The spice that we recognize as ginger comes from the root of the plant. It is commonly used to flavour food and has also been used medicinally for many years. It is now known that that ginger has a multitude of healthy nutrition benefits including:
● improving digestion – by speeding up the digestive process and enhancing the function of digestive enzymes conditions such as indigestion and heartburn are prevented or alleviated
● improving immunity – the especially bioactive substance found in ginger – gingerol – is known to have antifungal properties and acts against harmful bacteria
● relieving nausea – this is achieved through its anti-inflammatory properties and control of digestive function
● natural pain relief – the bioactive gingerol is a natural anti-inflammatory compound
● promoting healthier skin – ginger achieves this through its natural antioxidants, antiseptic properties and the enhancement of blood circulation
● prevention of cardiovascular disease – ginger functions as a blood thinner thereby reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. It also functions by reducing the blood pressure and levels of blood cholesterol
● improvement of brain function – this is achieved by its effective antioxidants which eliminate harmful free radicals and by enhancing the release of brain neurotransmitters which results in an improvement in memory function. Ginger also facilitates the release of dopamine and serotonin which may naturally alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety
Clearly ginger can be hugely effective in promoting healthy nutrition, but what are the best ways of incorporating it into your diet?
Here are some suggestions:
● as a spice – use finely chopped or grated in curries, stir fries and soups
● juicing – ginger may be juiced alone or incorporated into other juiced fruit mixes. This is particularly beneficial as the ginger remains raw
● as tea – the ginger root is chopped or sliced and added to hot water – for added flavour consider adding lemon or honey to the mix