Have you ever heard the saying “two is better than one”? Well, it turns out that when it comes to ginger and garlic, two really are better than one. For centuries, these two ingredients have been used as natural remedies for a variety of health ailments. But when combined together, the health benefits of ginger and garlic are even more impressive.
In this article, I’m going to share with you 10 impressive health benefits of combining ginger and garlic and its potential side effects. From boosting your immune system to helping fight inflammation, both of these powerful ingredients have amazing healing powers when paired together, so if you’re looking for a simple and natural way to improve your overall health and well-being, look no further than these two amazing spices.
10 Impressive Health Benefits of Combining Ginger and Garlic
Ginger and garlic are two of the most popular ingredients in the culinary world and are both known for their health benefits. But did you know that you can enjoy even more health benefits by combining them together? Let us explain what each brings to the table, so you can start incorporating this powerful duo into your diet.
Ginger is a flowering root, often referred to as a rhizome, that’s native to South Asia. It has a slightly pungent and spicy flavor, which makes it a great addition to meals and drinks. But beyond its culinary uses, ginger’s anti-inflammatory properties make it an effective remedy for headaches, muscle pain, and arthritis.
Garlic is a close relative of ginger and just as potent when it comes to medicinal properties. It contains allicin, which is an active compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Garlic can also help lower blood pressure levels and reduce cholesterol. Additionally, it has antifungal and antimicrobial qualities that make it an excellent natural remedy for common ailments such as coughs and colds.
So, What Happens When You Combine the Two? When you combine ginger and garlic together, you create an incredibly powerful combination that packs a punch when it comes to health benefits. These two ingredients are known for their anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antifungal properties, which makes them even more potent when combined.
Plus, this combo is an excellent source of manganese and vitamin B6, two key nutrients for metabolism.
Here are some of the other benefits of ginger and garlic:
Boosts Immunity
One of the best reasons to combine ginger and garlic is that it can help boost your immunity. It’s an age-old remedy for colds, fever, and the flu, and science actually backs it up! Studies have shown that garlic has natural antibiotic and antiviral properties, making it great for fending off bacterial and viral infections.
Ginger is also an immunity booster. It contains compounds that help combat inflammation in the body and reduce pain from headaches or fatigue. Plus, studies suggest ginger can help with nausea or vomiting related to the common cold.
Finally, these two powerful ingredients combined can increase your body’s antioxidant levels. This helps protect against free radicals and can even reduce your risk of chronic diseases like cancer!
Improves Digestive Health
When it comes to digestive health, garlic, and ginger are a powerful duo. As you know, both ginger and garlic have anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation throughout the body, including your digestive tract.
Garlic can reduce gas and bloating, making it an ideal choice for those dealing with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Ginger has been linked to helping digestion in general, making it a great option for reducing constipation or alleviating nausea.
Combining these two superfoods is a great way to get some extra oomph when it comes to improving your digestion. Here are a few things you can do:
- Add freshly minced garlic and ginger to cooked rice or quinoa
- Toss some chopped garlic and ginger into homemade soups and stews
- Make a detoxifying ginger-garlic tea by boiling them in water
- Add fresh garlic and ginger to your favorite smoothie recipe
Whether you’re trying to treat common digestive issues or just want to ensure your body is getting the most out of what you eat, adding these two foods to your diet can make a big difference.
Relieves Pain and Inflammation
The next impressive benefit of combining ginger and garlic is that it can help to reduce pain and inflammation. But how?
Gingerols, the active compounds in ginger, are powerful anti-inflammatory agents that break down and fight the production of enzymes in your body that can lead to pain, swelling, and inflammation. Garlic also contains anti-inflammatory properties due to its high levels of antioxidants.
Combining ginger and garlic together helps reduce inflammation even more as they both have anti-inflammatory compounds that can reduce some of the pain caused by inflammatory diseases like arthritis and osteoarthritis. In addition, the two are known to possess antioxidant properties that help protect the body from cell damage caused by free radicals.
Aids Weight Loss
The combination of ginger and garlic can also be a great aid if you’re trying to lose weight. This is because ginger has thermogenic properties, which help burn fat, as well as reduce hunger levels. And garlic contains allicin, a compound that helps regulate fat and carbohydrate metabolism in the body.
These two ingredients together can make your weight loss journey much easier because they:
- Increase your metabolism by consuming this combination regularly.
- Reduce your appetite naturally by eating or drinking ginger and garlic daily.
