Every day, you hear about some sort of illness that’s going around. Maybe it’s your partner that has the flu, or it could be that your best friend has come down with a nasty cold. It may seem like everyone on the bus is coughing or sneezing. On days like this, you might think it’s better to just stay at home and live a lonely, but healthy existence in the safety of your own living room. But what if there was a simple, easy way you could reduce your chances of picking up viruses and other infectious ailments? What if you could boost your own natural defenses and make yourself virtually resistant to infection? There is a way, and it doesn’t involve vaccines and face masks, and avoiding human contact. All you have to do is add some healthy foods to your diet, like ginger for example, and you’ll be on your way to making yourself “disease-proof.”
Ginger contains a number of volatile oils that can help boost your immune system. These active compounds are believed to be responsible for ginger’s medicinal effects. They also give ginger its characteristic taste and odor. Ginger is a strong antioxidant and a very effective antimicrobial agent.
Did you know ginger contains all these health-boosting ingredients?
–Beta-carotene
–Capsaicin
–Curcumin
–Gingerols
–Lecithin
–Calcium
–Amino acids
–Essential fatty acids
–Magnesium
–Vitamin C
–Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6
Not only could you boost your immune system with ginger, but you could also treat inflammation. One recent clinical trial reported that ginger root inhibits cyclooxygenase, an enzyme that many drugs target in the treatment of inflammation.
And, in an animal study, an extract of ginger was administered daily for a period of four weeks to rats. Fasting blood serum was recorded during this period. The researchers then recorded cholesterol levels and checked for anti-inflammatory responses in the rats. Results showed that ginger could be used as an effective cholesterol-lowering, anti-inflammatory agent.
You can use ginger in just about any recipe, from pie to chicken stir-fry. Ginger tea is also available and can be used to clean out the digestive tract. Add ginger to your favorite smoothies — it is excellent in all sorts of fruit and veggie shakes. You can even buy ginger dried and chew on a piece to get some of its health benefits. Some people find they are sensitive to ginger and discover that a little bit goes a long way. So don’t overdo it at first — try a little ginger in your recipes and, if all goes well, you can try adding a little more.