If you are rooting for a healthier lifestyle, then you might want to add some ginger into your diet. Since the beginning of time, ginger has been used as a spice. While it enhances the flavor of food, ginger has also been used as an alternative medicine for nausea, flu, and to improve digestion. It is a common ingredient in a lot of recipes, and because of its amazing properties, it can also be found in the composition of a lot of vegan cosmetics.

Are you familiar with all the benefits ginger has to offer? Keep on reading as we go through the top 10 of them. Let’s begin!

1. Ginger can keep your mouth fresh 

If you’re looking for a natural remedy against plaque, ginger has to be the number one choice. Eating raw ginger in your salad at least twice a week can help you improve your oral health in a natural way, free of any chemicals that can be found in toothpaste. It can also help you relieve toothaches or other oral pain by acting as a natural antibiotic.

It contains gingerol, which is usually known for its medicinal properties. In this case, it will keep the bacteria away by lowering the risk of inflammatory diseases. By this, I’m referring to periodontal disease, which is basically the most common type of gum disease.

2. May help with weight loss 

After a certain age, you’ll notice that losing weight might be an even more stressful task. And many people have been dealing with this issue in recent years. But the good news is that ginger is one of the foods that will help in your weight loss journey. Medical tests indicate that ginger, along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, can help you reduce the amount of fat in your body. How often do you consume it?

3. Better digestion

It has been proven that this magic spice helps you improve digestion. It’s mostly recommended for eating before meals because it will help speed up the process of emptying your stomach. This might be beneficial for those who suffer from chronic indigestion but also from more serious diseases like ulcers. People who consume it on a daily basis digest the food twice as fast as those who don’t.

Awesome, right? Are you familiar with the other benefits ginger has to offer?

4. Boosting your immune system

We previously mentioned gingerol, a component that is found in raw ginger that helps boost the immune system. That’s why a lot of people are using it to treat flu symptoms like fever, headaches, and coughs. It has been proven to help fight bacteria and viruses, which could reduce the risk of infections.

For better results, doctors recommend the consumption of fresh ginger because it can protect the respiratory system. If you like the taste of it, you can have one cup of ginger tea per day. Your body will absorb all the nutrients better if they are in soluble form.

5. Lowering the risk of cancer 

Many studies have shown that gingerol has anti-cancer properties, and is commonly found in raw ginger. It has been proven that this active compound can prevent gastrointestinal cancers. Even if this won’t magically cure the disease, if you’re undergoing chemotherapy, you might consider adding ginger to your diet because it will definitely help you with nausea, which is a common side effect on the day after your treatment.

6. Improves brain function and protect against Alzheimer’s disease

Did you know that stress can affect your brain but also accelerate the aging process? A recent study has shown that ginger can improve brain function. Furthermore, middle-aged people who had an intake of a small amount of ginger daily managed to enhance their working memory.

If you tend to forget things, besides a mandatory visit to your doctor, you should also include this raw food in your diet. There are many ways to include it in your meals with a little effort.

7. Lowering cholesterol levels 

Did you know that only five grams of ginger per day for at least four months can lower bad cholesterol in your body? Since I’ve had cholesterol issues, I have been paying a lot more attention to what I consume. Because foods rich in saturated fats can have a significant impact on your cholesterol levels.

If you are trying to switch your diet to a healthier one, then you should really give up on processed foods like French fries or pastries. These two are the most common foods that can spike the sugar levels in your body and also increase the LDL level. I am a tea drinker myself, and I try to drink at least 1 cup of ginger tea each day. And don’t worry! It’s easy to make, and it won’t take you more than ten minutes to prepare. I usually combine it with mint for a much more pleasant taste. How do you like it?

8. Can help with osteoarthritis

This spice can be a natural remedy for osteoarthritis in combination with cinnamon and sesame oil, and can reduce not only knee pain but also the stiffness that comes along with aging. You may already know that ginger reduces swelling. Unfortunately, osteoarthritis is a disease that affects a lot of people worldwide. If you happen to suffer from arthritis, you will feel pain in the joints, arms, hips and spine. Besides making tea or consuming it raw as a spice for your food, you can also make a compress patch on your skin in the areas where you feel the pain.

I must point out that this effect might be short in comparison to real medicine, but it can help you improve your overall well-being.

9. Healthier skin 

We previously mentioned cosmetic products that contain ginger powder. Yes! You guessed right! It can improve the look of your skin because antioxidants protect it from UV rays but also lower the breakdown of collagen, making the skin look younger. A lot of people who are dealing with acne issues are using raw ginger mixture directly on their skin. It can also soothe and calm the skin after prolonged exposure to sunlight.

How to incorporate it into your diet 

We’ve had enough talking about ginger’s benefits; now it’s time to find out how we can include it in our diet too. This superfood can be used to season chicken breasts, but it can also be eaten on its own. If you like the taste of it, then you must know that the most common way to consume it is in tea. It can be found in tea bag form, but it may not be as wholesome as raw ginger. A daily shot of ginger juice is one of the most convenient ways to get all its benefits. You can easily prepare it at home by just using a juicer.

Are you a fan of smoothies? You can mince some and mix it in with any other fruits of your choice. I usually drink it with half a banana and one tablespoon of blackberries. Yummy!

For some more great tips regarding nutrition, we also suggest reading: Wow: These 12 Amazing Foods Will Help You Lose Belly Fat.