Can ginger cure colds and relieve dysmenorrhea? You will never guess the benefits of ginger

Whenever the season of colds is more common, people around you will tell you that you can drink some ginger tea, brown sugar ginger water, or ginger cola to cure colds and enhance your immunity.

Previously, Mr. Zhang from Henan did not see any improvement after taking medicine for a cold, so he asked his wife to make some ginger soup. His wife simply smashed 2 kilograms of old ginger with a knife and put it into the pot to make soup (this is true love). Mr. Zhang drank 2 cups and had blisters on his mouth the next day.

Can ginger really cure colds? Let’s talk about ginger today.

I'm Busy, Quick Reading Edition

●

Colds are caused by viruses. Colds caused by influenza viruses are called influenza; colds caused by common viruses are called common colds.

●

The common cold is "self-limiting" and does not require treatment. It usually recovers in about ten days; influenza is more serious and can be fatal in severe cases.

●

Ginger water and ginger tea can relieve the uncomfortable symptoms of the common cold, such as nasal congestion, headache, fever, etc., but they cannot play a therapeutic role; they are completely useless for influenza.

●

Ginger water may help relieve dysmenorrhea, but it is not helpful for motion sickness.

●

Don’t eat too much ginger, as it may cause adverse reactions such as stomach pain, mouth and throat irritation.

●

Ginger is a natural seasoning. Proper use can reduce the use of some salt-containing seasonings, help us reduce salt intake, and have certain benefits to health.

1

Can ginger cure colds?

Ginger brown sugar water, ginger cola... are often regarded as "good medicine" to prevent and treat colds. However, can ginger really treat and prevent colds?

In fact, ginger cannot cure colds, it can only relieve some uncomfortable symptoms of the common cold.

Cold is a disease caused by viruses. Colds are divided into common cold and influenza (commonly known as "flu") depending on the virus.

Influenza is caused by influenza virus, while the common cold is caused by other pathogens such as rhinovirus, echovirus, coxsackievirus, etc. At present, more than 200 pathogens of the common cold have been found.

The common cold is self-limiting and generally does not require special treatment. As long as you pay attention to rest and adequate nutrition, your body will generally get better on its own after 7-12 days. If you have symptoms such as nasal congestion/fever/pain, you can take symptomatic medication to help yourself relieve the symptoms and make yourself feel better.

But the situation of influenza is much more serious. If not treated in time, it may be fatal. I think everyone should have a deep impression of severe bird flu and swine flu.

Although some studies have found that ginger has antibacterial and antiviral effects, they are all in vitro or animal studies, using large doses of ginger extracts to act on certain bacteria or viruses, which is completely different from drinking ginger water.

Drinking water boiled with ginger, brown sugar or cola can help relieve some symptoms of the common cold, such as nasal congestion/fever/pain, but drinking warm water directly can have a similar effect.

In general, ginger has no effect in preventing or treating colds. If the cold symptoms are severe, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible.

Especially now that we are still in the COVID-19 pandemic, if you have cold symptoms such as fever, you must seek medical attention in time and don't try to solve it yourself.

(Copyrighted stock image, no permission to reprint)

2

Can ginger relieve dysmenorrhea?

In addition to preventing and treating colds, it is often said that ginger can relieve menstrual cramps. Is this true?

Ginger may actually be helpful in relieving dysmenorrhea.

Some studies have found that ginger has a certain effect on relieving symptoms such as dysmenorrhea and heavy menstrual bleeding. For example, a 2021 meta-analysis of ginger and dysmenorrhea showed that ginger is about as effective as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in relieving dysmenorrhea.

However, some studies have found that if you eat too much ginger, you may experience symptoms such as diarrhea, heartburn, and irritation of the mouth and throat. This may also be the reason why the man in the news had foam on his mouth.

Considering that there are no adverse effects of eating ginger normally, if you suffer from dysmenorrhea, you can try eating some ginger slices, ginger powder or drinking some ginger tea. If it works, it would be great.

However, it is best not to eat too much; and if you feel more uncomfortable in your stomach, have stomach pain or even diarrhea after eating, it is best not to eat it.

3

Can ginger prevent motion sickness?

Some people also say that ginger can prevent motion sickness and seasickness. Is this true?

There are many studies in this area. But ginger is actually useless.

Although some studies have found that ginger may help alleviate vomiting and relieve physical discomfort, it cannot solve the problem of dizziness. Moreover, its effect is no better than motion sickness medicine or seasickness medicine. A 2013 review analysis concluded that ginger does not significantly help relieve nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness.

