13 Ground Ginger Powder Health Benefits, According to a Dietitian

Ginger offers a number of potential benefits. Explore our deep dive into this superfood and see why it’s a great addition to your diet.

By Lena Bakovic, RDN, CNSC

— On Oct 10, 2022

10 Ground Ginger Health Benefits & Nutrition

In this article:

Ground ginger is a spice found in a bountiful array of foods and recipes, ranging from delicious stews to seasonal favorites like pumpkin pie. You may have seen this versatile spice at the grocery store or even in your pantry, yet you may not know all of the holistic medicinal properties that ginger possesses.

There are many different types of this spice, like candied ginger, ginger tea, ginger extract, jarred ginger paste, or fresh ginger in the form of whole ginger root. But ground ginger, which is ginger that has been dried and pulverized into a fine powder, is the only powder form of this spice.

Ground ginger powder contains anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidants, and antibacterial properties, which is why dietitians highly praise this spice. Clinical trials have tracked and studied all the apparent benefits of ground ginger powder, making it a viable option based on your health goals and needs.

In this article, we’ll dig into ground ginger’s potential benefits, side effects, and the best way to incorporate it into your diet.

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The Bottom Line

What are the potential benefits of ground ginger? Ginger can help support your body’s natural defenses, regulate digestion and maintain a healthy metabolism.
What are the side effects of ground ginger? For some people, this spice can cause heartburn, diarrhea, and mouth irritation when taken in large portions.
How do I use ground ginger? Because ginger is a type of food, many people use it to season food, like stews or curries, in teas, and baked goods.
Why we recommend Live it Up Super Greens: Taking a greens powder can help you incorporate ground ginger into your daily life, making it easier for you to capitalize on all its possible benefits.

What Are the Benefits of Ground Ginger Powder?

Raw ginger contains gingerol, which gives it strong medicinal properties and a host of potential benefits outlined below.

1. Aids in settling your stomach

Ginger may help people settle their stomachs, such as individuals dealing with nausea and vomiting. For those who experience morning or motion sickness, consider adding ginger to your diet as a wonderful alternative with many potential benefits.

This spice may also help with bloating discomfort, stomach cramping, and painful gas. Many people may reach for a ginger ale soda to help settle their stomach troubles, but some experts suggest that real ginger may offer better results. With its antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, ginger may help relieve stomach aches, menstrual cramps, and nausea and promote digestive balance.

Gingerol, one of the natural oils in this spice, may largely contribute to the health of the people eating it or taking a ginger supplement. Some people take raw ginger, remove the outer skin, and boil it to make a tea that assists with stomach discomfort. If you do not want to deal with getting fresh ginger from the store and using it before it spoils, you can drink ginger tea or stir ground ginger into hot water and sip it to settle your stomach.

2. Promotes a balanced immune response

Ginger is antibacterial and antiviral, which can assist in fighting off illnesses, including colds. Consuming ginger root or ginger powder can potentially soothe a sore throat by reducing inflammation, and it is known to have a long history of being used as an herbal remedy for colds. You can also use this spice and its anti-inflammatory properties to assist in maintaining immune resilience before you get sick.

Try adding this spice to delicious recipes to support immunity during flu and cold season. Simply mixing warm water and ground ginger into your drink may help alleviate nasal congestion, pressure in your head, and your sinuses. While that hot water works to clear your nose, ginger works to promote balanced immune response.

3. Aids inflammation

Ginger may help reduce inflammation in the body because of its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties, which may improve the state of any aches and pains in your joints.

Ginger can be a great alternative to help relieve pain that may negatively impact your daily life. But remember that you should not overdo it with this spice, and many doctors recommend that people consume no more than four grams of it a day.

4. High in antioxidant properties

Ginger is also known to contain antioxidants that can help reduce stress on the body and its cells. This can give your body an extra hand at fighting off illnesses and fatigue and provide some pain relief, allowing you to feel some improvement in your daily life.

