Overview
Native to Southeast Asia, ginger is common in food and medicine around the world. The ginger plant is rich in natural chemicals that can promote your health and wellness.
Ginger water, also known as ginger tea, is one way to enjoy the benefits of ginger. Read on to learn more about ginger water benefits, uses, and side effects.
Benefits
As with a lot of herbal medicine, more research is needed to better understand and prove uses for ginger and ginger water. There are many anecdotes about uses for ginger water that can’t be guaranteed healthy or effective. However, there are several potential benefits backed by limited research.
Anti-inflammatory
Inflammation is one of your body’s natural self-preservation functions. Germs, chemicals, and poor diet can cause too much inflammation and harm your body.
Inflammation has become a very common experience for a lot of people. Diet and lifestyle changes may be necessary to fight chronic inflammation.
Consuming ginger may help prevent and heal inflammation. One studyTrusted Source found that ginger could reduce allergic reactions, in which inflammation can play a role.
A small studyTrusted Source also showed that people who took daily ginger supplements had less muscle pain after working out. Muscle pain can be caused by inflammation.
Antioxidant
The antioxidant properties of ginger may help to prevent:
heart disease
neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s
cancer
symptoms of aging
Antioxidants fight reactive oxygen species (ROS), which cause oxidative stress and damage your cells. Your body naturally makes ROS, but some lifestyle choices, like drinking large quantities of alcohol, smoking, or experiencing chronic stress can make you produce too much ROS. Consuming foods and drinks with antioxidants, like ginger water, can help prevent and fight the negative side effects of ROS.
One studyTrusted Source found that that ginger could prevent or slow down kidney failure. Ginger may also slow the growth of tumors, and one studyTrusted Source found evidence that ginger may help control some types of cancer.
Antinausea and digestion aid
Cultures around the world regularly take ginger to help ease indigestion, vomiting, and nausea. Studies are inconclusive as to how effective this is.
Balance blood sugar
One studyTrusted Source found that ginger improved fasting blood sugar in people with diabetes. These and other findings show promise that ginger can help treat health concerns caused by chronic diabetes.
Cholesterol
A recent studyTrusted Source showed that ginger reduced heart disease markers like arginase activity, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and triglycerides in rats give a high-fat diet.
Weight loss
Ginger water may help promote weight loss when combined with a healthy diet and exercise. One studyTrusted Source showed that ginger suppressed obesity in rats on high-fat diets. And another studyTrusted Source found that men who drank a hot ginger beverage after eating felt more full for longer. Balanced blood sugar can also prevent you from overeating.
Hydration
This benefit is mostly because you’re taking your ginger in water. Staying hydrated is very important for supporting every aspect of your health. Many of us simply don’t drink enough water each day. Starting your day with a glass of ginger water, or finding another regular time to drink one each day, will help you hydrate.