Recently, my husband has been complaining of feeling cold all the time. I suggested to him to add some ginger tea to his daily regime. Ginger is considered a warming spice in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and has a long history as a healing substance. In TCM, warming foods or spices can be included in your diet to decrease feelings of cold and increase energy. I have seen many people change their perception of being cold simply by changing their diet. Not only can ginger help with cold perception but it has many other health benefits.
Ginger is loaded with gingerol, a powerful antioxidant that helps combat oxidative damage to cells. Gingerol has also been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers. These gingerols may also inhibit the growth of bacteria in the mouth, decreasing tooth decay.
Ginger has traditionally been used to combat nausea, particularly in pregnant woman or for people undergoing chemotherapy.
Research studies have shown ginger can be an effective tool to help fight osteoarthritis. It has been especially effective in treating arthritis of the knee. Relief from pain and swelling may be found from both taking ginger orally or by using a ginger compress or patch on your skin.
Traditionally, one of the major causes of indigestion is delayed emptying of the stomach after eating. Ginger has been shown to speed stomach emptying, leading to decreased feeling of indigestion.
Some studies have shown that eating ginger after a hard workout may lead to less muscle pain the next day.
Finally, taking up to 5 mg of ginger a day may lower LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) in the body.
Photo from flickr.
