All about the properties of ginger root: how it is useful and to whom it is harmful
This once exotic product is now firmly established in our daily life, enriching it in gastronomic, therapeutic and cosmetic terms. Is ginger root useful to a person, what is it used for? What are its medicinal properties, are there only advantages in using the plant, or are there also disadvantages? You will learn about this and much more from the article. Let’s talk about the effect of the root on children’s, female and male organisms.
In what types is it used?
This root can be used in the following ways:
- fresh;
- pickled;
- candied;
- frozen.
Chemical composition of medicinal root crop
With a caloric content of 80 kcal per 100 g of product, fresh ginger, in addition to a solid amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, contains a lot of nutrients. What set of vitamins includes a plant that has unique properties? Ginger is rich:
- thiamine (B1);
- riboflavin (B2);
- nicotinic acid (B3);
- choline (B4);
- pantothenic acid (B5);
- pyrodoxin (B6);
- folic acid (B9);
- cyancobalamin (B12);
- ascorbic acid (C);
- calciferol (D);
- Tocopherol (E);
- biotin (N);
- phylloquinone (K).
Micro- and macronutrients are presented in the form of:
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- copper;
- manganese;
- zinc;
- selenium;
- magnesium;
- iron.
In addition, ginger contains:
- resinous substances;
- essential oils;
- gingerols;
- interchangeable and essential amino acids.
Why does a person use a plant and what is its usefulness?
Such a nutrient-rich composition of this product determines its benefits for human health.
Moderate and competent reception of it contributes to:
- noticeable strengthening of the immune system, which is most clearly manifested in the prevention of colds;
- optimization of the functioning of the digestive system;
- reduction and even relief of pain symptoms in muscle mass and joints;
- blood thinning;
- activation of thyroid gland activity;
- elimination of gastric spasms;
- strengthening the walls of blood vessels;
- reducing the level of bad cholesterol in the blood;
- stimulating brain activity;
- strengthening of the heart muscle;
- overcoming nausea attacks and leveling the effects of toxicosis in pregnant women;
- elimination of gases from the intestine;
- relief of pain in women on critical days;
- burning of excess fat deposits and, accordingly, weight loss;
- inhibition of inflammatory processes in the body due to its bactericidal, anti-inflammatory properties;
- activation of sweating;
- stimulation of cellular metabolism;
- destruction of parasites in the intestine.
Benefits for the body of men
In addition to the ability of ginger root to noticeably improve human health in a wide range, it is also able to solve specific problems that arise in the male body.
Strengthening his immune system, ginger simultaneously stimulates:
- production of the male sex hormone testosterone;
- potency;
- libido;
- energy saturation of the male body; improvement of well-being during a severe hangover.
How does it affect women?
What diseases does ginger cure in women, what does the plant give?
- Ginger is especially in demand by women on critical days for its ability to help ladies cope with pain.
- In addition, this product helps pregnant women in the first trimester to cope with the manifestations of toxicosis.
- It also acts as an effective antidepressant, well helping women with nervous exhaustion.
- The root is also useful for the fair sex when losing weight due to its fat-burning properties.
- Ginger tea has a very high quality effect on women with chills, dizziness and other similar ailments.
For children
A rich set of useful substances contained in this root can have a significant positive effect on the body of a small person. However, due to the possible danger of causing allergies, ginger is not recommended to be given to children earlier than two years of age.
Most often, ginger-based medicines have indications for use in colds in the form of tea, infusions and inhalations. From the age of seven, children are allowed to use ginger product as a flavoring additive to various dishes and drinks.
The main meaning of these supplements, in addition to their high gastronomic qualities, is the ability of the product to strengthen the immune system of the child.
What is harmful?
Against the background of a wide palette of useful qualities of ginger for human health, the harm from this product does not look so impressive. Nevertheless, if it is used incorrectly, the root can create noticeable problems and become harmful to human health.
