Ginger - Why You Need It!
Happy Fall! 🍂 Do you embrace the cozy warmth and vibrant flavors of the season like I do? There’s something special about autumn that invites us to settle into new routines, indulge in seasonal treats, and savor the rich spices that fill the air. But today, I found myself wondering—why do we have "fall spices" like ginger?
Curiosity got the best of me. Before writing anything, I often take the time to do some research, and today’s question led me down a fascinating path. Specifically, why is ginger considered a fall spice? While I couldn’t uncover too much, I’ve come up with my own theory.
My Theory
Maybe people started putting ginger in fall foods because our stomachs are upset more in the fall due to overeating. Most people slow down a little and are inside more in the fall where they are more likely to over indulge. Since ancient times people have used ginger to calm their stomachs so it makes sense to put it in fall foods. That's my mildly educated guess. What do you think?
The thing is, we need more than the trace amounts of ginger that we get in food to really help calm our tummies.
The Many Benefits of Ginger
Here’s where ginger really shines: it does more than calm an upset stomach. Ginger is a powerhouse that benefits the body in ways that go far beyond digestion. I came across some incredible insights from an article on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website. You can read the excerpt at the end of the article but I'll provide a quick summary - I think you’ll be just as amazed as I was!
Ginger may:
Perform anti-cancer activities by modulating certain genes and cell signaling pathways.
Act as an anti-diabetic agent by reducing blood glucose and improving cholesterol ratios.
Reduce body weight and help manage waist-to-hip ratios.
Improve brain functions and slow age-related cognitive decline.
Provide pain relief for menstrual discomfort, potentially as effective as common painkillers.
And the list goes on! Ginger’s anti-inflammatory properties, impact on heart health, and ability to improve digestive functions make it a fall essential for more than just flavor.
How to Add Ginger to Your Diet
To get these benefits, we need more than a sprinkle of ginger in our cookies! One way to supercharge your ginger intake is through Ginger Essential Oil. Our Vitality oils, approved for dietary use, are an easy and cost-effective option. One drop in tea, a smoothie, or even added to soup can give you a potent dose of ginger’s goodness. With about 75 drops in a bottle, this small investment goes a long way!
At my house, we’re all about fall soups, and a touch of ginger essential oil adds just the right kick while supporting our well-being. It’s simple, effective, and delicious!
Final Thoughts
If you haven’t considered ginger as part of your fall routine, now’s the time. It’s not just about the flavor—it’s about fueling your body and mind with natural, nurturing ingredients. If you’re curious about how to integrate essential oils into your wellness routine, feel free to reach out.
Your body deserves to feel this good, and I’d love to help you on that journey. Here's to a vibrant, healthy fall season! 🍁
"Numerous cellular-based studies showed that ginger and its active ingredients particularly gingerol perform anti-cancer activities by modulating the expression of cancer associated genes and their associated cell signaling pathways such as inhibition of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, B-cell lymphoma (Bcl2), survivin, vascular endothelial growth factor, genes and suppression of nuclear transcription factor (NF)-κB, signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3, and Akt activities, in different cancer cell types.[16-19] Furthermore, the consumption of ginger has also been well known as an anti-diabetic agent as several studies on humans and animals showed that it reduces the blood glucose levels and hemoglobin A1c.[20-23] Not only have these but it also reduces the chances for the onset of heart associated disorders as it significantly decreases apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I ratio and also decreases the levels of oxidative by-product malondialdehyde.[23,24] Moreover, ginger also has potential to reduce body weight and now is also known as a weight-reducing agent.[25-27] Recently, Maharlouei et al. performed meta-analysis for analyzing the potential of ginger on overweight and obese individuals and concluded that intake of ginger not only reduces body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, and hip ratio but also reduces glucose levels and increases high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels.[25] Another recent study performed by Sayed et al. demonstrated in obese animal model concluded that intake of ginger water reduces not only bodyweight but also improves expenditure of energy.[26]" "Intake of ginger is also beneficial for patients with chronic dyspepsia as it induces stomach gastric emptying and antral contractions.[28] Importantly, intake of ginger is also very effective for females having menstrual pain if they have started taking it at the start of their menstrual period.[29] Most importantly, it is also suggested that intake of ginger by menstrual females is equally or even more effective as general painkillers such as novafen and mefenamic acid.[30,31] Furthermore, consumption of ginger also found to be effective in improving the brain functions and declining the neural ageing process.[32,33] Numerous animal and cellular-based studies concluded that active ingredients of ginger perform anti-inflammatory activities in the brain which directly or indirectly protect age-associated decline of brain functions.[32-35] In short, the ongoing mode of treatment for disorders such as OA, cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes is based on the synthetic drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-diabetic synthetic drugs, chemo/radiotherapeutic agents which are somewhat effective, but causes adverse side effects and are expensive too. Therefore, a safe, effective, and inexpensive mode of treatment is always needed to control the onset/progression of diseases."3
