Ginger has been used traditionally for various purposes from helping with stomach problems to pain relief. Now research is showing ginger could also help with a number of other health issues…
A study has shown ginger could help with recovery after exercise. Scientists asked participants to perform high intensity arm exercises, which induced muscle damage. Prior to the exercise half of the participants had taken a ginger supplement for five days and five had taken a placebo. In the group who had taken the ginger strength improved 48 hours after exercise. In the placebo group however it didn’t improve until 72 hours after exercise.
Another study indicates that an extract found in ginger could be as effective as one of the most popular weight loss treatments in America. In the study, researchers compared the effect of taking a popular weight loss drug, gingerol (a natural extract found in ginger), or nothing at all in conjunction with a high fat diet for 30 days. They found that in those given gingerol body weight and the level of fat in body tissues was significantly reduced when compared to controls (those just on the high fat diet). Most interestingly was the fact that the amount that body weight and fat levels decreased was similar in the gingerol group to that seen in the weight loss drug group.
J Sci Food Agric. 2014 Nov;94(14):2972-7. Anti-obesity action of gingerol: effect on lipid profile, insulin, leptin, amylase and lipase in male obese rats induced by a high-fat diet. Saravanan G1, Ponmurugan P, Deepa MA, Senthilkumar B.
Phytother Res. 2015 Jun;29(6):887-93. The Effects of Pre-Exercise Ginger Supplementation on Muscle Damage and Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Matsumura MD1,2, Zavorsky GS3,4, Smoliga JM5,6.