Ginger is rapidly becoming the next big thing among health enthusiasts. The delicious spice offers a ton of health benefits backed by science.
Benefits Of Ginger
Whether steeping it as a tea or adding it to a meal as a spice, ginger does plenty of good to the human body. One benefit of consuming ginger is to calm an upset stomach.
"It's most commonly known for helping ease digestive issues like nausea," explained Kelly LeVeque, a nutritionist, to CNN. "[T]here is plenty of research that points to the health benefits of ginger as well; studies have shown that it's an anti-inflammatory food and acts as an antioxidant in the body."
A small 2010 study found that consuming raw or heated ginger helped reduce muscle soreness after a rigorous exercise. In 2015, women who consumed ginger in powder form reported experiencing relief from menstrual pain.
Another study published in 2014 reviewed the effectiveness of ginger to combat nausea and vomiting among pregnant women. They found that consuming ginger significantly improved morning sickness without posing any risk to their unborn children.
Ginger can also aid in weight loss as an appetite suppresant.
According to Healthline, there is scientific evidence supporting claims that ginger can help with osteoarthritis, drastically lower blood sugar and levels of bad cholesterol, boost brain function, and even reduce the risk of developing cancer.
Ginger has also been used since ancient times as treatment for numerous ailments such as colds and migraines.
How To Incorporate Ginger To One's Diet
The fresh ginger compound is called gingerol. That's the main ingredient that causes all of those powerful anti-inflammatory properties," said Eddie Fatakhov, a physician and nutritionist, to CNN. "Then, when I take it and I cook with it, now it switches to zingerone."
He explained that zingerone is not as good as gingerol, so the best way to consume the spice is by eating it fresh and raw. The second best way is by incorporating powdered or ground ginger to the diet.
Right now, however, trendy health enthusiast love consuming their dose of ginger as beverage. The golden milk, sometimes also refered to as turmeric tea or turmeric latte, is growing in popularity around the world. It recently was dubbed as the "trendiest hot drink" by epicurious.
While new to the West, turmeric has been around for centuries. The Indian drink (traditionally called haldi doodh) originated in Ayurveda.
Fatakhov also suggested steeping a slice of ginger in hot water for a simple, delicious, and nutritious drink.
