The benefits of ginger are not only as a plant that can warm the body. Ginger is a plant originating from Southeast Asia. This ginger plant then spread to various countries. Famous for its distinctive aroma, ginger is used as an ingredient in cooking as well as alternative medicine in China, India and the Middle East. When choosing ginger, especially if you want to use it for treatment, you can choose ginger that is still fresh, the structure is sturdy, smooth, and not moldy. What are the benefits of ginger that you can get for health?
Fresh ginger has a stronger taste when compared to powdered ginger, the content of gingerol which is good for health is also still widely found in the benefits of fresh ginger. To take advantage of fresh ginger, you can mix ginger with dishes such as processed seafood dishes, salad toppings, and mix your smoothies or juices.
But if you choose ginger in powder form, make sure you choose ginger powder that is still pure. Ginger powder drinks sold in the market usually already contain added sugar. Store ginger powder in a tightly closed container and store in a dry, dark, and not stuffy or hot place.
1. Overcome digestive problems
Ginger has a long history of dealing with digestive-related problems. Known from generation to generation, ginger is one of the alternative ingredients to facilitate the digestive system. The phenolic content in ginger functions to relieve symptoms of gastrointestinal irritation, stimulates saliva, prevents contractions in the stomach, and helps the movement of food and drink during digestion. Ginger is also known as a carminative, a substance that can help expel excess gas in your digestive system. Digestive problems such as colic and dyspepsia can be treated with ginger.
2. Reduce nausea
The benefits of ginger can relieve nausea caused by morning sickness, vertigo, and side effects of cancer treatment. You can eat ginger raw or make it a drink, ginger in the form of candy can also work well, especially in dealing with nausea suffered by pregnant women.
3. Reduce pain
A study conducted at the University of Georgia stated that taking ginger supplements every day can reduce muscle pain caused by exercise by up to 25%. The benefits of ginger can also reduce pain due to dysmenorrhea, pain during menstruation. In one study, it was stated that 60% of women felt that the pain caused by menstruation was reduced after consuming ginger.
4. Helps the detoxification process and prevents skin diseases
Ginger is one type of food called diaphoretic, the benefits of ginger can also trigger sweating. Sweating is beneficial for you, especially when you have a fever or flu. In addition to helping the detoxification process, sweating can also protect you from microorganisms that can cause skin infections. Experts examined a type of protein called dermicidin, which is produced in the sweat glands and serves to protect the body from bacteria such as E. coli, staphylococcus aureus, and fungi that can cause skin diseases.
5. Protects you from cancer
One of the ingredients in the benefits of ginger that play a role in preventing cancer is gingerol, a phytonutrient in ginger that also gives ginger its unique taste. Gingerol can prevent the growth of colon cancer cells. The University of Minnesota conducted an experiment on a group of mice, in the group that was given gingerol there were 4 mice that developed colon tumors, while in the group that was not given gingerol there were 13 mice that experienced tumor growth. Until the 49th day of the study, all mice that were not given gingerol were finally injected dead because the tumor growth was too large, while in mice that were given gingerol the tumor size was half the size of the injected mice died.
The same researchers then tested whether in addition to preventing tumor formation, gingerol could also prevent the spread and reduce the severity of tumor cells. The research gave positive results. Gingerol is considered capable of preventing the spread and worsening of tumor cells that are inoperable.
6. Anti-inflammatory
Gingerol was also anti-inflammatory. This explains why those suffering from joint diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatism report less pain after consuming ginger regularly. Consuming ginger not only reduces pain but also reduces swelling in the affected area. Ginger is thought to be able to inhibit components that play a role in inflammatory processes in the body such as cytokines, chemokines, chondrocytes, and leukocytes.