When it comes to natural ingredients that have been aiding health and healing for centuries - it’s hard to find a more renowned pair than turmeric and ginger. Turmeric and ginger benefits include:
- Reducing inflammation
- Relieving stomach pain including bloating, gas and indigestion
- Decreasing nausea
- Boosting immune system health
- Treating skin conditions
Taking Turmeric and Ginger
Turmeric and ginger and two of the most widely used ingredients in natural and ancient medicine. These flowering plants with medicinal properties have been used to enhance immune systems, relieve pain and decrease nausea to help people ward off illness and infection for over 3000 years.
With so many potential benefits on offer to help fight illness, infection, and boost all round good health, we wouldn’t blame you for stocking up your stash!
Here at EVO Nutrition, we provide our customers with premium supplements that complement their health and well-being. As such, when it comes to super ingredients like these two, we have the perfect product to bring you all the benefits of organic turmeric with ginger in one easy to take capsule. The supplements are suitable for everyone, including those following vegan and vegetarians diets.
Like the sound of turmeric and ginger so far? Read on to find out more about how they can be used, what benefits are on offer, and the best ways to take them.
What Is Ginger?
Ginger is a tropical flowering plant and its roots are commonly used as a spice for natural healing, herbal medicine and flavouring for food. Most of us will be familiar with the ground ginger found in our store cupboards or the comforting ginger fragrance in scented products and toiletries around the house, but what is it actually made up of and why is it so good for us?
Ginger is full of essential vitamins and minerals including; vitamin B3 and B6, Iron, potassium, vitamin C, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, folate, riboflavin and niacin. This composition makes it an excellent product to use in a well balanced diet for those looking to maintain a healthy immune system and support the body in it’s essential processes.
Researchers believe that gingerol, shogaol, and paradols are the functional compounds within ginger that are responsible for the powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties it has to offer when treating a wide range of ailments.
How Can We Use It?
If you like the smell and, or the taste of ginger, then you’re in luck. Ginger can be eaten fresh, dried or stored as a spice and it can also be made into tablets, capsules and liquid extracts. This makes it a very adaptable ingredient that can be used for a wide variety of cosmetic, nutritional and health needs.
Ginger was particularly popular in ancient Indian and Asian medicine as a treatment for stomach issues including nausea and diarrhoea, but most people today tend to think of ginger as a winter warming spice in their store cupboard or a scent in the products in their bathroom cabinet.
To enjoy the benefits of ginger, you can incorporate it into your cooking or daily well-being routine in a variety of ways. The amount you need to use will depend on the form the ginger takes. For example, 1g of ginger extract can be consumed in the following ways:
- A capsule that has 1g ginger extract in it
- A teaspoon of fresh, grated, rhizome (the vertical aspect of ginger root)
- 2 droppers (2mL) of liquid extract
- 2 teaspoons (10mL) of syrup
- 4 cups (8 oz each) ginger tea, steeping 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger for 5–10 min
- 8-oz cup ginger ale, made with real ginger
- 2 pieces crystallized ginger, each 1 inch square, 1/4 inch thick
Cooking And Supplements
From oriental inspired stir fries to fresh summer salads, ginger is a versatile cooking ingredient that adds a warming flavour to lots of sweet and savoury dishes. It also makes excellent marinades and salad dressings, and can be drunk as a soothing tea. Yum!
Although these may sound delicious on paper, not everyone finds it easy to incorporate ginger into their diet - maybe you don’t like cooking or don’t like the taste? This is where supplements come in.
Supplements are a great way to boost your intake of healthy ingredients like ginger that you may otherwise struggle to incorporate into your diet. They are especially great for those with busy lifestyles that need to boost their vitamin and mineral intake on the go, those that don’t enjoy cooking and favour convenience.
4 Benefits Of Ginger
We’ve seen how ginger can be used, but what can it do for our bodies and what are the potential benefits on offer if you add it to your diet or medicine cabinet? Ginger is commonly used to reduce pain, inflammation and settle the stomach, so let’s take a look at these areas in more detail.
