Benefits & Uses of Ginger, How Eating Ginger Root Benefits Our Skin, Hair and Overall Health
Ginger Benefits And Uses For Our Health
Ginger root is one of precious spice on the earth which has umpteen benefits for health. It is rich in bio-active compounds which benefit your health immensely. Ginger contains gingerol, a substance which is loaded with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidants properties. Gingerol is the most powerful bio-active found in ginger root, which is a storehouse of medicinal properties. Below we have listed all the benefits of ginger that it provides to our body, skin and hair.
Ginger is a flowering plant which traces its origin from china. It has been derived from zingiberaceae which is closely related to the family of turmeric, cardamon and galangal. Rhizome, the underground part of the stem is called ginger or ginger root which is used as spice. Ginger can be used in powdered form, juice , raw or cooked in recipes. It is an indispensable part of our cuisines. It has been used in traditional medicines since ages.
Ginger root is used to cure nausea, common cough, cold, joint pain, indigestion and many more, Read this article to get conversant about the best benefits of ginger root.
Ginger Benefits and Uses for Health
1. Use Ginger to Treat Nausea
Ginger benefits in curing sea sickness and it can also work like prescription as ginger is highly effective to prevent nausea. It can also cure nausea after surgery and in cancer patients going thorough chemotherapy.
According to a review of 12 studies on 1278 pregnant women that taking 1.1 to 1.5 grams of ginger can help in reduction of symptoms of nausea.
Although ginger root is a safe spice to be taken during pregnancy but you should talk to doctor before taking ginger in pregnancy as high amount of ginger can lead to miscarriage in pregnant women but there are no studies done to substantiate this claim.
2. Ginger Benefits in Curing Muscle Pain and Cramps
Ginger or ginger root has been shown effective against muscle cramps and exercise induced pain. It has not been effective in curing muscle pain immediately but it helps in reducing muscle pain gradually if taken regularly. It has been proved by studies that taking 2 grams of ginger for 11 days dramatically reduced pain in people doing elbow exercises. Anti-inflammatory properties of gingeroot have been responsible for soothing exercise-induced muscle soreness. So take ginger daily in your diet to get rid of muscle pain.
3. Use Ginger to Cure Osteoarthritis
Another health benefit of ginger is in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties which can cure osteoarthritis to a great extent. Osteoarthritis is a painful condition which is marked by stiffness of joints and severe joint pain. In a controlled trail of 247 people with patients of osteoarthritis of knee that who took ginger reported less pain and required less medicine to soothe their joint pain. According to an another study onosteoarthritis patients that the unique blend of ginger, mastic, cinnamon and sesame oil can reduce joint pain and stiffness in osteoarthritis patients, if used topically on joints.
4. Ginger can control Blood Sugar and Lower the Risk of Heart Disease
It is relatively new research that shows that ginger can keep a tab on your blood sugar level. In study in 2015 on 41 participants with diabetes type 2, they took 2 grams of ginger powder per day and their blood sugar level on fasting was reduced up to 12 percent.
It also dramatically reduced HbAic, a marker for blood sugar level in long term, It leads to reduction in sugar level of your body up to 10 percent in just 12 weeks.
It can also reduce ApoB-apoA1 ratio by 28 percent and 23 percent reduction in marker of oxidized lipoprotein. They are both major triggers for health diseases.
5. Use Ginger to Cure Chronic Indigestion
Chronic indigestion is marked by recurrent pain in upper stomach. It is said that delay in digesting food causes bloating of stomach and indigestion. So good news is that ginger helps in making stomach empty faster. After taking soup, taking ginger reduced the time to make stomach empty from 16 minutes to 12 minutes.
A study on 12 individuals shows that taking ginger before meal speeds up the process of digestion and increases the process of emptiness of stomach by 50 percent. So bottom-line is that taking gingeroot is very beneficial for people down with indigestion and stomach disorder.
6. Ginger Helps to Lose Weight
Ginger is highly effective in shedding post-delivery weight. All you need to add 2 spoons of dry ginger powder in a glass of warm milk and drink this at bedtime. This recipe helps to reduce the water weight after delivery. I have also taken this miracle drink to reduce my post-baby weight. It really works! Try this!
In addition, you can prepare ginger tea to lose weight easily without hassles. Here is how you can make ginger tea - add 2 spoons of grated ginger and 2 spoons of lemon juice in hot water and add honey to taste. Steep for 5 minutes and your weight loss ginger tea is ready. Ginger tea speeds up your metabolism and keeps your stomach fuller for long preventing you from overeating. It flushes out toxins from your system and keeps your weight under control.
