Health Benefits of Ginger

Ginger May Reduce Muscle Pain and Soreness

Ginger has been shown to be effective against exercise-induced muscle pain. In one study, consuming 2 grams of ginger per day, for 11 days, significantly reduced muscle pain in people performing elbow exercises.

Ginger does not have an immediate impact, but may be effective at reducing the day-to-day progression of muscle pain.

Ginger Can Help Treat Chronic Indigestion

Chronic indigestion (dyspepsia) is characterized by recurrent pain and discomfort in the upper part of the stomach. It is believed that delayed emptying of the stomach is a major driver of indigestion.

Interestingly, ginger has been shown to speed up emptying of the stomach in people with this condition.

After eating soup, ginger reduced the time it took for the stomach to empty from 16 to 12 minutes.

In a study of 24 healthy individuals, 1.2 grams of ginger powder before a meal accelerated emptying of the stomach by 50%.

Ginger May Drastically Lower Blood Sugars and Improve Heart Disease Risk Factors

This area of research is relatively new, but ginger may have powerful anti-diabetic properties. In a recent 2015 study of 41 participants with type 2 diabetes, 2 grams of ginger powder per day lowered fasting blood sugar by 12%. It also dramatically improved HbA1c (a marker for long-term blood sugar levels), leading to a 10% reduction over a period of 12 weeks.
There was also a 28% reduction in the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio, and a 23% reduction in markers for oxidized lipoproteins. These are both major risk factors for heart disease.

Ginger Contains a Substance That May Help Prevent Cancer

Cancer is a very serious disease that is characterized by uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. Ginger extract has been studied as an alternative treatment for several forms of cancer. The anti-cancer properties are attributed to 6-gingerol, a substance that is found in large amounts in raw ginger.
In a study of 30 individuals, 2 grams of ginger extract per day significantly reduced pro-inflammatory signaling molecules in the colon. However, a follow-up study in individuals at a high risk of colon cancer did not confirm these findings. There is some, albeit limited, evidence that ginger may be effective against pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer. More research is needed.