Nature’s basket has a lot to offer to us – the fresh air, mineral rich freshwater to plants, herbs and spices with magical medicinal and health benefits. One such ingredient from nature’s basket is ‘Ginger’. This delicious and wondrous plant has to be a part of your health regime and in this blog, you would find out exactly what you are missing out on if dried ginger is not a part of your diet.
Before jumping onto the uses and health benefits of dried ginger for one’s body, let us discover the journey this plant has overseen to prove its worth. Ginger aids in a quick alleviation of a variety of problems. From cold to inflammation to digestion, this wondrous spice can heal you. In the east, ginger is used as an important spice to add flavor to food and curries. It is a natural taste enhancer with a pungent smell, that adds on to the aroma of the delicacy being prepared. Ginger, also, helps in reducing the raw, unhealthy smell of chicken, and other ingredients used in the preparation of the dish.
Usually, fresh ginger is dried before it is put to use. Later, the dried ginger powder is derived from this. The dried, off-white powder of ginger has a pungent yet unique aroma. Ginger powder has a long shelf life and is easy to store.
Health benefits and uses of dried ginger:
1. Aids in relieving cold and cough
Ginger all along in history has been used as an alternative to medicine. This herb that works like magic on cold and cough.
How to use dried ginger or ginger powder to treat common cold: Make a paste of dried ginger powder, salt, and clove. Consume this paste twice a day with lukewarm water (if needed). The paste will cure your cold symptoms in no time. Alternatively, you could consume dried ginger with jaggery and lukewarm water or milk. This will help you in controlling a running nose as well as cure the symptoms of cold.
You can also consume ginger tea to fight the signs of cold. To prepare ginger tea, boil water and add tea leaves to it. Ground few pieces of dried ginger and add this to the boiling mixture. You can choose to add milk. Also, instead of sugar, we would recommend honey. Drink this mixture three to four times a day to see visible results. In case you are traveling and are prone to common cold attacks, do not forget to carry ginger essential oil with you. Just add a drop or two of this oil to water or tea and drink the mixture while it is still hot. The ginger oil can be ingested and has a similar effect as the ginger root.
2. A must have spice in the kitchen
While not everyone relates to the taste of raw ginger, yet there are many a delicacy prepared using this exquisite spice. From gingerbread to ginger cookies and stews and marinades, ginger is an absolute must have for its culinary uses.
You could prepare masala chai using cardamom, clove, cinnamon, fennel and dry ginger powder. Moreover, the spice can be used to marinade appetizers.
3. Get rid of stomach irritation using ginger
Thanks to our crazy lifestyle, we are bound to experience discomfort and indigestion related issues often. Not only does it accompany recurrent pain and sometimes heartburn, but it even occurs at the oddest of moments.
It is believed that a major driver of indigestion is when it takes time for the stomach to empty its contents into the intestines. Delayed emptying of the stomach is caused due to poor metabolism and is dependent on the diet you consume. By just including ginger as an everyday ingredient to your meals, you would observe how a basic ingredient not only adds flavor to your delicacy but also accelerates the emptying of the stomach by up to 50%. Studies have shown that ginger is a natural remedy for patients suffering from indigestion or dyspepsia.
How to use ginger to treat stomach irritation: You could consume ginger in any form – fresh ginger or dried ginger powder which can be used in preparing the meals. Alternatively, you could add a drop or two of ginger essential oil to your food. Also, take dry ginger, add a pinch of asafoetida to it along with black salt and consumer this mixture with lukewarm water. This will help you get rid of flatulence.
4. Treat morning sickness or many forms of nausea with ginger
Ginger has had a long history of quelling sea sickness and nausea. If you are a wanderer suffering from motion sickness, this natural drug is for you. Ginger is known to reduce dizziness and cold sweats as well. The best part, it has to be consumed in smaller quantities and yet reaps results without any side effects. Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy can benefit from ginger’s natural properties. Consuming ginger after surgery or a chemotherapy session helps in relieving nausea and vomiting.
Ginger is the most effective remedy for pregnant women suffering from morning sickness. Consuming about 1 gram to 1.5 grams of ginger relieves the symptoms of nausea. Although, ginger is considered safe to be consumed, yet it is highly recommended that you talk to your doctor before consuming it in larger amounts.
5. Get rid of the pain caused due to Arthritis
Arthritis is a common health issue these days amongst the middle aged. It is accompanied by joint pain and stiffness. Based on the location of the arthritis, one might have to face a life long joint related problem and it only gets worse as there is no treatment available for the same. Yet, the effect can be reduced via physiotherapy, exercises, and implementation of a few basic remedies.
Gingerols found in dried ginger have exhibited powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have shown that patients who consumed dried ginger on a regular basis experienced a difference in their level of pain than others. Moreover, their joint mobility seemed to improve and their dosage of painkillers started to decline. Dried ginger works amazingly well on both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
How to use ginger oil: Also, you can apply ginger oil topically along with sesame oil, mastic, cinnamon oil and olive oil on the affected area. Massaging the joints with oil also helps in getting rid of the pain.
6. Bid adieu to menstrual pain with ginger
Menstrual cramps, more often than not, are a hindrance to a woman’s daily routine and can get worse sometimes. Ginger has traditionally been considered as a natural pain reliever. Women who consume ginger regularly, or during the menstrual cycle can notice the effect of the herb against the menstrual pain.
7. Ginger might be effective against Cancer
Uncontrolled growth of unwanted and abnormal cells in the body leads to tumor and cancer. As per a clinical study of 30 individuals, it has been found that approximately 2 grams of ginger per day helped in reducing the formation of unwanted cells. Thus, ginger extract works as a natural, alternative treatment for various forms of cancer.
8. Lowers blood sugar levels
While studies are still going on patients suffering from diabetes and there is no solid proof that ginger is what you need to lower your blood sugar levels; yet it has been seen that patients with type 2 diabetes who consumed dried ginger daily had drastic levels of improvement in their blood sugar levels. Moreover, the studies showed that there was a slight improvement in various heart diseases related factors too.
This is still being contemplated by the medical practitioners. Consuming ginger would do no harm to you, even if it does no good.
9. Ginger helps in reducing LDL
We all dread seeing the LDL cholesterol and triglycerides falling out of the required range in our test reports. It gets even worse when you have been trying your level best to cut down on food that could possibly be leading to the production of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
If you too have been facing these issues, ginger is the medicine for you. There is evidence that ginger works both on animals as well as humans and can lead to significant levels of reductions in blood triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels.
10. Ginger helps control the urge to eat extra & monitors body weight
Some people believe that ginger can be extremely effective in weight loss. This is not 100% true. There are studies that show that ginger can be marginally effective in weight loss. However, what is important is that ginger improves satiety manifolds in a person and thus, prevents over eating and the desire to relish fried or junk food.
It also boosts the digestive system to improve metabolism and thus, helps in ingesting the food eaten efficiently.
Well, now you know of 10 benefits and uses of dried ginger. We are sure you would not want to miss including this amazing ingredient in your food right away. Have any questions related to the topic or want to share your experience of trying ginger as a natural remedy? Shoot them in the comments section right below. We would love to hear from you.
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