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Now that we’ve looked at ginger’s biochemical inventory, let’s dive into what really makes it
special: its numerous health benefits.1. Antiviral
In India and China, using ginger for colds and flus is a popular home remedy that goes back through countless generations. And studies show that these remedies hold up to scientific scrutiny.
Ginger has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Normally, viruses like the common cold, influenza, or even COVID-19 enter the body and attach to cells, causing a systemic infection. But ginger has demonstrated the ability to suppress this attachment from occurring and to prevent viruses from continuing to grow within cells.
A study published in The International Journal of Engineering and Science examined herbal remedies used against the swine flu (also called the H1N1 virus). Ginger was one of the top medicinal herbs mentioned for treatment against the swine flu because of its antiviral properties.
And in another study, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2013, researchers showed that ginger’s antiviral activities helped fight a common respiratory tract infection called human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV). Both fresh and dried ginger were prepared in hot water and lab-tested on human respiratory cells. While dried ginger did not have much of an effect, fresh ginger was able to prevent the virus from taking hold of the cells.
Does ginger protect against the SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19? As of this writing, no studies that I know of are available on a link between ginger and this particular virus. But given what we know about ginger’s effect on other viruses, it seems plausible to imagine that it could provide benefit.
2. Anticancer
Gastrointestinal cancers are among the most common and lethal types of cancer in the world. But a 2015 review showed how ginger had been used to both prevent and reverse gastrointestinal cancers. Test tube, animal studies, and human studies all suggested that ginger suppresses the growth of cancer cells and, in fact, causes them to self-destruct (a process known as apoptosis). Ginger could even enhance the anticancer effects of a chemo drug, 5-fluorouracil, which may encourage further human studies on its use as a cost-effective, complementary cancer treatment.
3. Antiemetic
Perhaps ginger’s most well-known health benefit is its effectiveness against nausea and vomiting. In many countries, especially China and India, a ginger tonic or tea has been given to help calm digestive discomfort and disorders for thousands of years. It’s thought that the polyphenols gingerol and shogal are responsible for ginger’s stomach-settling effects.
However, there are also over thirty years of research dedicated to this particular application of ginger. Multiple studies show its effectiveness against nausea and vomiting, especially in relation to both pregnancy and chemotherapy.
In studying ginger’s effects on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, a double-blind cancer patient trial reported significant reduction in acute nausea. Participants received either a placebo, half a gram of ginger, one gram of ginger, or one and a half grams of ginger. All patients who received any of the ginger doses, at all three levels tested, found nausea relief.
4. Treats and Prevents Harmful Gut Bacteria
In addition to helping with nausea, ginger also aids gut health by targeting certain bacteria with its potent antibacterial activity. A recent 2019 study in Advanced Pharmaceutical Bulletin concluded the use of ginger was helpful in treating functional dyspepsia as a result of the bacteria H. pylori. In addition to easing or eliminating uncomfortable symptoms, ginger therapy completely eradicated the harmful gut bacteria in half of the test subjects. That’s a big deal, considering H. pylori is notoriously difficult to get rid of.
5. May Protect Against Radiation
Radiation is a commonly used cancer treatment that has some very problematic side effects. One of them is that it increases oxidative stress within the body and can harm internal organs. In an effort to mitigate these side effects, a none-too-kind animal study, performed in 2017, explored whether ginger might work as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent in the body.
In the study, ginger extract was given to rats as a pretreatment before radiation exposure. The rats who received this treatment saw protection against kidney damage and reduced inflammation. The researchers recommended ginger extract over synthetic radioprotective compounds because of its lack of harmful side effects.
6. Pain Reliever
Ginger also works as a multi-faceted pain reliever. In an earlier article published on our site, Dr. Michael Greger examined ginger’s use as an alternative to the migraine drug sumatriptan. The results found ginger worked equally as well, but with fewer side effects. Plus, it’s a lot cheaper!
Ginger has also received acclaim as a natural pain reliever for menstrual cramps. A randomized, controlled trial on 120 female Iranian students with moderate to severe menstrual cramps tested the effects of ginger to see if it would help. The students received either 500mg of ginger powder in capsule form or a placebo three times a day. They further split into groups that received the treatment either two days prior to menstruation plus the first three days, or the first three days only. In both cases, where ginger was given, there was a significant reduction in pain, compared to the women who took the placebo.
Because it works as an anti-inflammatory, ginger also shows promise for muscle and joint pain. One study showed that the daily consumption of heat-treated ginger relieved exercise-induced muscle pain. And other studies have examined ginger’s effect on osteoarthritis, a painful degenerative joint disorder, with moderate but promising results.
7. Could Help Balance Blood Sugar
Ginger might also have value in supporting blood glucose control. A 2019 analysis of multiple research studies showed how ginger consumption impacts HbA1c levels (glycated hemoglobin). Patients with type 2 diabetes saw a significant improvement in these levels while taking ginger, suggesting that ginger could have a long-term positive impact on blood sugar balance.
8. Cardioprotective Benefits
Can a spice fight the world’s #1 killer, cardiovascular disease? Research on ginger’s ability to protect the heart is ongoing and promising.
An Iranian meta-analysis and review of studies on ginger and heart disease found a marked decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure from ginger supplementation. And a cross-sectional study conducted by Chinese researchers evaluated the level of ginger intake amongst participants with various chronic diseases. They found that daily ginger consumption decreased the risk of both hypertension and coronary heart disease. Maybe we should start saying, “A dose of ginger a day keeps the heart doctor away”!
9. Neuroprotective
Neurologists and husband and wife team, Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai, conducted research showing that up to 90% of Alzheimer’s cases may be preventable through diet and lifestyle. Well, now it seems that ginger might be one of those neuroprotective foods you’ll want to add to your diet. In-vitro tests using one of the bioactive compounds found in ginger, gingerol, showed potential anti-inflammatory effects by acting on cells that essentially turn on cells and proteins within the brain that cause neuroinflammation.
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