All the benefits of ginger: incredible properties
Index
- 6 healthy recipes with ginger
- Remedy with ginger and lemon juice
- All the benefits of ginger
- Ginger and cinnamon tea
- 6 home remedies with ginger
The ginger is probably one of the most popular medicinal plants not only for its use in the kitchen as a seasoning and flavoring, but also for the incredible properties it provides, which is why it became for 2,000 years one of the main ingredients in Traditional Chinese Medicine, where it is common to use it as a traditional remedy in a wide variety of disorders and diseases, and where it is common to develop the popular ginger tea.
What's more, did you know that it became a widely used plant in the Roman Empire? Then, centuries later, it was formally recovered by Marco Polo when he made his trip to the East, where he was very used by the population.
It consists of a plant belonging to the family of the zingiberáceas, whose underground stem (its rhizome or root) is actually the main element and the most valued for its delicate aroma and its spicy flavor, being precisely the part of the plant most used both in the kitchen - either as a spice, dry or as a powder, or as an appetizer - as from a medicinal point of view. The plant itself can reach up to 2 meters in height, with linear leaves of up to 20 centimeters.
From a nutritional point of view we have a root especially rich in carbohydrates and fats, which provides an excellent amount of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. In addition, it has a high content of flavonoids, oxalic acid, curcumin and other compounds such as shogaols, gingerols and various essential oils. All these compounds are those that mainly give ginger its great properties and benefits.
We are not only facing a very popular plant, but before an element that has been very studied over the centuries, and particularly by Science in recent decades. Scientific studies that, in effect, have allowed us to discover each and every one of the different properties of ginger, about which we speak in detail on this occasion.
The incredible properties of ginger
Wonderful nutritional wealth
As we mentioned before, ginger contributes a large amount of different essential nutrients, many of them essential and fundamental within a varied and balanced diet, being essential for our health and for the proper functioning of our body. Among those nutrients we can mention:
- Carbohydrates: between 40 to 50%.
- Fat: between 6 to 8%, highlighting mainly the presence of essential fatty acids (oleic and linoleic).
- Amino acids: arginine, leucine, asparagine, histidine, lysine, methionine, threonine, tyrosine, tryptophan, valine, glutamine and aspartic acid.
- Vitamins: vitamin C and niacin.
- Minerals: phosphorus, silicon, zinc, boron, chromium, manganese and cobalt.
- Other nutrients: flavonoids and oxalic acid.
Benefits for the digestive system
Ginger is probably one of the best foods that exist for the care of the digestive system, thanks to its antibacterial power useful when treating a wide variety of intestinal problems. To the stimulate the pancreas It increases the production of enzymes that help and favor the process of digestion. It is also a antidiarrheal remedy, helping to increase the population of beneficial bacteria in our intestinal flora and fight against infectious microorganisms that cause intestinal affections thanks to its antibacterial qualities.
It also becomes a excellent natural remedy against nausea, helping powerfully at the time of reducing and even practically eliminating the desire to vomit. For example, it is a useful option when we are traveling, for example taking a ginger tea between 2 to 3 hours before starting the trip. As far as this quality is concerned, it is also a natural option to relieve the nausea of pregnancy (1), especially during the first months of pregnancy.
Some studies have confirmed their ability to eliminate the bacteria Helicobacter Pylori. On the other hand, it is also useful for neutralize and reduce excess gastric acid, so it is adequate in the prevention of ulcers (2).
In addition, ginger has been used to treat intestinal conditions, since it seems that, by stimulating the pancreas, the production of enzymes that favor digestion increases and prevent the appearance of a series of effects considered secondary that are related to the malabsorption thereof.
It also has an antibacterial power that is effective in a great diversity of intestinal problems, which are produced by alterations of the intestinal flora.
If we have nausea or desire to vomit, it has been proven how ginger turns out to be one of the best remedies to fight them (3). For example, take it 3 or 2 hours before starting the trip, and it will prevent us from getting sick from the movement.
It can also be effective against vomiting produced by chemotherapy (4), and may thus be a good way to reduce those vomiting caused by chemotherapy treatments in cancer patients. Of course, in this case and for its anticoagulant properties, in addition to consulting the doctor about its possible intake asking for a recommendation for use, it can not be taken on an empty stomach.
However, in the presence of a digestive problem or disease of the digestive system, it is best to take it with caution.
