Jumping for Ginger

Ginger has been used across many forms of traditional medicine to help various symptoms such as an upset stomach, common colds, and nausea.

If you’ve ever wondered why the taste and smell of ginger is so strong and distinct, you may be interested to know that the culprit is a naturally occurring oil called gingerol. Gingerol is also the compound to thank for the root’s medicinal properties; consuming ginger can help with inflammation, and the gingerol compound also acts as an antioxidant. This means that it may help your body fight off chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diseases of the lungs.

There are a number of studies that have come out with encouraging evidence for various benefits from ginger. Some findings point to ginger potentially being useful in cancer prevention, protection against Alzheimer’s disease, fighting respiratory infections, and weight loss. However, much more research is needed in these areas.

What we do know for sure if that ginger is highly effective in calming the stomach and treating nausea that is caused from various sources. There is a lot of evidence that ginger is particularly effective in decreasing nausea caused by morning sickness. However, it is recommended that pregnant women consult a doctor before deciding to consume large amounts. Ginger can be very helpful for soothing symptoms of nausea caused by motion sickness as well. Students who are learning how to fly a plane, for example, often use ginger to help prevent discomfort commonly caused by motion sickness in small aircrafts, as for safety reasons they are not allowed to use medicated products such as Gravol when in the air.

Sources: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-ginger#3.-May-help-with-weight-loss https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-health-benefits-ginger#:~:text=Ginger%20is%20loaded%20with%20antioxidants,lungs%2C%20plus%20promote%20healthy%20aging.