How to Enjoy Ginger’s Superfood Benefits

October 19, 2020

how to enjoy ginger essential oil benefits

When it comes to superfoods, ginger is the real deal — its therapeutic properties have been relied on for centuries. Discover the benefits of ginger essential oil and how to get your daily dose.

by Chantelle Pattemore

Thanks to its warm peppery kick, ginger is a favorite spice among chefs and home cooks worldwide. However, before it became a cooking staple, ancient Chinese and Indian cultures relied on this plant for thousands of years as a medicinal remedy.

This root is scientifically shown to help prevent and ease the symptoms of an array of conditions, and it’s effective in a variety of formats, from freshly sliced to oil-based.

You can safely and easily incorporate ginger into your daily routine. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits ginger offers and the best ways to incorporate them into your life.

What Happens if I Eat Ginger Every Day?

Consuming this natural remedy on a daily basis can provide a plethora of advantages when it comes to looking after our health in both the short and long term, largely thanks to its bioactive compound, gingerol.

Did you eat too much at dinner and find yourself with an upset stomach? Consuming a dose of ginger can cut digestion time by half, and helps reduce incidents of cramping and flatulence. In fact, this writer at POPSUGAR found that consuming ginger every day for a week improved her overall digestion, banished bloating and even curbed late night snack munchies.

In a similar vein, studies also indicate this root is highly effective in mitigating feelings of nausea and episodes of vomiting. It can also aid in curtailing exercise-induced muscle soreness by up to 25%; and, if you’re experiencing a bad bout of menstrual cramps, research shows consuming just one gram of ginger for the first few days of your period is as effective in reducing discomfort as over-the-counter medication.

The long term effects of ginger are equally impressive; with research indicating regular consumption may be beneficial in combating health concerns such as bacterial infections, as well as lowering high levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and blood sugars. A superfood indeed!

How To Enjoy Ginger

The good news is there are a number of ways to incorporate ginger into your diet and lifestyle. While adding slices of the root into recipes or a mug of hot water are two popular approaches, ginger essential oil also has plenty of benefits. Here are four reasons why tinctures — like our SETTLE ginger and CBD tincture — give fresh ginger a run for its money.

A Big Hit in a Small Package

By design, the ingredients in tinctures are concentrated due to the extraction process. Around two-thirds of ginger oil is composed of sesquiterpenes – the compound in the plant most associated with soothing and antibacterial properties. This means you’ll obtain much more of ginger’s goodness from a single drop of oil than you would a cup of ginger tea – and we all like getting more bang for our buck.

Easier to Have on Hand

Out shopping and hit by a sudden bout of nausea? You’re not going to be able to stop and slice up a piece of ginger that you’ve kept tucked away in the depths of your bag. You can, however, whip out a bottle of ginger-infused oil and pop a couple of drops under your tongue with minimal fuss. Our SETTLE oil blend is perfect for helping quell feelings of sickness, while the GO essential oil contains ginger to quickly put a bit of pep back in your step if you’re feeling the post-lunch slump.

Give Your Buds a Break

If the mere hint of spice sets your taste buds (and stomach) aflame, chances are fresh ginger is not for you. Fortunately, the taste of ginger in oil format is notably diluted, meaning you’ll be able to consume it without succumbing to the heat.

Science Loves it, Too

Researchers looking at ginger’s health benefits haven't trained their focus solely on the root in its freshest form. In fact, a large number of studies exploring the impact of ginger on different concerns (including those mentioned above!) have used oils as the basis of their investigations – with many results supporting its efficacy in various areas.

Spice Up Your Life

There are a number of herbs and spices we can look at to help enhance our health and well-being, but none of them quite hit the multi-tasking levels that ginger seems to effortlessly achieve. Thanks to its myriad health benefits and versatility with regards to consumption, it really has earned its super status.

Try incorporating a dose into your daily routine to find out for yourself why it’s been relied on by so many for centuries – and remains set to retain its crown for years to come.

Chantelle Pattemore is a London-based journalist and content writer. With a focus on health, well-being, fitness and food, she has written for titles including Women’s Health, Greatist, Men’s Fitness, Shondaland, Reader’s Digest and Stylist.

References:

https://www.healthline.com/health/ginger-water#dosage

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-ginger#2

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18403946/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6341159/

https://www.popsugar.co.uk/fitness/What-Happens-When-You-Drink-Ginger-Tea-Every-Day-46210317

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10793599/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336726173_The_Efficacy_Of_Ginger_And_Doxedetomidine_In_Reducing_Postoperative_Nausea_And_Vomiting_In_Patients_Undergoing_Abdominal_Hysterectomy

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100519131130.htm

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19216660/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3609356/