With regards to ginger, you may sometimes come across ground or root ginger. This does not mean the raw ginger root has special medicinal superiority as compared to ground ginger. Let me explain something here for simplicity.
You see, ground ginger contains fewer essential oils and less gingerol than fresh ginger but more shogaol, which is spicy and pungent. Shogaol is produced as a result of the dehydration process which decreases gingerol and increases levels of the compound shogaol. Shogaols are believed to have many health benefits and properties that root ginger does exhibit, especially those of memory and cognitive enhancing properties. So dried ginger has the bragging rights to offer benefits from both gingerol and shogaol.
Additionally, ground ginger also contains some different medicinal benefits than raw ginger root. Gingerol is the active component of root ginger that provides many medicinal health properties.
Although often referred to as a ginger root, ginger comes from the rhizome (underground stem) of Zingiber officinale, a tropical flowering plant from the same family as cardamom and turmeric. The sharp bite of raw fresh ginger comes from gingerol, an aromatic compound that transforms into the sweeter zingerone when heated or dried, making ginger an especially versatile ingredient.
NUTRITION
As espoused above, ginger is loaded with protective compounds, the notable ones are gingerol, and also:
shogaol
paradol
zingerone
terpenes
polysaccharides
lipids
organic acids
raw fibers
Also, the USDA, found that 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) of raw ginger contains the following:
80 calories
17.8 grams carbohydrates
1.8 grams protein
0.7 grams fat
2 grams dietary fiber
415 milligrams potassium (12 percent Daily Value (D/V)
0.2 milligrams copper (11 percent DV)
0.2 milligrams manganese (11 percent DV)
43 milligrams magnesium (11 percent DV)
5 milligrams vitamin C (8 percent DV)
0.2 milligrams vitamin B6 (8 percent DV)
0.7 milligrams niacin (4 percent DV)
34 milligrams phosphorus (3 percent DV)
0.6 milligrams iron (3 percent DV)
Apart from those listed, ginger also contains a small amount of calcium, zinc, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, and thiamine. Because most of us eat a very small portion of ginger, the combination with other ingredients in our diet is the surest way to get the needed micronutrient needs. let’s look at the scientific benefits of ginger in a holistic arena.
GINGER, SCIENCE
Two studies (Wang et al. 2014; Mashhadi et al. 2013 ) found that the superior medicinal potential of ginger emanates from gingerol which is potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Ginger, fights Nausea, Morning sickness
The ginger content in combination with the other effective ingredients in our diet appears to be a sure bet for pregnant women with problems with nausea or morning sickness. One recent study by Anh et al.(2020) found that ginger seems to be extremely effective against nausea.
This study reviewed 109 quality clinical trials on ginger’s impact on nausea and found 43 clinical trials (39.4%) demonstrating ‘high quality of evidence.’ Another previous review by Viljoen et al.(2014) of 12 studies used a total of 1,278 pregnant women and found that 1.1–1.5 grams of ginger can drastically decrease symptoms of nausea.
The study further concluded that ginger did not affect vomiting incidents. However, Bode and Dong(2011) in Chapter 7 of the book Herbal Medicine(2nd edition) titled “The Amazing and Mighty Ginger” reported on trials where a group of sailors who were prone to motion sickness, those who took powdered ginger experienced less vomiting and cold sweats than those who didn’t. Although it didn’t seem to affect their nausea in this particular study, a related study showed that ginger was found to be as effective as Dramamine for treating nausea and vomiting in pregnancy along with fewer side effects.
Some studies( Soltan et al. 2018; Mandal et al. 2014; Marx et al. 2017; Crichton et al. 2019; Ryan et al. 2012) found that ginger helps to deal with nausea and vomiting for those going through some types of surgery. Additionally, it helps deal with chemotherapy-related nausea, though more human studies are required.
Studies affirmed that ginger is safe, however, it is required for pregnant women to discuss it with their doctors if they are on it. This notwithstanding, one study agrees that pregnant women nearing labor or those with a previous history of miscarriages to avoid ginger. Lindblad, A(2016) advised that ginger should not be taken by those with a history of vaginal bleeding and clotting disorders.
GINGER, WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
Both human and animal studies have confirmed that ginger can support weight loss. For instance, one meta-analysis by Maharloue et al.(2019) found that when we take a ginger supplement it can decrease body weight, the waist-hip ratio, and the hip ratio in people with overweight or obesity. Another earlier review by Catherine et al.(2015) found that ginger has the potential to reduce body mass index (BMI) and blood insulin levels.
For the animal studies, I found two studies(Sayeed et al.2020; Kim et al. 2018) that confirmed that rats and mice who ate ginger water or ginger extract constantly saw reduced in their body weight, even in instances where the animals were also fed high-fat diets.
Two studies (Venkatakrishnan et al. 2019; Kim et al. 2018) were able to describe this mechanism of ginger’s ability to influence weight loss: the ability to increase the number of calories burned or reduce inflammation.
GINGER,
OSTEOARTHRITIS
Bartels et al.(2015) literature review notes that there was a drastic reduction in pain and disability in those who used ginger. The strength of ginger found was 500 milligrams (mg) and 1 gram. Another clinical trial by Zahmatkash et al.(2011) found that a combination of topical ginger, mastic, cinnamon, and sesame oil can help reduce pain and stiffness in people with OA of the knee.
Another previous clinical trial by Black et al.(2010) used 2 grams of either raw or heated ginger or a placebo for 11 consecutive days in 40 volunteers. The result demonstrates that daily consumption of raw and heat-treated ginger resulted in moderate-to-large reductions in muscle pain following exercise-induced muscle injury. Finally, another clinical trial by Altman et al.(2011) in 247 evaluable patients, concluded that a highly purified and standardized ginger extract had a statistically significant effect in reducing symptoms of OA in the knee. This effect was moderate. There was a good safety profile, with mostly mild GI adverse events in the ginger extract group.
Ginger, lower blood sugar level
Emerging studies are confirming ginger’s ability to lower blood sugar levels. For instance, in one study by Khandouzi et al.(2015) which used 41 participants with type 2 diabetes, 2 grams of ginger powder per day lowered fasting blood sugar by 12%. Another good news is that ginger also improved hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a marker for long-term blood sugar levels. HbA1c was reduced by 10% over a period of 12 weeks.
To be continued
