John Myers
A glass of hot ginger tea helps with colds – this is one of the most common effects attributed to ginger. The exotic tuber is also said to have a positive effect on high blood pressure, alleviate gout and help with weight loss. What’s wrong with the allegations?
Does ginger work as a home remedy?
Ginger is often on everyone’s lips during the cold season: Many swear by the healing properties of the root, which are said to alleviate existing symptoms and protect against infection. A few slices of fresh ginger are poured over with hot water and the infusion is refined with lemon and honey. The warming effect of the pungent substances in ginger immediately leaves a pleasant feeling – but does it also kill the viruses? Scientific studies on this are few and far between, but a small effect cannot be ruled out. So feel free to enjoy a tea or ginger shot if you’ve caught a cold. However, it has been well researched that ginger helps with nausea. There are medicines that are prescribed for motion sickness.
More empty promises than proven cures
A number of other promises of salvation related to the ginger root are untenable, at least from the point of view of conventional medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine has been using it as a medicinal plant for over 2000 years and has a different perspective here. The claim that ginger has an effect on gout could not be substantiated by scientific studies according to western standards. The supposedly blood-thinning, blood pressure-lowering, and thus heart-protecting effect is also one of the myths surrounding the tuber. It is also better to forget that the root makes you slim. It only supports digestion.
Undesirable Effects of Ginger
In addition to the supposed or actual effects of ginger, you should also keep an eye on the side effects. Because they are not that rare. From a daily dose of four grams of fresh ginger, digestive problems can occur in sensitive people, and irritation of the gastric mucosa is possible with long-term use. Women who are expecting a child should also be careful: ginger could have a labor-inducing effect, but this has not yet been scientifically clarified. According to a Canadian study, ginger can even influence the psyche: the tuber is said to dampen moral sense. Before you ban the root from your kitchen, it should be said that many side effects only occur when consuming large amounts of fresh ginger or even dietary supplements containing the plant. Anyone who seasons their food with ground ginger or enjoys pickled ginger with sushi usually has nothing to fear.
