Ginger may look like a crooked old root but it is one of the most beneficial herbs out there. It forms an important culinary item in many cuisines. Especially in countries like India where including all things herbs and spice in every way of life is a norm. Ginger is often used in Ayurvedic medicine and homemade syrups for cold and cough in our country. We cannot even imagine cooking meat or fish without marinating them with ginger and garlic paste, do we? Keeping the taste part aside, ginger is also a golden herb due to many other reasons. They are healthy for our skin, hair, and overall wellbeing. In this article, we will tell you why it is important to include ginger in your daily diet.
Before we start, there are a couple of important things that you need to take a note of. Using too much ginger isn’t very healthy when you have liver or cardiac problems, your mucous membranes are damaged, or if your body temperature is high. Some people are allergic to ginger and you should conduct a patch test on your skin and by eating some ginger to make sure that it’s safe for you.
Now, let’s see how you can use ginger in different ways and what its benefits are.
1. Keeps Your Intestines In Good Health
Ginger is rich in vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, copper, and potassium which makes it a herb for oral consumption. One of the best benefits of ginger is that it soothes our intestines and helps the release of intestinal gas. This will help you when you’re suffering from issues like diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Just add a few pieces of ginger while brewing your tea and sip it slowly to feel better (1).
2. Promotes Oral Health
Chewing small pieces of ginger every day can help you keep oral problems like gingivitis and periodontitis at bay. Gingerol, the major compound present in fresh ginger has analgesic, antibacterial, sedative, and antipyretic effects. This helps in protecting your teeth and gums against bacterial invasion. Ginger also helps to soothe inflammation in the gums due to its well-known anti-inflammatory properties (2).
3. Relieves Pain
Ginger’s anti-inflammatory properties help in relieving pain related to various health conditions. It can effectively treat pain associated with muscle soreness and osteoarthritis. All you need to do is to apply some ginger oil in the area and massage for a few minutes. Ginger is also proven to help relieve the pain that occurs in women as a result of menstrual cramps. Surprisingly, its effectiveness is compared with that of ibuprofen that many women consume to escape from menstrual pain (3)!
4. Promotes Hair Growth
Mix a few tablespoons of fresh ginger juice with some fresh onion juice and some olive oil. Apply the mixture on your hair and leave it on for 15 to 30 minutes before you wash it off with a mild shampoo. This mixture will help in healthier and faster hair growth. Also, the anti-bacterial properties of ginger aids in fighting scalp infections and dandruff. Ginger juice is extremely good for your hair follicles and you will see the improvement in the thickness of your hair within a few days of using this hair mask.
5. Controls High Blood Pressure
Ginger is a healing herb and it can reduce high blood pressure or hypertension by preventing the formation of blood clots in your arteries and other blood vessels (4). Consume a teaspoon of fresh ginger juice every day to reap this benefit.
6. Fights Cellulite
Cellulite is not very desirable and we hate it on our legs and other body parts. It can ruin your bikini days and make you feel conscious all the time. But don’t you worry now, because ginger will help you in reducing that cellulite problem. Mix two tablespoons of grated ginger with some coarse sea salt and some ginger juice. Use this paste as a scrub on the areas that you have cellulite and you’ll see the results in a few weeks.
7. Helps With Nausea
Ginger helps you deal with nausea related to a bad bowel day or morning sickness. Also, if you often feel sick when you’re traveling up a hill road or in the sea, you can give ginger a try. Just cut a small slice of fresh ginger, dip it in some salt and slowly chew it. Either this or you can make a hot tasty cup of ginger tea and sip on it to feel better.
8. Good For Your Nails
Ginger helps in strengthening your nails and it also promotes faster growth. Mix some ginger essential oil with a bit of shea butter and a few drops of lemon essential oil. Apply this mixture on your nails and cuticles, massage for a few minutes and then wash it with a mild soap. Apply some moisturizer and see your nails grow much healthier than before.
Ginger is amazing in many ways and you can use them on your skin and hair after conducting the patch test. However, if you have a serious medical condition like heart disease, high blood pressure, or if you’re pregnant, consult your doctor before using ginger every day. This is very important if you’re consuming ginger orally.
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