Excellent for your cardiovascular health
Ginger helps promote and improve blood circulation, a quality that means that it is useful for the prevention of vascular accidents by fluidizing the blood. For example, it helps to dissolve the thrombi that have formed in the arteries at the same time it is an excellent remedy against cholesterol (5), being ideal to reduce the high levels of fats in the blood.
It is a unique natural option for heart disease, since it is an effective natural preventive against breast sores and heart attacks, in addition to preventing the formation of thrombosis and clots.
Very good against colds and flu
In case of flu or cold the ginger is useful to reduce and relieve their symptoms more typical. For example, it helps relieve the joint pains so characteristic of these two diseases, in addition to reducing nasal congestion and lowering fever completely naturally.
To increase this quality it is advisable to choose to take jointly ginger with lemon in a very hot infusion cup.
Anti-inflammatory and natural analgesic
Ginger acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, quality that is translated precisely in that it helps to treat, fight and alleviate respiratory illnesses, digestive problems and affections and osteoarthritis.
It also exercises a analgesic effect (6) very useful to relieve pain caused by inflammatory diseases (such as arthritis and osteoarthritis), and is also effective in reducing the pain that appears during the so-called premenstrual syndrome.
How to take ginger to enjoy its properties
There are different options when it comes to enjoying each and every one of the properties that ginger brings us. Choosing between one or the other will depend on our needs and even on our own personal taste, but your benefits will not be diminished at all by choosing one or another option:
- In the form of infusion or tea:It is one of the most popular options. It consists of boiling a liter of water, and when it boils, add a piece of fresh ginger root. Then we must put out the fire, cover, and let rest 5 minutes. Finally strain, sweeten to taste and drink it.
- In the form of ginger capsules:it is another habitual option, that we find especially in herbalists and stores of nutrition. You can usually find boats that bring between 50 to 100 capsules of ginger, usually with ginger extract whose amount ranges from 400 to 500 mg. Therefore, its dose will depend on the amount, although it is usual to consume one or two capsules of ginger every 8 hours.
- In the form of ginger oil:Since the essential oil of ginger tends to be much purer (since its concentration is greater), it is best to take 5 to 9 drops per day divided into three doses.
- And in the kitchen ?:Many oriental cuisines use ginger for its powerful flavor. Thus, for example, it can be used to make sauces, to dress salads or to season meats.
Main contraindications of ginger
As with any other food or medicinal plant, Ginger also has certain contraindications that make it not advisable to use it according to when or in what conditions. Take note:
- Pregnancy and lactation:On the one hand, although ginger helps relieve nausea, in pregnancy it can cause heartburn and drowsiness. On the other hand, during breastfeeding, its safety for the baby has not been proven.
- Kidney or biliary stones:Since ginger stimulates both the kidneys and the gallbladder, its consumption is not recommended in case of having stones in the gallbladder or in the kidneys, or in case of having a history.
Bibliography:
- Thomson M, Corbin R, Leung L. Effects of ginger for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a meta-analysis. J Am Board Fam Med. 2014 Jan-Feb; 27 (1): 115-22. doi: 10.3122 / jabfm.2014.01.130167.
- Haniadka R, Saldanha E, Sunita V, Palatty PL, Fayad R, Baliga MS. A review of the gastroprotective effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe). Food Funct. 2013 Jun; 4 (6): 845-55. doi: 10.1039 / c3fo30337c.
- Marx W, Kiss N, Isenring L. Is ginger beneficial for nausea and vomiting? An update of the literature. Curr Opin Support Palliat Care. 2015 Jun; 9 (2): 189-95. doi: 10.1097 / SPC.0000000000000135.
- Ansari M, Porouhan P, Mohammadianpanah M, Omidvari S, Mosalaei A, Ahmadloo N, Nasrollahi H, Hamedi SH. Efficacy of Ginger in Control of Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Doxorubicin-Based Chemotherapy. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2016; 17 (8): 3877-80.
- Marx W, McKavanagh D, McCarthy AL, Bird R, Ried K, Chan A, Isenring L. The Effect of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) on Platelet Aggregation: A Systematic Literature Review. PLoS One. 2015 Oct 21; 10 (10): e0141119. doi: 10.1371 / journal.pone.0141119.
- Wilson PB. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) as an Analgesic and Ergogenic Aid in Sport: A Systemic Review. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Oct; 29 (10): 2980-95. doi: 10.1519 / JSC.0000000000001098.
