Proven Benefits of Ginger for Digestion and More

Ginger is a plant that was originally from Southeast Asia, and it’s commonly used in cooking to add flavor. The stem of the plant is what is most commonly used as a spice, and it can be used fresh, dried, or powdered. Ginger has a plethora of health benefits, especially pertaining to digestive health. 

This article will outline several science-backed benefits of ginger as well as provide an explanation for how to incorporate more ginger into your diet. 

Benefits of ginger

Ginger has been used for many years in traditional and eastern medicine. Historically it’s been used to soothe digestion and fight off viral infections like the common cold, for example. 

Thanks to ginger’s main active component, gingerol, the plant holds many powerful medicinal properties. In fact, gingerol is the main bioactive compound in ginger and is the reason it’s so healing. 

Here are some of the main health benefits of ginger:

1. Can help improve digestion

Gingerol has been shown to accumulate in the digestive tract and facilitate anti-inflammatory effects. Many unpleasant digestive symptoms such as those relating to irritable bowel syndrome, for example, may be a result of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, looking for ingredients that exert anti-inflammatory effects can be quite helpful to mitigate symptoms (1). 

Additionally, research shows that ginger can soothe discomfort associated with indigestion. Much indigestion can result from slowed gastric emptying, and ginger can help speed up that emptying, therefore helping to reduce symptoms of indigestion.

2. May help lower blood sugar

Although research is still new, there is some evidence to suggest that consuming ginger has blood sugar-lowering effects. The existing studies focus on individuals with type 2 diabetes and suggest that patients who consumed 2 grams of ginger powder daily reduced their fasting blood sugar level by 12% (2).

Additionally, hemoglobin A1C, a marker for long term blood sugar, might be lowered from consuming a ginger root supplement regularly (3).

However, it’s important to realize that the research on ginger and blood sugar is still quite new and there needs to be more studies with more participants to be able to confirm the potential blood-sugar lowering benefits of ginger.

3. May help improve brain function

Most people are drawn to habits that have been shown to preserve and even improve brain function. Luckily, ginger is one of those special foods that can help protect against age-related decline in brain function.  

Because gingerol is such a powerful medicinal compound, it has been shown to inhibit inflammatory reactions in the brain, which in turn reduces brain aging and cognitive decline. In addition to the bioactive gingerol, there may also be powerful antioxidants in the ginger plant that contribute to the inhibition of inflammation in the brain (4).

There is even research to suggest that ginger can even improve reaction time and memory. 

4. Can help fight infections

Gingerol contains many antioxidant and anti-microbial properties which can help fight off illnesses and keep your immune system strong (5).

Consuming ginger as a supplement or as a part of your diet can be especially therapeutic during the colder fall and winter months as it can help boost the immune system and ward off infections. 

Ginger extract can inhibit bacterial growth, and can also be helpful to fight off viruses that cause the common cold, flu, or other respiratory infections.

How to eat more ginger

There are many ways to add ginger into your diet. Luckily, ginger is available in many forms so there are many options as to how you can add ginger to your routine. 

You can simply start cooking with more ginger by peeling and mincing fresh ginger and adding it to a stir-fry. You can also blend fresh or dried ginger into your smoothie for a flavor and digestive boost. 

If you’re looking for a way to consume ginger on the go, choose something like the energy wellness shot from Naked Nutrition, which is super convenient and healthy. The addition of apple cider vinegar helps to aid digestion and provides an immune system boost. These ingredients help activate digestive enzymes to better break down your food and improve nutrient absorption. 

While adding fresh and powdered ginger is tasty, it’s difficult to get an effective therapeutic dose of ginger without opting for a concentrated source such as in a ginger health shot or a supplement. If you’re looking to reap the most benefit from ginger, opting for a concentrated source like Naked Fire Shot might be the way to go. 

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