Spices aren’t just a way to make your favorite meals taste better. A lot of them also have a lot of antioxidants, nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.
Ginger, which comes from a flowering root plant, is great for your health in a number of ways. The spice was first found in southeast Asia. Since the 9th century, it has been used in Eastern medicine. It is also the main ingredient in Asian, Indian, and Caribbean food.
Candace O’Neill, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian, tells us why ginger is both tasty and very healthy, and the best ways to use this versatile spice in our daily meals.
What good things does ginger do?
Ginger doesn’t look like it would be good for your body just by looking at it. When you eat ginger, you eat the root, which is called the rhizome. It looks like a smaller sweet potato or a twisted tree.
But ginger really packs a punch. It not only has vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium in it, but it also has many health benefits.
Pain relief
Gingerol is a powerful compound found in fresh ginger that has antioxidant properties and reduces enzymes that cause inflammation. O’Neill says that this is why ginger is good for inflammatory conditions and pain relief, especially for menstrual cramps and arthritis. For example, in a clinical trial, ginger seemed to help ease the pain of osteoarthritis in the knee.
Gingerol is an anti-inflammatory compound found in both fresh and dried ginger. However, when gingerol is heated, it changes into a different compound that is not as effective.
O’Neill says it’s interesting that ginger has been linked more to long-term pain relief than to quick pain relief. “Over-the-counter painkillers work as soon as you take them. Researchers who looked into ginger’s effects found that the spice takes time to work. People may say, “You know what, I feel like I’m in less pain in a few days.”
Helps keep blood sugar in check
Gingerol could also explain how ginger helps keep blood sugar stable. The key to controlling the long-term health effects of Type 2 diabetes is to do the second thing. “The ginger stops enzymes from breaking down carbohydrates, which helps the body use glucose (sugar),” says O’Neill.
People with Type 2 diabetes often don’t make enough insulin, which is needed to move glucose around the body and keep it from building up in the bloodstream. Ginger can also help control this. Studies have shown that ginger makes your muscles absorb glucose without you having to take extra insulin.
This could have more good effects as a result. “If you have insulin resistance, it can sometimes be harder to lose weight,” says O’Neill. “Better control of blood sugar may help you lose weight and make your body more sensitive to insulin.”
Lessens sickness
If you were sick as a child, your parents might have given you a ginger ale. But it’s likely not the ginger that made your stomach feel better. O’Neill says that most ginger ales don’t have real ginger in them. “I think it’s more likely that the carbonation helps settle someone’s stomach.”
But eating fresh ginger can help with different kinds of nausea, like morning sickness, motion sickness, and the side effects of some chemotherapy treatments. Ginger may be helpful because it speeds up the way food moves through your GI tract and blocks serotonin receptors in the lining of your gut. This can help calm nerves that make you want to throw up.
Could help bring down cholesterol
People who took ginger pills every day for 45 days had lower levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and bad cholesterol (also called low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) than people who were given a placebo. But more research needs to be done before it can be said for sure that ginger can lower cholesterol.
May stop the growth of bacteria
Some studies have shown that some parts of ginger, like gingerol, may have antibacterial properties, but more research is needed to be sure.
There are simple ways to add ginger to your diet.
Ginger is easy to add to your diet because you only need a small amount. “Some people say that fresh ginger tastes spicy and sweet, while dry ginger tastes more pungent,” says O’Neill.
Ginger can be bought fresh, dried, or in powdered form. You can also buy ginger root and grate or grind it at home to get the consistency you want. “There are a few ways to get ginger at the store,” says O’Neill. “You can just buy the root on its own. Ginger can be bought dried, pickled, or used to make ginger cheese.
Ginger tea is also good for your health, especially if you have an inflammatory condition or feel sick. But O’Neill says that ginger beer, another common drink, might not be the best way to feel better.
She says, “Sometimes ginger beer has a lot of added sugar, which isn’t always good for your health, especially if you’re worried about an inflammatory disease like arthritis.” “It would probably be better to drink ginger tea.”
How to keep ginger from going bad
Ginger can now be found in most grocery stores and in specialty shops. In either case, the best piece to choose is one that looks and feels fresh. Ginger should have yellow flesh that is firm and not soft or squishy. Its outer skin shouldn’t be dried out or show signs of being soft or moldy, like spots or a slimy feel.
Ginger root can be kept fresh for about three weeks in the fridge. Put it in the crisper in a plastic bag (squeeze out the air first), a paper bag, or a glass jar that won’t let air in. Ginger root will last longer if you keep it in the freezer and grate off a small piece each time you want to use it in a recipe.
The same care needs to be taken with dried ginger. Make sure it’s in a sealed container and kept somewhere cool and dark, like a kitchen cabinet.
Ginger is used in a lot of recipes.
Ginger can be used in vegetables, stir-fries, chicken dishes, soups, curries, sauces for main dishes, salad dressings, desserts, smoothies, and even pancakes and tea. It can be added to applesauce or vegetables before they are roasted.
Some common recipes that call for ginger are:
- Smoothie with ginger and spices.
- Tuna on the grill with a salsa made of avocado, cucumber, and ginger.
- Wrap chicken salad with lime, herbs, ginger, and jalapenos.
- Ginger, cilantro, and scallions are all in these turkey patties.
- Ginger pancakes with sweet potatoes.
“You can get fresh ginger root and grate it, or you can cut a piece and put it in water,” says O’Neill. “That’s a good idea, or you could put it in a smoothie or stir-fry. There are a lot of choices. The benefits will last a long time.
How much should you use or take?
There is no magic amount of ginger that helps with inflammation and pain. But don’t take a ginger supplement without first talking to your doctor.
“High doses of supplements can actually make you sick and give you heartburn,” says O’Neill. “Ginger can also interact with blood-thinning drugs when taken in large amounts. Before you start taking any dietary supplement, you should always talk to a doctor or nurse.
Make it a habit to eat foods that are high in ginger on a regular basis so you can get the most health benefits. Ginger is more likely to be eaten because it tastes so good. “Which is important, because then we’ll start a healthier eating pattern,” says O’Neill. “This can help lower the risk of getting a chronic disease or help you deal with the one you already have.”