How and Why You Should Be Growing and Eating Ginger

Ginger is an incredible plant with multiple health benefits, which include potent anti-inflammatory properties and power to help with prevention of many dangerous diseases. The International Journal of Preventative Medicine even features a major review of the current evidence of ginger’s anti-cancer properties. Including this delicious spice in your diet is definitely wise and you can even grow your own ginger for this as the plant is very easy to cultivate.

5 Most Important Health Benefits of Ginger

1. Ginger has an anti-inflammatory effect.
   Giger’s anti-inflammatory effect is so potent, it even helps people suffering from osteoarthritis, says a study from Arthritis and Rheumatism. Be sure to drink some ginger tea with a bit of honey and a slice of lemon if you get soaked in a cold rain to prevent getting sick.
2. Ginger helps you lose weight.
   You should be adding ginger to your meals if you want to learn how to control your appetite naturally. Add a few slices of ginger to your bottle of water son you can drink it whenever you feel hungry between meals.
3. Ginger settles the stomach.
   It might seem strange as this plant possesses rather intense smell and flavor. However, ginger is excellent in fighting many types of nausea. It’s also good for treating indigestion and some other stomach issues. This herb is both safe and effective in treating morning sickness.
4. Ginger lowers blood sugar.
   A study published in the Iran Journal of Pharmaceutical Research indicates that consuming this herb daily helps reduce fasting blood sugar levels. This does not only offer some promise to people suffering from type 2 diabetes. This effect also means that eating ginger can improve heart health. Note that it helps lower cholesterol levels as well.
5. Ginger boosts brainpower.
   The antioxidant properties of the herb benefit your health as a whole. As brain is highly vulnerable to detrimental effects of oxidation, it feels those benefits most keenly. Ginger’s ability to fight inflammation also helps to the point that this herb is currently studied as a possible component for Alzheimer’s treatments.

How to Grow Ginger at Home

If you want to enjoy the many health benefits of ginger, you’ll be able to do this with your own ‘green’ organic crop of the plant. All you need for this are a few ginger roots with visible eyes. You can plant ginger outdoors if you live in at least relatively warm place or grow it in a pot inside the house.

As ginger is native to the tropics, it requires warmth to grow, so never plant it when there’s still risk of night frost outside. You’ll need to buy organic ginger for planting as non-organic varieties might be treated and won’t grow. Try soaking the root in warm water to remove any chemicals if you can’t get organic plants.

Cut the root into several pieces using a sanitized knife. Each piece should have at least one eye (but three are better). Leave the pieces to dry for a few days so they can ‘heal’. Then plant them in pots (12 inches deep) or outdoors with at least 8 inches of space between plants.

Ginger needs well-draining, mildly-acidic soil with a generous helping of compost and partial shade. When planting, place the pieces of root so they eyes are peeking out of the soil. From then on you just need to keep the soil damp as ginger root needs lots of water. Leave the plant be when the stems dry and wither. Reap the roots about 8 months after planting.