Five Outstanding Health Benefits Of Ginger

What is Ginger?

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or simply ginger, is widely used as a spice or a folk medicine.

Ginger has a very long history of use in various forms of traditional/alternative medicine. It has been used to help digestion, reduce nausea and help fight the flu and common cold, to name a few.

The unique fragrance and flavor of ginger come from its natural oils, the most important of which is gingerol.

Gingerol is the main bioactive compound in ginger, responsible for much of its medicinal properties. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.



Here are five outstanding benefits of ginger to your body;

• Ginger Contains a Substance That May Help Prevent Cancer

Cancer is a very serious disease that is characterized by uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.

Ginger extract has been studied as an alternative treatment for several forms of cancer.

The anti-cancer properties are attributed to 6-gingerol, a substance that is found in large amounts in raw ginger.

In a study of 30 individuals, 2 grams of ginger extract per day significantly reduced pro-inflammatory signalling molecules in the colon.

However, a follow-up study in individuals at a high risk of colon cancer did not confirm these findings.


There is some, albeit limited, evidence that ginger may be effective against pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer. More research is needed.

In Conclusion:
Ginger contains a substance called 6-gingerol, which may have protective effects against cancer. However, this needs to be studied a lot more.

• Ginger Can Help Treat Chronic Indigestion

Chronic indigestion (dyspepsia) is characterized by recurrent pain and discomfort in the upper part of the stomach.

It is believed that delayed emptying of the stomach is a major driver of indigestion.

Interestingly, ginger has been shown to speed up emptying of the stomach in people with this condition.

After eating soup, ginger reduced the time it took for the stomach to empty from 16 to 12 minutes.

In a study of 24 healthy individuals, 1.2 grams of ginger powder before a meal accelerated emptying of the stomach by 50%.

In Conclusion:
Ginger appears to speed up emptying of the stomach, which can be beneficial for people with indigestion and related stomach discomfort.

• Ginger Powder Reduces Menstrual Pain

Menstrual pain or dysmenorrhea is the pain felt during a woman’s menstrual cycle. Ginger has been traditionally used to relieve all kinds of pain, including menstrual pain. More recently, research took the claim to test by taking 150 women to take a gram of ginger powder per day, during the first three days of the cycle. Due to ibuprofen and mefenamic acid (components found in ginger), the women reported reduced pain during the cycle.

In Conclusion:
Ginger appears to be very effective against menstrual pain when taken at the beginning of the menstrual period.

• Ginger May Lower Cholesterol Levels

High levels of LDL lipoproteins (the "bad" cholesterol) are linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

The foods you eat can have a strong influence on LDL levels.

In a 45-day study of 85 individuals with high cholesterol, 3 grams of ginger powder caused significant reductions in most cholesterol markers.

This is supported by a study in hypothyroid rats, where ginger extract lowered LDL cholesterol to a similar extent as the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin .

Both studies also showed reductions in total cholesterol and blood triglycerides.

In Conclusion:
There is some evidence, in both animals and humans, that ginger can lead to significant reductions in LDL cholesterol and blood triglyceride levels.

• The Active Ingredient in Ginger Can Help Fight Infections

Gingerol, the bioactive substance in fresh ginger, can help lower the risk of infections.

In fact, ginger extract can inhibit the growth of many different types of bacteria.

It is very effective against the oral bacteria linked to inflammatory diseases in the gums, such as gingivitis and periodontitis.

Fresh ginger may also be effective against the RSV virus, a common cause of respiratory infections.


More Info:


There are three main ways to ingest ginger,

You can grate, it to your tea and enjoy some delicious ginger tea. You could also use ginger powder or ginger flavoured tea leaves.
You can add it to your food by either grating it or buy powder ginger.
You can slice small pieces and chew them directly.


More research is still being carried out to determine even more benefits of this miraculous plant. For the meantime, add it to your diet, and you’ll see the improvement. If you feel this information was helpful, kindly share.

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