10 Unique Health Benefits of Ginger We Bet You Didn’t Know

Ginger is a root that provides a number of health benefits. Aside from making those gingersnap cookies and other foods taste so yummy, studies have shown that it can actually be very good for you. You can eat ginger in a number of ways from adding it your favorite dishes to drinking the tea.

However you take it, ginger offers a number of amazing health benefits and has been used in India for centuries to help treat colds and other winter related illnesses.

It has natural anti-inflammatory effects, contains antioxidant properties and generally helps to alleviate pain and other symptoms of major illnesses. Take a look at all of the things that ginger can do for you and get ready to add this spice to your holiday and winter recipes. Whether you want to grab a few ginger cookies or you prefer to drink your healthy spice, you can help to literally beat the winter blahs with just a bit of ginger.

1. Respiratory Issues

Ginger has natural antihistamine properties so if you are suffering from a cold, the flu or even bronchitis or something more serious, it can help. Many use ginger to treat allergies and it has been proven to inhibit contraction of the airways and to help stimulate mucus secretion so it works wonders for those who have pneumonia. Just a teaspoon of the juice mixed with a spoonful of honey can help to cure a sore throat and ginger tea is a very popular winter drink because it helps to ward off congestion and sinus problems.

2. Nausea

The next time you feel a bit nauseous, try some ginger. Chewing on the root can help to alleviate nausea and vomiting caused by a number of issues. With flu season coming up, some fresh ginger root is certainly something that you want to keep in your cupboards. It can help to treat upset stomach caused by the flu as well as motion sickness, surgery and has been used widely by cancer patients to treat the nausea that often accompanies chemotherapy. It also helps the digestive system to function properly by helping to better absorb food so if you are feeling a bit nauseous because you have eaten too much, chewing on a bit of ginger will help – keep this in mind for those large holiday meals.

3. Cold and Flu

Ginger has been used for many years to help treat the common cold and flu. Studies have shown that steeping just 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger root in hot water and drinking it just two or three times each day will help to prevent the cold and flu. Instead of treating those symptoms when they appear, you can actually help to prevent yourself from experiencing them. Just drink the ginger tea a few times each day during cold and flu season and you may not even have to worry about feeling sick.

4. Immunity

Ginger can help to strengthen your immune system, again helping you to fight off the cold and flu as well as other illnesses. Just a big of ginger every day can help to prevent stroke and heart attack because it helps to inhibit the fatty deposits that normally find their way into the arteries. You can drink ginger tea or just add a bit of the spice to your meals several times each week and significantly reduce your risk of very serious diseases.

5. Headaches

Ginger can help to alleviate the pain of headaches, even migraines. For headaches, you don’t actually have to eat the spice. Instead, just use ginger powder to create a paste and then apply that paste to your forehead. It helps to relieve inflammation in the blood vessels which alleviates the headache. Many people suffer from headaches due to cold weather, mostly sinus related, and ginger paste can help you to enjoy the winter months without worrying over a headache every morning.

6. Arthritis

Because it has anti-inflammatory properties, it can help to alleviate the pain of arthritis. Achy joints and muscles are relatively common during the colder months. If you just add a few drops of ginger oil to your bath water and soak for at least 15 minutes, those aches and pains will go away. This is a great treatment for those who suffer from arthritis and just anyone who feels a bit achy after shoveling snow or doing other strenuous activities.

7. Cancer

Ginger root has a lot of antioxidants and it has the power to reduce the number of cancer cells for certain cancers. Studies have shown that ginger can be used to fight cancer and that it kills the cells of certain types of cancer. However you ingest the root, either by adding it to foods, chewing on it or making tea, it will be very helpful in fighting cancer and studies have shown that it can help to prevent cancer from growing in the first place in certain situations.

8. Menstrual Cramps

When steeped into tea, ginger can help to alleviate menstrual cramps. Just purchase ginger tea or grind your own from the fresh root and steep it for about 10 minutes. Drinking this a couple of times throughout the day while you are menstruating will help to drive those cramps away, even those who have severe cramps can count on ginger to make them feel better.

9. Open Cuts

Ginger has strong antimicrobial properties which means that it can help to heal open cuts and wounds much more quickly. You don’t actually have to put ginger on the wound to reap the benefits. Just drink the tea, eat the cookies or add a bit of ginger to your pumpkin pie and those sores will heal up nicely. Since it has anti-inflammatory properties as well, it really helps to heal up infected wounds, too.

10. Fever and Chills

That fever and those chills that you get with the cold or flu will be nothing when you drink a bit of ginger tea every day. Because it promotes mucus secretion it will also help with congestion and drinking it before you feel fever and chills coming on could stop those symptoms before they start. You can purchase ginger tea from natural food stores or make your own, your choice. However you make it, it will certainly help you to keep those chills and fever at bay.