What Does Ginger Do Your Metabolism

According to the American Diabetes Association, around 30.3 million Americans—nearly 10% of the population—have diabetes, with 1.5 million new cases diagnosed annually. Over 84 million adults have pre-diabetes, and diabetes remains the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S., contributing to over 250,000 deaths each year.

Type 2 Diabetes, however, can often be managed or prevented with a healthy lifestyle and proper diet. Many natural foods, like ginger, have been found to help lower blood sugar and reduce insulin resistance. Ginger, in particular, is gaining popularity for its effectiveness in managing diabetes.

In addition to its health benefits, ginger is a versatile ingredient that can be easily added to meals such as stir-fries, soups, smoothies, and teas.

A 2014 study involving 88 participants found that those taking ginger supplements saw a 10.5% decrease in fasting blood sugar over 8 weeks, while the placebo group experienced a 21% increase. Insulin sensitivity also improved significantly in the ginger group.

Ginger and Diabetes

Studies have shown that ginger supplementation can improve glucose and insulin control. In one study, participants who took ginger powder capsules saw significant improvements in managing Type 2 Diabetes, proving its effectiveness.

A second study, conducted a few months later, involved 70 participants. Over 12 weeks, one group took a placebo, while the other took 1600 mg of ginger powder daily. Researchers found that the ginger group experienced reduced blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and inflammatory markers. Although LDL cholesterol didn’t decrease, overall cholesterol and inflammation levels improved, suggesting ginger can effectively enhance insulin sensitivity and help prevent diabetes complications.

More Benefits of Ginger

Ginger and Appetite

Here’s one fascinating benefit of ginger: it can curb your hunger and increase feelings of satiety after your meals. One 2013 study⁴ looked at the effects of ginger on feelings of satiety both before and after a meal. As the researchers discovered, the participants who took a ginger supplement following their breakfast were less prone to feel hungry, felt fuller, and even ended up eating less food later in the day.

But that’s not all! Wait until you see what that same study found ginger does to your metabolism…

Ginger and Metabolism

Ginger also led to a greater “thermic effect of food”, which increases metabolic function in the body in response to the food you eat. By increasing thermogenesis and raising body heat, ginger actually helps your body to produce/utilize energy more efficiently.

Plus, the increase in metabolic rate contributes to a higher caloric burn. And, as you know, burning more calories is crucial to healthy, sustainable weight loss.

Which brings me to the next ginger benefit…

Ginger and Weight Loss

The appetite-reducing benefits of ginger is definitely one of its most potent uses for weight loss. After all, if you’re less hungry during the day, you’re less likely to eat (or, really overeat), which means it’s easier to control portions and calorie intake.

In the long run, a more controlled appetite and food consumption can make weight loss not just possible, but actually easier. However, ginger can go a step further and be quite effective at promoting weight loss in a number of ways.

One 2015 study⁵ found that obese women who took ginger supplements as part of a weight loss trial saw noticeable improvement in:

• Waist and hip circumferences
• Body weight
• BMI

These findings were corroborated by a 2018 study, which found that taking ginger led to improvements in:

• Body weight
• Waist to hip ratio

Of course, you’ve also got to take into account the benefits already listed above: both a decreased appetite and improved blood sugar control.

All of these things together make it easier for you to maintain a healthy weight and burn more calories every day due to ginger’s impact on the thermic effect of food.

Ginger and Your Digestive System

Ginger is a game-changing food to eat if you want to have an efficiently-functioning digestive system.

The benefits of ginger for your digestive system are surprisingly numerous:

• Improves GI motility, or the rate at which food passes through and exits your digestive system. Better GI motility essentially means more efficient digestion and less time for your food to linger in your gut. Food that lingers in the gut is more likely to be stored as fat rather than absorbed/burned as energy. Essentially, by increasing gut motility, ginger maintains a healthy metabolic rate.
• Relief from nausea. Not only is ginger a powerful remedy to help stave off morning sickness common during pregnancy, but it’s also highly useful for preventing the nausea caused by chemotherapy. It may even be a natural replacement for anti-nausea medications!
• Reduced pain and discomfort, especially in cases of chronic indigestion. Low GI motility (delayed stomach emptying) is believed to be one of the more common contributors to chronic indigestion. Speeding up stomach emptying by taking ginger can ease pain and discomfort.
• Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. The antioxidant properties can help to protect your digestive system from free radical damage and oxidative stress, while the anti- inflammatory properties will reduce swelling that could increase damage and decrease GI function.
• Combat bloating and gas. Gas and bloating are usually caused by fermentation of food particles by the intestinal bacteria. Ginger’s natural properties are surprisingly effective at halting the fermentation process, as well as speeding up stomach and intestinal emptying so food spends less time in the gut to be potentially fermented.

Clearly, this one small root can have huge benefits for your digestive system.

Ginger and Inflammation

Ginger is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties. The antioxidants in ginger, when absorbed into the bloodstream, can reduce inflammation in the body.

Widespread (and chronic) inflammation is a known contributor to both the development and progression of numerous conditions, including:

• Diabetes
• Metabolic disorders
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular conditions
• Insulin resistance

And the list goes on…

Ginger’s ability to reduce inflammation can curb health problems before they set in or grow more severe, ensuring healthy, normal body function.

Ginger and Oxidative Stress

Ginger is loaded with antioxidants, which are highly effective at protecting your body from both free radical damage and oxidative stress.

Free radical damage and oxidative stress are both factors that lead to metabolic disorders and chronic health conditions. Both cause damage to your body on a cellular level, affecting all your body’s tissues.

Ginger’s ability to reduce oxidative stress works together with its anti-inflammatory properties to protect your cells and ensure efficient cellular function.

