2 Chopped chicken legs
¼ cup sliced Ginger (young or old)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 sprig green onion sliced on the diagonal
Salt to taste (bullion cubes for flavor explosion)
- Prepare bone broth from your choice of bones
- Scald the chopped chicken legs in water for 5 minutes
- Put the chicken in the bone broth and simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is well done
- Keep replacing with water or more bone broth it the level drops too low
- Add mushrooms in the last 5 minutes and cook to your preferred doneness
- Drop the green onions in the last minute and remove from heat
- Serve along with a meal as an appetizer or sip on this soup as a healthy afternoon or mid morning snack; great for after workout, recovering from illness or regaining strength after childbirth.
Conclusion
The health benefits of ginger and extensively studied in animals and humans. The bioactive components include gingerols and shogaols but there are many types of these as well as other compounds.
These compounds affect the way genes are expressed, translated as well as a mechanical effect on blood vessels and chemical effects on protein channels and free radicals.
The capacity for ginger to do these things gives it the property to be an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti nausea agent. There are promising reports that it has some anti-carcinogenic activity but there is more work to be done.
We’re almost there. We will win.
Studies on volunteers show that there is strong evidence that ginger does offer cardiovascular support, anti-asthma, anti-diabetic, and cognitive support.
In the off chance that none of this is true, at least it tastes wonderful and adds a unique taste and finish to any dish be it sweet or savory. So, for at least one or all of these reasons it is worth a try.
Live well!
