Ginger is a flowering plant that originated in Southeast Asia. It is among the healthiest (and most delicious) spices on the planet. It belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, and it is closely related to turmeric, cardamom, and galangal.The rhizome (underground part of the stem) is the part commonly used as a spice. It is often called ginger root or simply, ginger.
Ginger can be used fresh, dried, powdered, or as an oil or juice. It is a very common ingredient in recipes. It is sometimes added to processed foods and cosmetics. The following are the benefits of ginger to our general health:
- Chronic indigestion is characterized as recurrent pain and discomfort in the upper part of the stomach, ginger however speeds up emptying of the stomach which can be beneficial to people with indigestion and related stomach pain.
- It helps to prevent various types of nausea and morning sickness.
- It helps with weight loss; it reduce body weight , the hip ratio in people with overweight or obesity.
- It reduces blood sugar level and improve various heart diseases risk factor in people with type 2 diabetes.
- It is very effective against menstrual pain when taken at the beginning of the period.
- It reduces bad cholesterol.
- It fights harmful bacteria and virus which could reduce risk for infections.
- Osteoarthritis is a common health problem which involves degeneration of the joints in the body, it’s symptoms are joint pain and stiffness. Scholars found that a combination of tropical ginger , mastic cinnamon and sesame oil can help reduce pain and stiffness of the knee.
Ginger ,the root solution for so many ailment, be it digestive stress, colds or a chronic cough, ginger can cure it all but it has its limitation too, its benefits are not for everyone. And this can be risky to people with certain health conditions like:
- Underweight people: Ginger is essentially known as the root for weight loss. People who are undernourished should eliminate ginger from their diet if they wish to gain weight.
- Pregnancy: Though it helps with morning sickness and reduce discomfort, but taking ginger during the last trimester of pregnancies can cause premature contractions and labour.
- People on certain medications: People on medication for diabetes and high blood pressure should avoid the consumption of ginger because drugs like anticoagulants can be dangerous when combined with ginger. Ginger helps with blood thinning and lowers blood pressures both of which can be wrong with these medications.
You can add ginger to your meals, brew up a hot cup of ginger or try it in a stir fry sauce. Ginger is loaded with nutrients and bioactive compounds that have powerful benefits for your body and brain.
© Olarewaju Aishat Olamide.
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