The UK NHS recommends that to prevent motion sickness, it is best not to eat spicy food before getting on a car. Ginger contains gingerol, which is also considered a spicy food. So, from this aspect, eating ginger may not be good for motion sickness.

So, if you really get motion sickness or seasickness, it's okay to try eating some ginger or drinking some ginger water, but if the symptoms are severe, it's better to seek medical help.

4

What nutrients does ginger contain?

What are the nutritional properties of ginger? Does it have any special ingredients? From a nutritional analysis, ginger mainly contains the following nutrients:

1. Rich in vitamins, minerals and other trace elements

Ginger is rich in vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc and other minerals.

However, ginger is generally used as a condiment and only a little is used each time cooking. People do not eat ginger as food in large mouthfuls, so its nutritional contribution to the human body is very small.

2. Unique volatile oils and polyphenol antioxidants

Ginger is rich in ginger essential oil, which is the transparent yellow liquid; ginger is rich in polyphenol antioxidants, such as flavonoids and shogaol; and some gingerols, which is why ginger tastes very spicy.

3. A small amount of special protease

Ginger also contains a small amount of special protease. The famous snack "Ginger Milk" utilizes the properties of this enzyme in ginger juice to coagulate milk protein, which is somewhat similar to rennet used in making cheese.

5

How to eat ginger healthily?

Ginger can give food a unique flavor and enhance the aroma. It is a very good seasoning. How to eat ginger in a healthy way?

1. Use ginger to replace part of salt, MSG and other seasonings.

Ginger is a natural seasoning that can add flavor to food.

You can add some ginger when cooking. Ginger can add flavor to food and help you use less salt, MSG, oyster sauce and other seasonings, reducing salt intake, which is also helpful for health.

Moreover, it can be eaten all year round, and you don’t have to “eat radishes in winter and ginger in summer”.

2. Eat less pickled ginger.

Ginger has no special effect on health. Don’t eat a lot of ginger just because you believe in its health benefits, and don’t eat pickled ginger.

3. Don’t eat too much ginger.

Too much ginger can also cause stomach pain, nausea and other uncomfortable symptoms, so don't eat too much ginger.

In general, ginger is a natural seasoning. When used properly in cooking, it can increase the flavor of food and help us reduce the use of some salt-containing seasonings. It is good for health. As long as it is not moldy, you can still eat it with confidence. But don't be superstitious about ginger.

References

Khodaie L, Sadeghpoor O. Ginger from ancient times to the new outlook. Jundishapur J Nat Pharm Prod. 2015;10(1):e18402.

Guo Chunxiao, Wen Zixuan, Liu Zihan, et al. Enzyme-assisted extraction and antibacterial activity analysis of ginger flavonoids[J]. Journal of Yibin University, 2020, 20(6): 99-103.

Song Li, He Yong, Zhang Xuebing, et al. Study on the extraction and antibacterial activity of polyphenols in ginger[J]. Journal of Xinyang Normal University (Natural Science Edition), 2017, 30(3): 445-448.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/ginger-for-menstrual-cramps-90072

Negi R, Sharma SK, Gaur R, et al. (March 06, 2021) Efficacy of Ginger in the Treatment of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Cureus 13(3): e13743.

Daily JW, Zhang

Chen CX, Barrett B, Kwekkeboom KL. Efficacy of oral ginger (Zingiber officinale) for dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:6295737. doi:10.1155/2016/6295737

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/ginger

Lien HC, Sun WM, Chen YH, Kim H, Hasler W, Owyang C. Effects of ginger on motion sickness and gastric slow-wave dysrhythmias induced by circular vection. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2003 Mar;284(3):G481-9. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00164.2002. PMID: 12576305.

Nunes CP, Rodrigues CC, Cardoso CAF, Cytrynbaum N, Kaufman R, Rzetelna H, Goldwasser G, Santos A, Oliveira L, Geller M. Clinical Evaluation of the Use of Ginger Extract in the Preventive Management of Motion Sickness. Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. 2020 Jun 15;92:100591.

Palatty PL, Haniadka R, Valder B, Arora R, Baliga MS. Ginger in the prevention of nausea and vomiting: a review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2013;53(7):659-69.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/motion-sickness/

Chen Xin, Chang Xia, Liang Yahui, et al. Analysis of nutritional components of Huaijiang and other varieties of ginger[J]. Journal of Anhui Agricultural Sciences, 2020, 48(18): 194-196, 209.

Zhang Wenhuan. Comparative analysis of ginger quality and safety standards and study on the differences in characteristic components[D]. Beijing: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 2019.

Cover image source freepik.com

Source: Nutritionist Ruan Guangfeng