Because ginger contains a high level of antioxidants, this may be a great option for anyone who wants to reduce the amount of damage that age and illnesses can cause to their DNA. While ginger is no miracle food, it is a superfood that has rightfully earned its title because it can work alongside you to help improve your health throughout the day.

5. Aids digestion

Not only can ginger help settle an upset stomach, but it may also assist with supporting regularity by promoting digestive balance. It can help your body move things along in the digestive tract, making digestion a more efficient process so food does not linger in the gut. This can help improve the state of your gut microbiome, which is a delicate system that can easily be disrupted with certain foods.

Sometimes, when the gut microbiome is out of balance, a person may experience bloating, cramping, discomfort, nausea, and gas. This spice can help move digestion along in a way that can help support a healthy digestive system.

6. Helps maintain healthy body weight

Additionally, this spice may help support a healthy metabolism through its vitamins, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds, making it a great potential asset for your weight loss plan. The combination of ginger’s ability to help relieve muscle and joint pain and protect your body’s cells against damage can help your metabolism and support weight management.

Ginger can help a person stay fuller longer, which can help support healthy weight goals. Overall, ginger is a highly nutritional ingredient to add to your diet to assist with balancing your metabolism and promoting a balanced lifestyle.

7. Improves skin health

While ginger is not a miracle substance, it does have anti-inflammatory properties that may improve your skin health. To reap these potential benefits, consider regularly adding ginger to your meals or into beverages such as ginger tea, which many people can do because teabags typically have a long shelf life. With ginger’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, it may assist with removing toxins from the skin, allowing your skin to thrive and helping people with the aging process.

You can also consider using ginger in a face mask, which may help your skin texture by acting as a gentle exfoliator to remove dirt and makeup while gently accelerating the rate of cell turnover. And you don’t need to stop there: you can also use bath salts, massage oil, shampoo, toner, or scrubs that contain ginger to get the potential benefits of this superfood.

8. Helps improve brain function

In addition to the multiple other ways it can improve your health, ginger’s anti-inflammatory properties may also improve brain function in certain situations. Experts believe that this potential benefit comes from the spice’s documented ability to increase reaction time, serotonin, and dopamine levels, which can reduce inflammation. Because this spice can assist brain function, people who use ginger regularly have shown that it helps the performance and function of the brain.

9. Aids muscle pain and soreness

Because of its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, ginger powder may help reduce muscle pain and soreness. Inflammation and oxidative stress are two of the most common causes of muscle pain and soreness, and one study found that taking ginger powder after vigorous exercise resulted in "moderate-to-large" reductions in muscle pain. Ginger powder also contains gingerols and shogaols, which have been shown to help relieve pain and muscle soreness.

Ginger powder may work as an effective and natural remedy for muscle pain due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Although more research and study are needed, a few cases have suggested that it can reduce swelling and inflammation. These properties make ginger powder potentially beneficial for exercise recovery and injury.

10. Supports healthy respiratory function

When the respiratory system becomes inflamed, mucus and phlegm accumulate in the lungs and airways. Ginger powder is a natural remedy that may help reduce inflammation and break up congestion in the respiratory system, which can help you breathe clearer and support a healthier airway.

Similarly, ginger's antimicrobial properties can assist the respiratory system. Ginger powder contains antioxidants that can help promote a balanced immune response. It may also help reduce inflammation caused by outside factors like pollution or smoking.

11. Promotes nutrient absorption

Ginger contains compounds called gingerols, shogaols, and zingerone that may increase the secretion of bile and digestive enzymes, aiding in the breakdown and absorption of nutrients. Ginger powder can also improve zinc and iron absorption, which are minerals that assist in maintaining immune resilience.

Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory properties of ginger powder can help reduce inflammation in the gut, resulting in improved nutrient absorption and overall gut health. While more research is needed to confirm ginger powder's full nutrient absorption effects, it is possible that ginger powder can naturally help the body maximize nutrient absorption.

12. Assists with dental health

The beneficial properties of ginger powder may help improve dental health and reduce dental pain. Ginger powder has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that make it an effective way to maintain oral hygiene. Excess bacteria and a lack of cleaning promote the development of dental pain and oral hygiene issues, so ginger powder may aid in maintaining the health of your gums and teeth by addressing problematic bacteria.

