Benefits of ginger for health

Ginger is a flowering plant that has historical precedence as both spice and medicine. The benefits of ginger for health are many. They include aiding in weight loss, easing indigestion, fighting nausea, relieving menstrual cramps, and boosting male fertility.

Gingerol is the main active ingredient in ginger. It is responsible for most of the ginger’s medicinal uses.

Because there is so much content available online on ginger, this article is designed to help you understand the nitty-gritty details of the benefits of ginger and how to use it to spice your way to better health!

Benefits of ginger for weight loss

In the U.S, around 70% of the population is obese or overweight (1). Obesity increases the risk for different conditions, including hypertension, heart disease, and cancer.

A meta-analysis done in 2018 analyzed 14 clinical studies regarding the benefits of ginger on weight (2). Researchers found that ginger positively affected body weight, body mass index (BMI), blood lipids, and waist to hip ratio.

The problem was that the effect was small. So, ginger by itself is not enough for weight loss. Nevertheless, using ginger and other interventions like diet and exercise is an effective tool to boost your weight loss.

The proposed mechanism by which ginger helps in weight loss is shown below:

Diagram is created by me

Benefits of ginger for digestion

Ginger speeds up gastric emptying and helps in chronic indigestion and dyspepsia. This was confirmed by 4 different studies that found that taking 500-1000 grams of ginger was effective in accelerating gastric emptying when taken 1 hour before meals (15)(16)(17)(18).

Additionally, ginger is potent in treating flatulence and gas (14). The mechanism is believed to be by lowering the pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter, allowing gas to exit through the mouth rather than the anus.

Finally, a clinical trial found that ginger reduces the risk of colorectal cancer in people at average risk for colorectal cancer. However, still more evidence is needed (19).

Benefits of ginger for health in women

Ginger and menstrual cramps

Ginger reduces the pain associated with periods in females. It is as effective as ibuprofen in this consideration (20). Moreover, another study done among high-school students found that ginger reduced the pain of primary dysmenorrhea by 61% (21).

Benefits of ginger for pregnant women

Nausea and vomiting are the most experienced symptoms among pregnant women. 10 clinical studies found that ginger is an effective intervention for controlling nausea (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12). Interestingly, scientists found ginger to be more effective than the famous medication Gravol (13). Moreover, all previously mentioned benefits of ginger for health can apply to pregnant women.

Is ginger tea safe during pregnancy?

3 studies reported no side effects associated with ginger in pregnant women. Specifically, up to a dosage of 1g of ginger extract had no adverse effects at all. (22)

Benefits of ginger for men

In addition to the benefits of ginger for health in women, ginger has gifts for men. Indeed, ginger is known to be a testosterone booster.

One study analyzed the benefits of ginger for men and found that ginger increases sperm motility (47.3%), normal morphology (18.4%), count (16.2) %, viability (40.7%), and ejaculate volume (36.1%). Also, ginger therapy resulted in a 17.7 % increase in testosterone concentration (24).

How much ginger should I take daily?

A dose of 1-3g is enough to get the benefits of ginger for health. This applies to motion sickness, morning sickness in pregnancy, and chemotherapy. This dose is also shown to be effective in increasing intestinal motility (25).

Ginger can be taken in various ways. Each item in the following list represents approximately 1g of ginger extract:

A ginger capsule that includes 1g ginger extract in it
2 droppers liquid extract (2 mL)
2 teaspoons syrup (10 mL)
4 cups (8 oz each) ginger tea prepackaged
4 cups (8 oz each) ginger tea, steeping 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger for 5–10 min
8-oz cup ginger ale, made with real ginger
pieces crystallized ginger, each 1-inch square, 1/4 inch thick

Summary of other benefits

Parameter	Effect	Link
Inflammation	Studies found that ginger reduced inflammatory markers following consumption	https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22538118/
Osteoarthritis	Some studies found ginger to have a small reducing effect of symptoms of osteoarthritis	https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10607493/
Memory	Ginger improves memory in older women	https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22235230/
Muscle soreness	Ginger causes reduction of delayed onset muscle soreness	https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22235230/
Total cholesterol	Ginger may reduce cholesterol levels following consumption	https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18813412/
Mood changes related to menstrual periods	A study found that ginger improves symptoms of premenstrual syndrome	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24944825

Take-home point

The benefits of ginger for health are so many! It can aid weight loss, ease indigestion, relieve menstrual cramps, and boost male fertility. The dose varies, but, in general, a 1-3g dose is enough to get the benefits of ginger for health.

References