In fact, I didn’t catch anything until January when I stopped eating ginger daily because I went on a two-week holiday. Once I got back to London and my stash, my immunity was miraculously back to its full strength.
It’s been over a year now and my religious ginger routine got disrupted every now and then during my six-month travels, but whenever I munch on the golden chunks, I seem to be invincible. I’ve been back in Europe for five weeks now and around a lot of ill people, yet I’ve managed to stay healthy. And this is the first autumn when I felt brave enough to leave my mask at home. So yes, I swear by the stuff.
What are the benefits of raw ginger?
Clearly, I feel like I’ve discovered the best thing since sliced bread, but the science can also back ginger up. Ginger offers both antiviral and antibacterial properties, which can help support your immune system during the winter months, as Reema Pillai, plant-based dietitian at Dietitian Fit, told us.
Plus, ginger can also help dampen inflammation levels which could further benefit your immunity. “Gingerol is an anti-inflammatory compound found in ginger, which has been shown to reduce pro-inflammatory markers, which can otherwise negatively influence our immune function,” Pillai explained. “If we have chronic inflammation, this can increase the risk of certain illnesses and can weaken the immune response.”
She also noted that ginger could come in handy once you are already ill. “Although there is no evidence that ginger can speed up the recovery once you are unwell, it can support your immune system to fight the bacteria or virus, as well as helping to reduce the severity of symptoms,” Pillai said.
What’s more, the dietitian shared that side effects of consuming ginger daily “would be rare”. But she cautioned that some people may experience mild heartburn or stomach pain. “If this is the case, it would be good to reduce quantity overall or reduce frequency,” Pillai added.
How to incorporate ginger into your diet otherwise
While I’m a bit of a freak and happy to chew on the raw stuff to save money and time, Pillai shared numerous ways you could sneak the powerful root into your diet:
- Chop up fresh ginger for stir-fries, soups, curries, dahls, fish or meats.
- Grate the root into marinades and salad dressings.
- Make your own batch of ginger shots.
- Season sweet dishes such as porridge or overnight oats with the aromatic plant.