Because of its analgesic properties, ginger powder may help relieve toothache pain. In one study, ginger powder was found to be just as effective as ibuprofen in treating inflammation caused by an impacted molar. While the effects are still limited, it's plausible that ginger powder may improve dental health and reduce dental pain.

13. Helps alleviate headaches

Ginger powder has numerous potential benefits and has been used for centuries as a natural headache remedy. Headaches are frequently caused by inflammation and tension in the head or neck muscles, and ginger powder compounds such as gingerols and shogaols have been shown to help reduce inflammation.

Ginger powder and its anti-inflammatory properties may also help relieve headache-related symptoms like nausea, vertigo, and vomiting. It may also help with stress and anxiety-related headaches, as well as tension headaches. Ginger powder can help reduce stress and promote relaxation, and one study discovered that ginger might lower cortisol levels, a stress hormone. Ginger powder, whether applied topically or consumed, may help you find headache pain relief and improve your overall well-being.

What Are the Side Effects of Ground Ginger Powder?

Though generally considered to be safe for most people, in rare cases, you could experience some negative effects. Here are some examples of possible side effects when you take a large quantity of ginger:

Heartburn and reflux

If you were to take more than the recommended amount of this spice in a day, you would likely experience heartburn and reflux. Doctors recommend consuming less than 4 grams of this spice daily, as more than that could cause uncomfortable heartburn, reflux, or indigestion.

How to Use Ginger

Considering all of the health benefits of this spice, you may wonder how you can get more of it in your diet. Ginger is versatile and usually eaten fresh, candied, pickled, in teas, or taken as a dietary supplement.

Ground ginger powder is often used as an excellent spice in many dishes, from curries and stews to pumpkin pie and gingerbread. Many sushi restaurants serve pickled ginger with each meal because it is an excellent palate cleanser. On the other hand, ginger face masks may help make skin radiant because they can act as an exfoliant while removing toxins.

No matter how you use it, ginger is a powerful superfood to have in your diet.

Why We Recommended Live it Up

Rushing off to buy all the ginger you can get your hands on? Understandable. Taking ginger means you are consuming a superfood with lots of potential benefits, and superfoods have a high density of nutrients that could positively impact your life.

There are so many ways to incorporate ginger into your daily life, and you may feel overwhelmed when considering where you should start. One of the best ways to get all the potential health benefits of ginger without eating calorie-dense foods is with a high-quality green powder blend that includes this spice.

Most green powder blends have wheatgrass, barley grass, and alfalfa, but only a handful can tout the possible benefits of added ginger. Taking a greens powder supplement with ginger like Live it Up Super Greens is an excellent way to get more of this amazing ingredient in your diet. It’s a choice that takes little effort but can yield big results.

Live it Up wants to help people reach their health goals by providing a science-backed superfoods product that tastes great. Super Greens is an enjoyable, slightly sweet superfood blend that provides nutrients to help boost your daily life and well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions on Ground Ginger

When it comes to your health, you need all of the facts. Here are some commonly asked questions and answers about the health benefits of ginger.

What is ground ginger used for?

Ginger is used in many different recipes and as a natural health supplement because of its many possible advantages, like brain support, skin health, and anti-inflammatory properties. People enjoy eating ginger or using dry ginger powder in pies, soups, stews, teas, and many Asian dishes.

Is ground ginger good for you?

Ginger is an excellent natural source of vitamins, so it is very good for most people. You can use it in ginger tea or add it to foods. However, every person is different, and some people experience rare side effects, so you should always talk to your doctor if you’re concerned about adding ginger to your diet.

How much ground ginger should you take per day?

Ginger is safe to eat daily, but you should keep it to about 3 to 4 grams.

References

About the author:

Lena Bakovic, RDN, CNSC

Lena Bakovic, RDN, CNSC, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Support Clinician dedicated to helping others lead healthier lives through evidence-based nutrition advice.

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