Ginger can help to ease
- Nausea
- Inflammation
- PMS
Nausea
Studies have concluded a reliable and notable decrease in nausea when taking 1-3g of ginger. Nausea associated with pregnancy and travel sickness saw the best results in trials. Ginger can increase the responsiveness of the digestive system and speed up stomach emptying which can lead to a reduction in feelings of nausea. As the natural inflammatory properties of the active compounds found in ginger can also support blood pressure regulating hormones, it’s no wonder it is used by lots of people to help their body to remain calm and reduce the onset of nausea.
Inflammation
Studies have shown that Inflammatory parameters in the body seem to be reduced after consuming ginger. It is therefore common to see ginger taken as a supplement in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. The anti-inflammatory properties in the spice can ease the joint pain associated with these painful conditions.
Soothes Stomach Pain Or Discomfort
The active chemical compounds in ginger and it’s natural anti-inflammatory properties can help to ease stomach pain and aid digestion in some people. There are also studies looking at its effectiveness as pain relief for menstrual cramps, with one study finding a notable improvement in mood, physical, and behavioural symptoms associated with PMT with 500 mg of ginger daily. The next time you suffer from uncomfortable bloating, gas or indigestion, try taking some ginger to see how it eases your pain.
Ward Off Colds
The next time you reach for a glass or orange juice to boost your vitamin C in an attempt to fight off a cold, you may want to switch it up for a fresh ginger juice instead. Drinking ginger has a warming effect on the body that can help you to rid infection by sweating out impurities. It’s thought that the active compounds gingerol and shogaol may help fight off a cold because they can lower a fever, reduce pain, and suppress a cough.
There are plenty of other rumoured benefits to taking ginger but the scientific studies haven’t been conducted to back them up yet. This doesn’t mean that the effects haven’t been seen by individuals looking for a natural way of managing pain and discomfort though, and other possible benefits include blood sugar regulation and lowering the risks of type 2 diabetes. While we wait for the scientific studies to catch up, it’s clear to see that ginger has been used medicinally for a long time and we think it’s fair to say that it’s ability to ease pain and discomfort is far more than just an old wives tale.
As we said at the beginning of this article, when talking about the benefits of ginger, the benefits of turmeric are never far behind. So let’s take a closer look at this other store cupboard favourite too.
What Is Turmeric?
Turmeric is closely related to the ginger plant but has a distinctive yellow colour which you will be familiar with from its use in bright coloured foods such as curry.
Curcumin is a major component of turmeric, providing both its colour, as well as being the primary bio-active substance within it. The anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin are the basis of the reduction in chronic pain associated with the use of turmeric in natural medicine.
Turmeric contains plenty of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals including beta-carotene, calcium, fibre, iron, potassium and zinc to name just a few. This, like ginger, makes it an excellent foundation ingredient to include within a well balanced diet as it’s natural form can help the body carry out plenty of its essential processes and maintain good health.
How Can We Use Turmeric?
This colourful ingredient has been used for centuries as both a dye, and for it’s perceived healing properties in traditional Indian and Asian medicine. Today however, we are probably more likely to know turmeric as a spice in our store cupboards.
It was traditionally used to treat skin rashes, sore joints and upset stomachs. Recently, this humble spice is having something of a renaissance moment as it’s perceived benefits get promoted by wellness bloggers and instagrammers all over the world, including it’s positive effects on arthritis, allergies, depression, and more.
Turmeric is most commonly dried and stored as a spice or made into tablets, capsules, and liquid extracts or pastes. This diversity is one of it’s main benefits and means there are plenty of ways that you can incorporate this flavoursome spice into your cooking or daily well-being routine in order to reap the potential benefits it has to offer.
Take it as a supplement
Supplements are a great way to boost your intake of ingredients that you may otherwise struggle to incorporate into your diet. They are especially helpful for people with busy lifestyles that need to boost their vitamin and mineral intake on the go, those that don’t enjoy cooking, or anyone looking for the convenience factor when it comes to snapping up the potential benefits on offer from turmeric.
Benefits Of Turmeric
When it comes to the most commonly touted benefits of turmeric, people often refer to the ingredients’ use in managing pain and reducing inflammation. It is hailed as a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory tool that can make a difference in the treatment of some painful skin conditions.