Moreover, taking ginger tea warms up your body and treats sore throat, cough and cold. Ginger cures rhinoviruses which causes cold in your body. So take ginger tea 3-4 times in a day to enjoy its multiple benefits
7. Ginger Benefits During Menstrual Pain
Ginger taking orally can reduce the pain women feel during menstrual cycles. In one study in which 150 women were instructed to take 1 gram of ginger during their first 3 day of menstrual cycle. Ginger helped in reducing dysmenorrhoea (menstrual pain) as the medicine mefenamic and ibuprfen. So taking gingeroot at the beginning of your menstrual cycle can dramatically allay the pain and discomfort during your period.
[Also Read: How to Relieve Abdominal Pain and Cramps During Pregnancy]
8. Ginger root Helps in Lowering Cholesterol Level in Body
Ginger can reduce LDL lipoprotein, the high level of bad cholesterol which is the main factor of heart attacks. Whatever we eat can have direct effects on our LDL levels.
In study of 85 individuals during 45 days, taking 3 grams of ginger reduced their cholesterol level significantly. It has been supported by another study on hypothyroid rats in which gingeroot extract reduced their cholesterol level as much as the cholesterol reducing drug, atorvastatin. Both studies revealed that taking ginger on a regular basis can reduce LDL cholesterol and blood triglyceride level in both humans and animals.
9. Ginger can Help Prevent Cancer
Cancer is a life threatening disease which is marked by uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. Ginger has cancer fighting qualities thanks to a substance called gingerol present abundantly in it.
In a study of 30 individuals, taking 2 grams of ginger significantly reduced the pro-inflammatory signalling molecules in the colons. However a follow up study on individuals with high risk of colon cancer did not confirm previous findings.
There are some evidence that ginger can prevent pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer but more research is needed to substantiate this claim.
10. Ginger can treat Brain Disorder and Alzheimer Diseases
Oxiditive stress and chronic inflammation can cause your skin to age faster. And this is also the root cause of Alzheimer disease and age-induced cognitive decline. Some studies prove that bio-actives compounds and anti-inflammatory properties of gingeroot can block inflammatory responses that occur in our brain. There are also some evidences that taking ginger orally improves our brain functions.
In a study of 50 women that taking ginger in their diet was beneficial in improving your reaction time and memory. It is also said that taking ginger can protect your brain against age-related decline. Moreover, taking ginger extracts directly can improve the function of brain in elderly women.
11. Ginger Help Fight Infections
Bio-active compounds present in ginger can prevent the growth of bacterias which cause infections
It is also very active against the oral bacteria which causes germs in gums like gingivitis and periodontitis. Fresh ginger is also effective against RSV virus which cause respiratory infections.
12. Ginger Benefits in Diarrhea
Ginger has been used to treat diarrhea since ages but it has been proved by researches that it really helps in preventing stomach spasms and gas that trigger diarrhea. In china ginger powder is given to patients of diarrhea as drugs since thousand years.
13. Ginger Helps to Eliminate Excess Gas in Your Stomach
Ginger is very strong carminative that helps in emitting gas from your stomach. Excess gas in your abdomen causes it to bloat and feel discomfort all the times. Not only this, build up gas in your system can force upwards and put pressure on other organs of body too and can give birth to many ailments. Calminative properties of ginger help to emit out excess gas storage in your system and prevent it from forming again.
14. Taking Ginger root Enhances Your Sex Drive
Ginger is a well known aphrodisiac which has been used to increase your sexual desire and arouse desire. Ginger has an alluring aroma which helps in establishing sexual connection. This also enhances the blood circulation in your mid section in your body, an important area for sexual performance.
15. Ginger Detoxifies and Disinfects
Ginger is responsible for making your sweat more than normal. Sweating cleans your skin pores and removes toxins from your body. Research also shows that sweat comes with germ fighting substance dermicidin. It reduces the bacteria and viral infections in body. So the person who sweats regular has healthy sheen on face.
Ginger Benefits for Skin
So we have looked at health benefits of ginger, now it is time to look at ginger benefits for skin. You must know that it can do a whole lot of things to enhance your skin’s luster. Let us learn the skin benefits of ginger root.
