Health benefits of Ginger

by Team VN May 10, 2018

What is ginger?

Ginger also known as Zingiber officinale, is closely related to Turmeric and cardamom. Its grows under ground while stems and leaves sprout on top.

Ginger has quite a distinct taste which is warm, spicy and a little bit sweet. It has a great nutritional profile and contains bioactive compounds that have many powerful benefits for your body and brain. These health benefits have been well documented and researched across the globe, and ginger has been used as a natural remedy for thousands of years due to its medicinal properties.

Below I have discussed the top 5 health benefits of consuming ginger.

1- Menstrual pain

During this time unfortunately many women suffer from pain such as period cramps and headaches. While a lot of women turn to over the counter remedies, natural remedies can also play a part in managing this too.

A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicines showed that consuming ginger was as effective at reducing menstrual pain as medications like ibuprofen and mefanamic acid (1). These are both very strong anti inflammatory medication and in the UK mefanamic acid can only be obtained with a prescription.

Another study in 2009 had similar findings, reporting that ginger was able to reduce both the intensity and duration of pain (2).

2- Nausea

Ginger has historically been known to help sea sickness and in particular to help treat nausea, there is some evidence that it may be as effective as prescription medication (3).

The most extensively studied use is pregnancy related nausea. The following review looked at the results of 12 studies which comprised of 1,278 pregnant women and found that ginger was effective at decreasing symptoms of nausea with minimal risk of side effects (4).

It has been shown to consume 1-1.5g of ginger which can help prevent nausea.

3- Control infections

Gingerol is the bioactive substance in fresh ginger, which can help lower the risk of infections. Ginger has been shown to fight against both bacterial and fungal infections.

Ginger has been shown to treat many different bacterial infections (5,6) in particular ginger is very effective against oral bacteria linked to inflammatory diseases in the gums, such as gingivitis and periodontitis (7). Consuming ginger can have the overall effect of these conditions occuring.

Fungal infections cause a wide variety of conditions, such as athlete’s foot. Fortunately, ginger has powerful anti-fungal properties that can safely and successfully help kill off disease-causing fungi.

A test tube study conducted 2016, found that ginger extract was effective against two types of yeast that commonly cause fungal infections in the mouth (8). Another similar study in measured the antifungal effects of 29 plant species and found that ginger was the most effective at killing off fungus (9).

4- Anti inflammatory

Ginger has strong anti inflammatory benefits, therefore it can help reduce inflammation around the joints as well as exercise induced muscle pain.

One study has shown that daily consumption of ginger resulted in the participants showing a moderate to large reduction in exercise induced muscle injury (10). Another study further showed gingers anti inflammatory properties by decreasing knee pain in patients suffering from osteoarthritis (11). These individuals also showed a decrease in need for pain medication.

Both studies have shown that by consuming ginger daily can help manage pain.

5- Promotes good digestion

One of the most powerful benefits of ginger is that it can help control symptoms associated with dyspepsia (indigestion). It is a common condition when impaired digestion can lead to symptoms such as heartburn, bloating, fullness and discomfort.

According to a study in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, ginger was able to speed up the emptying of the stomach by 12-16 minutes quicker than compared to a placebo in people with indigestion (12). Another study found that by taking 1.2g of ginger before a meal increased stomach emptying by 50% (13).

Anything else?

There are many other health benefits of Ginger. However the ones we have touched on are backed up with evidence. From our research and recent studies we know that Ginger can help reduce inflammation, help with nausea and indigestion, and help control infections.

We have developed Turmunity so people can harness the powerful benefits of Ginger in a quick and easy form. We have created it so that it is well balanced and all ingredients used are organic. Our aim is that we want people to live a healthier life through natural sources.

Thank you for reading!