21 Different Health Benefits Of Ginger

15. Soothes Sore Muscles

Ginger’s calming qualities may extend beyond the stomach. According to a new study, ginger may also be an excellent pain reliever for weary muscles. Ginger has been a traditional Chinese medicine cure for generations, and it is frequently used to relieve nausea and upset stomach. However, according to the researchers, it has not been thoroughly explored as a pain reliever until now. The study, published in The Journal of Pain, found that taking ginger on a daily basis relieved muscle pain caused by exercise-induced muscle injury. Researchers looked at the effects of two grams of raw or heat-treated ginger in supplement form on muscle soreness produced by exercise in 74 healthy people in two different tests. Over an 11-day period, the volunteers did a series of workouts designed to cause muscle soreness while taking ginger supplements or a placebo. “Daily consumption of raw or heat-treated ginger resulted in moderate-to-large reductions in muscle discomfort following exercise-induced muscle injury,” write Christopher D. Black and colleagues from Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville. The results showed that raw and heat-treated ginger reduced muscle discomfort by 25% and 23%, respectively. Previous animal studies have revealed that ginger has anti-inflammatory characteristics, which could explain its favorable benefits on muscle soreness, according to the researchers. Although some studies have claimed that heat treatment may improve ginger’s pain-relieving properties, researchers believe their findings show that heat treatment has no influence on ginger’s pain-relieving properties.