Sadly, the active curcumin ingredient is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. To counteract this, it’s recommended that you consume black pepper with turmeric to enhance the absorption of curcumin by up to 2,000%!
Reducing Inflammation
As a natural anti-inflammatory, the curcumin in turmeric has been shown to have a positive effect on people suffering from chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. It is thought that the active ingredient can suppress the molecules in the body that cause inflammation in the first place which could make it a powerful natural tool in treating conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis and arthritis.
Treatment For Skin Conditions
According to a study, turmeric has been shown to help reduce the symptoms of skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema due to its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.
Although the results are promising, and the active ingredient in turmeric is relatively safe even at high doses, it’s bright yellow colour may make it unappealing for topical skin treatments. This is another great reason to try adding turmeric supplements to your diet as you can enjoy its benefits from the active ingredients by taking them orally, without looking like an extra in The Simpsons!
Although turmeric has been used medicinally for centuries, there is still lots of on-going research into the positive effects it’s active component, curcumin can have on our bodies. While the science may not be widely published yet, there are far too many success stories from individuals taking on this natural remedy to be ignored. If you want to try a natural remedy for managing inflammation and sore skin, then there is nothing to lose and if anything, it’s a great excuse to make a homemade curry a regular feature in your dining plans!
Related Questions
What Are The Side Effects?
Turmeric and ginger are both considered to be safe and healthy additions to a well balanced diet when taken in moderation. As with anything though, if you take them in large quantities or in a highly concentrated form you could be at risk of experiencing possible side effects such as heartburn, rashes, headaches or stomach upset. Ginger may also decrease blood clotting or impact blood sugar levels, so should not be taken without consulting your doctor if you are taking blood thinners or medication to manage blood sugar levels.
How Can I Add Turmeric And Ginger To My Diet?
We have to admit that the idea of taking a teaspoon of turmeric and ginger before breakfast doesn’t fill us with joy, so what is the best way to add them to your diet? From sipping tea, adding the dried spice to your meals, or taking them in supplement form, there are options for everyone to choose from.
Your personal taste and whether you like to cook will be the biggest factors when deciding how to add ginger and turmeric them to your diet. If for example you make a lot of Asian cuisine or salad dressings plenty of these dishes readily incorporate ginger and turmeric. If you’re not much of a cook but still want to add them into your diet then supplements could be the answer for you!
At EVO Nutrition, we stock incredible organic turmeric capsules that are blended with organic ginger & organic black pepper for maximum results. Ginger compliments the therapeutic compounds of turmeric and black pepper increases the absorption of curcumin and other curcuminoid nutrients found in turmeric by up to 2000% - all in one 650mg capsule. What's more, our Turmeric supplements are certified organic by the UK Soil Association, so you can be sure they've been through strict quality control checks.
What’s even better is that the supplements come in bottles of 365 capsules which means you can have up to a year’s supply for just £15.95!
Summary
We hope that this article has given you plenty of food for thought when it comes to ways of adding turmeric and ginger to your diet, and the whole host of medicinal and health benefits these two natural ingredients have to offer.
Promising studies have found that turmeric and ginger can have powerful effects on nausea, pain, inflammation, and immune function. Combine this with their long time use in natural and traditional medicine, it’s fair to say that both ingredients pack a powerful punch, make a great addition to a healthy, balanced diet and can be consumed with minimal risk of side effects.
Ginger and turmeric may be able to help you with:
- Reducing inflammation
- Relieving stomach pain including bloating, gas and indigestion
- Decreasing nausea
- Boosting your immune system
- Treating skin conditions
For a natural way to treat the conditions above try adding turmeric and ginger to your meals the next time you’re in the kitchen or for an even more convenience, try adding supplements to your diet.
If supplements are for you, just be sure to buy your stash from reputable providers that use the best organic ingredients and follow strict quality control standards. This will help to ensure that you’re taking premium supplements that aid optimal absorption into your body enabling you to reap the potential health benefits available.
EVO Nutrition is passionate about producing premium supplements that complement your health and well-being. We source the best active ingredients and create formulations that help you to achieve your full potential and you, our customer, are at the heart of everything we do.