This can manifest itself when:
- excessive amounts of the consumed product;
- a cold with a high temperature, in which the use of ginger root can significantly aggravate the situation;
- bleeding, because ginger dilutes the blood;
- in hot weather, as the properties of the product that stimulate sweating can contribute to very rapid dehydration of the body;
- gastrointestinal diseases in which pickled ginger can exacerbate the disease.
When and to whom it is forbidden to give?
The possible harm that the product can cause to a person with excessive and illiterate use causes contraindications to its use. However, the main contraindication, regardless of the correctness or incorrectness of the use of the product, is its individual intolerance by one person or another, characteristic to one degree or another of absolutely all food products.
In addition, ginger root is contraindicated:
- suffering from coronary heart disease; being in a pre-infarction state;
- with diabetes mellitus of the 1st degree, especially for children;
- with gastritis;
- suffering from peptic ulcer of the stomach or intestines;
- with hepatitis;
- with cholelithiasis;
- with diverticulosis;
- nursing mothers;
- during pregnancy, if there is a ban from the attending physician;
- suffering from esophageal reflux;
- with cirrhosis of the liver;
- children under 2 years old.
How much should I eat without harm to my health?
To correctly determine the daily dosage of the use of this product, it should be borne in mind that a dose of up to 2 g in powdered form corresponds to 10 g of fresh root, which is a piece of it about 7 mm wide. This is the maximum daily dose that can be taken painlessly by a healthy person. In this case, a single dose should not exceed 3 g of fresh root.
Does it affect weight loss and how to take it?
By improving the metabolism in the body, stimulating the processes of digestion and excretion of waste products, ginger product thereby contributes to the active burning of fat deposits and, as a result, weight loss.
At the same time, the tonic properties of the root are of considerable importance, which, filling a person with energy, allow him to move more actively, exercise more successfully in the morning and run.
Most often, ginger root is used for weight loss in the form of drinks: teas, infusions and decoctions. You can also use the product in powdered form as a spice added to various dishes.
List of diseases from which it helps
The main merit of ginger is that it strengthens the immune system, which helps to treat many ailments.
Therefore, in the first place in the list of diseases from which the product helps, there are colds, which the root also fights through its anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, antimicrobial qualities. The product helps to successfully resist:
- angina;
- pharyngitis;
- ARVI;
- sinusitis;
- bronchitis;
- rhinopharyngitis;
- tracheitis;
- inflammation of the lungs;
- otitu;
- dental diseases and gum diseases;
- pain syndromes of various origins;
- liver diseases, except acute forms of hepatitis type;
- Alzheimer’s disease, which is favored by the ability of ginger root to inhibit the destruction of brain cells.
What are the side effects of medicinal use?
Like any drug, this root, when used for medicinal purposes, is capable in some cases of showing undesirable side effects on the human body.
The most significant in this regard is the use of ginger for colds. It manifests itself perfectly until the patient’s temperature rises above 39 degrees. In this case, a side effect of using the drug is possible in the form of an even greater increase in temperature, as well as provoking bleeding.
- This product shows itself well in the treatment of various liver diseases, facilitating their course, however, with hepatitis, the opposite effect can be observed in the form of an exacerbation of the disease.
- Ginger root strengthens the walls of blood vessels, removes excess cholesterol from the blood, improves the activity of the heart muscle, but if the patient has high blood pressure, then this product can aggravate the situation (how does ginger affect pressure?).
- The problem may also arise when trying to clear the blood vessels of cholesterol plaques with ginger, if the patient has frequent nosebleeds or hemorrhoids. The ability of the product to dilute the blood seriously aggravates the course of these diseases.
- This remedy effectively fights the removal of stomach cramps. However, if at the same time the patient has ulcerative manifestations in the stomach or intestines, then the effect can be depressing.
- In the initial stage of pregnancy, ginger perfectly relieves nausea attacks, however, if the expectant mother has high blood pressure, then in such a situation the harm may outweigh the benefit.
So, ginger root can be both useful and harmful. Medicinal products based on it can effectively and variously contribute to improving human health. However, not being real medicines, they can only be auxiliary means, but not the main ones in the treatment of serious diseases.