7 Amazing Health Benefits of Ginger You Should Know

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In this article, we will explore another amazing plant, that is, ginger, and its health benefits for our bodies.

We all know that ginger has been used traditionally as an alternative medicine.

But what makes this root plant so powerful, especially on our health?

Well, join me to discover the amazing health benefits of ginger!

Disclaimer: Information on medicinal plants is for educational purposes only and not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before use.

7 Amazing Health Benefits of Ginger

1. Ginger serves as an anti-inflammatory agent

One of the amazing benefits of consuming anti-inflammatory foods such as ginger is that they serve as a natural anti-inflammatory agent against inflammatory diseases.

The anti-inflammatory properties help reduce the pain and inflammation in our bodies, including pain, redness, and swelling caused by injury.

Ginger contains bioactive compounds (gingerols, shogaols, and zingerone) that are responsible for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Research published by PubMed Central shows that patients with inflammatory diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and lupus erythematosus improved when consuming anti-inflammatory foods such as ginger.

Therefore, evidence from PubMed Central suggests that anti-inflammatory foods such as ginger may help improve the quality of life for patients with inflammatory diseases.

2. It supports weight management

Another amazing health benefit of consuming ginger is that it may support weight management, specifically for obese individuals.

Obesity is one of the major risks for developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.

It is a chronic complex disease that usually occurs when our bodies accumulate excessive fat, and as a result, it can affect our lifestyle and health.

A study by PubMed on the effect of ginger on weight loss suggests that ginger may support weight management, especially for individuals who are obese or overweight.

However, the same research shows a lack of evidence that ginger has a significant effect on their body mass index (BMI).

Although ginger may support weight management, further research is needed to fully understand the effect of ginger on obese individuals and their BMI.

3. Ginger helps lower blood sugar

As mentioned earlier, ginger contains bioactive compounds.

These compounds not only serve as anti-inflammatory agents but also help lower blood sugar, especially for individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic and serious disease that usually occurs when your blood sugar is unmanageable and is too high.

A review article by PubMed Central strongly suggests that consuming ginger powder has potential properties to lower blood sugar for individuals experiencing type 2 diabetes.

This study was conducted in various clinical trials, including randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled, where 50 patients aged between 20 and 60 years served as participants. But, only 41 participants underwent the tests; 9 participants were excluded due to migration, change in type and dose of medication, and refusal to continue. 

Clinical trials show that ginger powder shows a significant result in patients with type 2 diabetes, as it reduces the levels of fasting blood sugar (FBS) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c).

Hence, this shows that ginger may help manage blood sugar levels, especially in patients with type 2 diabetes.

4. Ginger may help lower cholesterol levels

Ginger will not only help lower your blood sugar, but it will also lower your cholesterol level.

Unmanageable cholesterol levels, particularly high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, may increase your risk of serious health conditions such as stroke and heart disease.

According to research published by PubMed on the effect of ginger on lipid levels, ginger consumption may lead to lower cholesterol levels and fat in our bodies.

This study was conducted in a 45-day clinical trial, where 85 participants were randomly divided into two groups: 45 participants in the treatment group (ginger) and 40 participants in the placebo group (lactose).

The result shows that ginger significantly reduced the total cholesterol levels of patients in the treatment group compared to the placebo group. This means that ginger is more effective than a placebo or lactose.

Moreover, the ginger group shows a greater reduction of LDL and an increase in HDL (good cholesterol) compared to the placebo group. However, these differences between the two groups were not significant.

5. Ginger may have anti-cancer properties

One of the benefits of consuming ginger is that it has anti-cancer properties.

A systematic review published by PubMed Central indicates that consuming ginger may help protect you from developing cancer, especially colorectal cancer, such as colon and rectum cancer.

However, in the same study, the possibility of using ginger in treating colorectal cancer is very weak.

Therefore, further research is needed to determine the effect of ginger in fighting cancer cells.

6. Ginger contains antimicrobial properties

Ginger contains bioactive compounds such as gingerol (6-gingerol and 12-gingerol), which are responsible for its antimicrobial properties.

A published article by PubMed Central suggests that ginger has antimicrobial properties that may fight against E. coli, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhi, Candida albicans, and periodontal bacteria.

Thus, based on evidence, ginger indeed contains antimicrobial agents that may help us fight against bacteria and fungi.

7. Ginger contains antioxidant properties

Ginger also possesses antioxidant properties, which help neutralize free radicals to protect us from cell damage.

In a critical review published by PubMed on ginger, a study found that ginger’s bioactive agents, such as gingerol, shogaols, paradol, and zingerone, show that it is rich in antioxidant properties, which help us fight against free radicals and protect us from cell damage.

While there is strong evidence about the richness of ginger in antioxidants that can protect our body against free radicals and damaged cells, still, it is crucial to note that science is for continuous study, especially on the ginger medicinal plant.

So, What Does This All Mean About Ginger?

Well, based on the gathered data, these strongly show that ginger has a lot of amazing benefits for our bodies that may help us to protect against inflammation, weight management, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, several types of cancer, bacteria and fungi, and free radicals.

Although ginger has shown a potential effect to control blood sugar, especially for patients with type 2 diabetes, still, further research is needed to determine if consuming ginger also has a significant effect on individuals with no diabetes.

What are your thoughts on ginger?

Do you have any experience in using ginger for health benefits?

If so, feel free to share it in the comments!