16 Health Benefits of Ginger

Ginger tastes great and has many health benefits. This is a list of the most important health benefits of ginger. The part of the plant used is the ginger rhizome that is similar to the root. It is a root mass or group of underground stems similar to the turmeric rhizome.

This article was written December 8, 2013. An herb is any plant food used for its medicinal benefits. Here is an article from PubMed Central, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (NIH) called Anti-Oxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ginger in Health and Physical Activity: Review of Current Evidence. It says:

The anticancer potential of ginger is well documented and its functional ingredients like gingerols, shogaol, and paradols are the valuable ingredients which can prevent various cancers.

Precautions

From University of Maryland Medical Center. It says:

It's rare to have side effects from ginger. In high doses it may cause mild heartburn, diarrhea, and irritation of the mouth.

1. Ginger Helps to Prevent Motion Sickness

This is the benefit that ginger root is known for.

2. Helps Lower High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

An article on the Dr. Oz website is called Ginger, A Powerful Herb by Lindsey Duncan, N.D., C.N. says:

This same benefit of ginger that supports circulation has also been shown to help lower high blood pressure and keep the blood flowing to prevent blood clots. [Blood clots cause strokes and heart attacks.]

On the video below the guy's blood pressure was 174/104 before he drank ginger tea. He shows how he made the tea and stresses that it must be made with fresh ginger. After drinking the tea he went to sleep. The next morning when he woke up he took his blood pressure and it was 132/82 or 132 over 82.

This is a significant drop in blood pressure and it was totally in the normal range. The medications or drugs for lowering high blood pressure have all sorts of nasty side effects. Many who are prescribed these drugs do not take them. The above does not mean that this will happen with everyone or even most people. But you can try it to see if it helps you. You can say that this shows that ginger is good for cardiovascular health.

3. Ginger Helps Asthma

Here is an article about it: Ginger Could Enhance Effects Of Asthma Medication, Study Finds.

4. Prevents Nausea from Chemotherapy

It is estimated that 40% of the medications used is to treat the side effects of other medications. So with this instead of using another medication that can cause more side effects, you can use an herb or spice.

5. Reduces Pain from Exercise

From a PubMed study (on U.S. National Library of Medicine), Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reduces muscle pain caused by eccentric exercise. The above explains how ginger reduces this pain. Wikipedia says:

There are three distinct phases in the movement of muscles and tendons: isometric (no movement), concentric (contracting) and eccentric (extracting). All three of these stages in muscles movements have an effect on muscle tissues and tendons (tendons are what attach the muscle to the bone).

The eccentric part of the exercise is like the lowering of a barbell or dumbbell when doing a lifting exercise.

6. Protects Against Cancer

Ginger helps to prevent different cancers like ovarian, lung, colon, breast, skin, prostrate and pancreatic cancer.

7. Helps Painful Menstruation (Dysmenorrhea)

A double-blind comparison trial was done with 150 college students that were 18 years or older, with primary dysmenorrhea. At the end of treatment, the severity of dysmenorrhea decreased in all groups.
More women in the ginger group became completely pain free, vs the mefenamic acid and ibuprofen groups.

8. Helps Liver that is Damaged by Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen is in many pain-killers like Tylenol and causes many people to need liver transplants.

9. Ginger Protects Against Death from Radiation

Here is a PubMed study called Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.), a dietary supplement, protects mice against radiation-induced lethality: mechanism of action. This title says most of it.

10. Protects against Joint Pain by Fighting Inflammation

This is similar to turmeric.

11. Helps to Treat Migraines

Dr. Oz says:

Ginger tea is meant to be effective during migraine attacks. It works as an anti-inflammatory agent. Ginger blocks prostagladins- the chemical messengers that cause a slight swelling in the brain. Drink ginger tea at the onset of your headache. This is when it’s most effective in blocking pain.

12. Prevents Osteoarthritis

Studies show that the herbs ginger and turmeric may help reduce inflammation and as well as foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Also eat plenty of organic fruits and vegetables everyday. I have an article called The Importance of Buying and Eating Organic Foods. If you are going out of your way to eat food or herbs that are very good for your health, you do not want them containing pesticides and herbicides. You are already getting enough of that stuff from the foods that you are eating for enjoyment.

13. Helps to Reduce Gas

Gas is also known as flatulence and ginger does this by helping digestion of foods.

14. Ginger has Antibiotic and Anti-Fungal Properties

This means that it fights viruses and fungus growth. It is also said to help with colds and the flu. Ginger is a big part of sushi. Sushi does not refer to raw fish. It describes a certain way to prepare a meal and sushi can be prepared without using any fish at all.

15. Protects the Body From Toxicity

One study shows that ginger helps protect the brain against MSG (monosodium glutamate) that is in some foods.

16. Prevents Stomach Ulcers and Heartburn (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease [GERD])

This is part of its ability to help digestion.

Ginger is one of the three pungent herbs (ginger, garlic and cayenne) that are great for health. All 3 of these herbs also help with circulation. In Chinese herbalism or herbology they have 3 different kinds of herbs. There are poisonous herbs that are not used at all unless you want to hurt somebody. There are medicinal herbs that are only used in emergency situations.

A good example of this would would be goldenseal root. This has a great antibiotic effect but over time it can kill off the good bacteria or flora in your colon. Then there are food herbs. People can use these herbs as much as they want. A good example of a food herb is green tea or cranberries. People can consume as much as they want of these herbs just like with any food. It is estimated that herbs are used 80% of the time to help health problems around the world.

Herbs cannot be patented while drugs or medicines, that are made of chemicals, can be patented. Also many of the patented drugs are marked up in price thousands of times. Drugs also have many side effects and many of them have been recalled. The best-selling herb Vioxx may have been the best selling medication ever.

It was used mostly to treat pain. It was taken off the market after they learned that it was causing many people to have heart attacks that would kill them. Just think if you know of any famous people that were killed from taking herbs. I am not aware of any. What about drugs or medicines? Do you know of any celebrities that were killed from taking legal drugs?

There was Elvis Presley who was killed from taking legal medications. He was the king of rock. Michael Jackson was killed at age 50 from taking legal medications. He was the king of pop. Whitney Houston was also killed from taking medicines that were prescribed by a doctor at age 48.

There was also Brittany Murphy that died at age 32 from taking legal medications. There was Heath Ledger who was in the movies A Knight's Tale and The Dark Knight. He died at age 28 from a toxic combination of prescription medications. II have whole article about this called The Worst Things For Health.

On the video below the guy's blood pressure was 174/104 before he drank ginger tea. He shows how he made the tea and stresses that it must be made with fresh ginger. After drinking the tea he went to sleep. The next morning when he woke up he took his blood pressure and it was 132/82 or 132 over 82.

This is a significant drop in blood pressure and it was totally in the normal range. The medications or drugs for lowering high blood pressure have all sorts of nasty side effects. Many who are prescribed these drugs do not take them.