“ In the morning, I’m juicing two apples, two carrots, two celery, two beets, two ginger. I’m drinking that every morning to try to keep the cancer away. “ – Quote by Roddy Piper.
The humble tuber that we call Ginger is a much loved spice around the world. Known as “ adarak ” in hindi, “ gember ” in dutch, “ gengibre “ in Portuguese and “ jengibre “ in Spanish, its popularity is universal. Ginger has often been listed in superfoods that we must incorporate in our diet. It’s used to make the soft drink Ginger ale, cookies, chicken and pickles. Belief in its benefits has made it a household item for millenia. Worldover it is used in various forms to address various physical ailments. In our blog, we are listing some of the reasons why we love Ginger so much.
1. Helps with various forms of nausea. If you suffer from motion sickness or pregnancy related morning sickness, you would have been prescribed a ginger related solution by a member of the family. It aids with nausea and aid digestion. It also helps in the movement of gas in the stomach.
2. Inflammatory properties. Its medicinal value has been claimed for long. An inflammation fighting diet is valuable to fend off diseases that are associated with chronic inflammation, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease.
3. Antioxidant properties. It is a well known source of antioxidants that are so important to keep us safe from free radicals in the space. These free radicals damage the cells in the bodies. Give your body a boost and incorporate ginger in your tea or juice or smoothie.
4. Aches and pains are lessened. Ginger is known to help lower certain types of pains associated with exercise, menstruation, and osteo-arthritis.
5. Lower bad cholesterol. The antioxidants in ginger help with lowering LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Thus, you saved from developing atherosclerosis, a type of heart ailment.
6. Ginger’s antibacterial power is helpful with oral hygiene. Active compounds in ginger called gingerols prevent oral bacteria from spreading. These bacteria cause periodontal disease, a serious gum infection.
There are other anecdotal benefits of incorporating Ginger, but they need more research / studies to be proved.
Here are some ways to incorporate Ginger into your diet:
1. Add Ginger chunks / slices to your daily tea brew
2. Include Ginger when making creamy and hot soups such as carrot soup or sweet potato soup.
3. Add them while stir frying anything and spice up the dish
4. They go well with a number of pies such as pumpkin or sweet potato pie
5. Chew on slices of Ginger
The humble Ginger is rightly on the pantheon of superfoods that are found in every home in India. It’s a powerful spice with a rich aroma and many benefits. How do you use Ginger at home? Write to us with your uses so we can share with our community. Ciao.
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