Ginger, Diabetes, and Your Heart

Ginger is a truly heart-smart root!

As you’ve learned, ginger is excellent for reducing blood sugar levels and preventing diabetes, both of which are known contributors to heart disease. But it turns out the antioxidants zingerone and gingerol in ginger can also directly have a positive effect on your cholesterol— lowering the “bad” LDL cholesterol and raising the “good” HDL cholesterol so your body can manage the cholesterol on its own.

Get ready to see your total cholesterol levels drop because of ginger! As a result, your heart will be healthier, function better, and be less at risk of cardiovascular conditions like heart attacks or strokes.

Other Notable Benefits of Ginger

Ginger and Cancer

Ginger offers a lot more benefits, all of which are worth paying attention to. Read over all the many, many positive effects of ginger below, and you’ll agree that it’s an essential superfood to include in your diet.

As already mentioned, zingerone and gingerol are powerful antioxidants found in ginger, both of which can offer protection against oxidative stress and free radical damage. But they’re not just a preventative measure; according to research, they may actually be active combatants in the fight against certain types of cancer.

One study found that just 2 grams of ginger per day helped to decrease the risk of colorectal cancer by decreasing the pro- inflammatory signaling molecules that had the potential to lead to cancerous cells. However, another study found no conclusive evidence to back up the claim, leaving it as a “potential” anti-cancer remedy.

More research proved the possibility of ginger being able to fight a number of types of cancer:

• Pancreatic cancer¹²
• GI cancer¹³
• Breast cancer¹⁴
• Ovarian cancer¹⁵

However, more research is needed to establish concrete certainty that ginger can have a positive effect in fighting cancers.

Ginger and Your Brain

Ginger can do some truly interesting things to keep your brain healthy and functioning as you age:

• Prevent oxidative damage and reduce inflammation, both of which contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease. In fact, research suggests that ginger may be as effective for preventing Alzheimer’s as existing drug candidates
• Improving cognitive function.¹⁷ Ginger helps to improve working memory and overall cognition among women who consumed it prior to computerized battery tests.
• Protect against age-related decline. One animal study found that ginger could not only enhance cognition, but also protect brain cells against neurodegeneration, largely due to the antioxidant properties of ginger.

Ginger and Your Immune System

Did you know that ginger can be a powerful immune booster? The antioxidant properties of ginger can help to curb the growth of a number of different bacteria types¹⁹, including some drug- resistant pathogens. It may be useful for “prevention of drug resistant microbial diseases,” though more research is needed to determine exactly how the antioxidants can eradicate the pathogens that have proven so resistant to medications.

Ginger is also an age-old remedy for oral infections, particularly gingivitis, because of its ability to kill off the bacteria that cause gum infections²⁰. It can also help stop the development of periodontitis.

HRSV, or human respiratory syncytial virus, is also killed off by ginger²¹, as well as common colds, sore throats, congestion, and inflammation in your throat.

There’s a good reason your mother brewed you a cup of ginger tea when you were sick as a child—it just works!

Ginger: Risks You Should Be Aware Of

As with any natural supplement or remedy, ginger isn’t without its drawbacks. There are a few “cons” of ginger you need to know about before you go full-speed-ahead on adding it into your daily diet or taking ginger supplements by the fistful.

A few potential side effects include:

• Constipation, diarrhea, or flatulence
• Increased flow of bile from the gallbladder, which may be a concern for those suffering from gallbladder disease
• Anticoagulant effects, which can be dangerous for anyone already on blood-thinning medications
• Possible negative consequences for pregnant or nursing women (consult with your doctor!)
• Heartburn and/or acid reflux, particularly if you consume more than 4 grams per day
• Upset stomach
• Lower blood pressure, which can be dangerous for anyone on blood pressure medications
• Possibility of irregular heartbeats

However, it’s important to know that these side effects are fairly rare, usually only evident among people who have a natural sensitivity to or intolerance of ginger, or who take ginger in excessive quantities.

In its natural root form, ginger should be safe for most human consumption, with few, if any, side effects. Capsules and supplements contain more concentrated doses of ginger or ginger extract, and thus are (fractionally) more likely to lead to side effects.

If, at any time, you experience any negative side effects while taking ginger, cease taking it immediately and consult your doctor. When it comes to your health, it’s always better to be safe!

How To Get More Ginger

If you want to add more ginger into your life to manage or prevent diabetes and complications, you’ll be glad to know you have a lot of options!

Raw ginger is an amazing source of nutrients, including the anti- inflammatory, pain-relieving antioxidant known as zingerone.

It also contains gingerols, which can help to improve long-term blood sugar control for those with diabetes. Gingerols can also help your muscles absorb more glucose without the need for insulin, thereby reducing the risk of insulin resistance as a result of high blood sugar levels.

Ginger powder can make an excellent addition to your meals. Ginger powder is essentially ginger that has been dried and ground up into a fine powder. You can use it as a spice in your dishes, and it will add both wonderful flavor and all the benefits mentioned in the above studies.

Ginger powder capsules are basically concentrated doses of ginger powder in a capsule form. They’re usually made with an enteric coating that protects the ginger powder until it reaches your intestines, ensuring your body can absorb as many of the potent nutrients as possible without them being broken down in your stomach. Ginger powder capsules were used for both of the above studies, which means they are proven to be highly effective.

Ginger 

By now, it should be abundantly clear just how amazing ginger has the potential to be to improve your health.

It won’t just give you greater control over your blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, but it can protect your heart, increase cognitive function, fight cancer, boost your immune system, aid in digestion, and help to curb your appetite and promote weight loss.

This simple superfood has the potential to improve your life in countless ways—so why not add it to your daily diet today?