16. Ginger Benefits in Lightening Scars
Ginger root extracts are very beneficial in removing scars especially light scars which are lighter than your skin tone. Just dip a cotton pad in ginger juice and apply this juice on affected area. Repeat this process twice a day to see quick results. Follow this recipe continuously for 4 weeks and you will see a noticeable results in one month.
17. Use Ginger to Rejuvenate Your Skin to Make it Youthful and Supple
Ginger or ginger root contains more than 40 anti-oxidants that rejuvenate and nourish your skin. So make sure to drink one cup of ginger juice daily to keep your face wrinkles free and flawless. You can make a face mask with 1 spoon of ginger juice, one spoon of honey, one spoon of lemon juice and apply on your cleanses face. Let this mask stay on face for 30 minutes before washing it off with cold water. Regular usage of this home remedy will make your skin flawless and youthful.
18. Ginger Reduces Cellulite
In addition to detoxifying qualities of ginger root, it can also melt away ungainly and unwanted fat called cellulite. Make an anti-cellulite mask with 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 spoons of grated ginger and juice of a lemon and keep the leftover in the fridge. Use this solution while taking shower and massage this mixture over affected area for 5 minutes before washing it off. This recipe drains away cellulite and tones your skin.
19. Ginger Root Aids in Treatment of Pimple
There are lots of products in market which claim to cure pimples but all these are full of chemicals which may ruin your skin texture over time. All your need to dab cold ginger tea on your pimples to vanish them right away. Ginger is good for even sensitive skin given the mild and natural properties of ginger.
20. Ginger Helps in Making Skin Fair
Ginger helps tighten the skin pores, tones the skin and evens out the discoloration of skin. Rub the slice of freshly sliced ginger on your skin for 15 minutes, then wash off. You can prepare a homemade glowing skin face pack with 2 spoons of ginger juice or 2 spoons of honey and apply on your perfectly cleansed skin. After 20 minutes, massage gently to remove the mask. Use this beauty tip twice a week see an amazing fairness results.
21. Ginger Benefits in Treating Skin Inflammation
Ginger has anti-bacterial properties that help prevents all sorts of infections. Mic few drops of ginger oil to one spoon of olive oil and massage this solution on affected areas to soothe eczema and other skin inflammations. Moreover, this mixture buzzes up the blood circulation, thereby, resulting in glowing and healthier complexion naturally.
22. Use Ginger as Skin Exfoliator
Grainy texture of ginger makes it a perfect scrub to remove dead skin cells. Mix 2 spoon of grated ginger with one spoon of honey and one spoon of sugar to make an exfoliating scrub for your skin. Massage your face, neck and all part of your body with this exfoliating mask to remove dead skin cells and bring out the fresh and new skin on the outside.
23. Ginger Benefits in Treating Burnt Skin
Just apply ginger juice with cotton pad on your burns and other cuts. It will soothe and relax the pain caused by minor cuts and burns.
[Also Read: Home Remedies for Sun Burnt Skin ]
Benefits of Ginger for Hair
Apart from health and skin, ginger and its root has various benefits for your hair too. Let us learn how ginger benefits your hair.
24. Ginger Stimulates Hair Growth
If you are experiencing hair loss at an alarming rate, then make ginger as part of your daily dietary routine as ginger is rich in vitamins, fatty acids and anti-oxidants which strengthen your hair and prevent hair loss. Massage your hair with warm cup of ginger tea and leave it on for 30 minutes before shampooing your hair. You can even massage your hair with 2 spoons of jojoba oil and 2 spoons of freshly grated ginger. Massage well and leave it on your hair for 30 minutes, then rinse it off.
25. Use Ginger to Remove Dandruff Effectively
Anti-fungal properties of ginger make it a perfect treatment for dandruff. Mix three parts of olive/sesame oil with 2 parts of ginger and massage this mixture on your hair for 5 minutes. After 15 minutes , wash off with cold water. Repeat this process twice a week and dandruff will vanish naturally!
[Also Read: Home Remedies for Removing Dandruff]
26. Ginger Benefits in Treating Split Ends
Ginger is very helpful in prevention of split ends. Just mix grated ginger to your shampoo and apply this shampoo and get set to say good bye to split ends the natural way.
So these are all the ginger benefits for health, skin and hair. We hope you like these benefits and make them part of your health routine. Though ginger is very commonly available food item, but due to its immense health benefits, it is one of the best home remedies to use in case of illness. Get yourself know the health benefits of ginger and use ginger to treat problems wherever you can.