- Get your body back to its ideal shape with regular consumption of this blend.
- Improve your overall health since both ginger and garlic are key nutrients that have many health benefits, which will help you stay fit, healthy, and energized throughout the day.
Also, adding a bit of honey to the combination further boosts its weight-loss abilities. Honey helps increase insulin sensitivity, allowing the body to access all stored glucose faster while helping metabolize fats more efficiently, resulting in quicker weight loss results!
Natural Body Detox
Another health benefit of combining ginger and garlic you may not know is that they both help to naturally detox your body. That’s because these powerful ingredients contain compounds that help remove toxins from your system and flush them out.
Ginger has plenty of anti-inflammatory properties, such as gingerol and shogaol, which can help reduce inflammation in your body and stimulate the removal of toxins. It also has been shown to boost the immune system and circulation, helping rid your body of toxins more efficiently.
Garlic is packed with antioxidants and sulfur compounds that can help promote healthy gut bacteria, which helps detoxify your body naturally. Garlic also helps boost immunity and digestion, plus it contains allicin, an antibacterial compound that works wonders for detoxification.
Combining ginger and garlic provides an abundance of benefits to help you naturally detoxify your body every day. Make sure you include these natural ingredients into your diet every day for optimal detoxification.
Reduces High Blood Pressure & Cholesterol
You’ll be happy to know that Ginger and Garlic have been clinically proven to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol. When combined, these two giants of the culinary world can work wonders for your cardiovascular health.
High blood pressure is a serious medical condition, but studies show that when garlic is added to specific regimens, it can help lower blood pressure significantly. Garlic’s also been linked with reducing levels of bad cholesterol (LDL), which can contribute to stroke, heart disease, and other health problems.
Moreover, both ginger and garlic contain powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. These substances help stop the build-up of fatty lesions in the inner walls of arteries leading from your heart, as well as lowering inflammation in your body, two important factors in keeping your cardiovascular system working at its peak.
Prevention of Different Kinds Of Cancer
If you didn’t know already, ginger and garlic offer some impressive protection from cancer. Studies have found that compounds in both ginger and garlic can kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed.
The compounds known as allyl sulfides, which give both garlic and ginger their distinct flavor and aroma, have been found to suppress the growth of oral, colon, skin, liver, and lung cancers. Additionally, research suggests that these compounds also help to reduce the toxic effects of radiation on the body.
What’s really incredible is that ginger and garlic don’t just stop cancer cells from spreading; research indicates that they may even help to reverse the process of carcinogenesis (cancer cell growth) altogether!
It’s important to note that these compounds are only effective if both garlic and ginger are used together; eating one or the other won’t give you the same potent medicinal boost. Ginger on its own still has some cancer-fighting benefits, but including both produces an impressive health benefit when it comes to the prevention of different kinds of cancer.
Increased Cardiovascular Health
You might not know this, but combining ginger and garlic has some powerful effects on cardiovascular health.
Taking a combination of ginger and garlic regularly can help prevent heart disease by helping to reduce “bad” cholesterol and improve “good” cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that taking garlic over a 12-week period can reduce total cholesterol levels by 10-15%.
Garlic is particularly well-known for its blood pressure-lowering effects. Many studies have tested the effects of garlic supplements on high blood pressure over the long term with promising results. A meta-analysis concluded that taking 800 to 1,500 mg of garlic per day could reduce systolic (the top number) by an average of 7 mmHg and diastolic (the bottom number) by 5 mmHg. That’s equal to what you’d get from some antihypertensive medications!
It’s clear that the combination of ginger and garlic has impressive health benefits when it comes to cardiovascular health. It helps prevent heart disease, reduce inflammation, improve cholesterol levels, and lower blood pressure making it a great way to support your overall health!
Improves Mental Health
Another impressive benefit of combining ginger and garlic is that it can improve your mental health. Sure, it might not sound like a big deal since they’re just spices, but here’s why this combo is so powerful.
When you mix garlic and ginger together, you get a powerful combination that helps reduce stress hormones and reduce anxiety. The two spices have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help balance brain chemicals responsible for feelings of stress, panic, and even depression.
Ginger has been found to stimulate brain function by decreasing levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body. Garlic, on the other hand, is rich in antioxidants that help protect neurons in your brain from damage or degeneration. Plus, research has shown that garlic can support better concentration and improve problem-solving skills.
When you combine these two powerful ingredients together, you get a healthful concoction that helps with cognitive function as well as reducing stress and anxiety levels.
Improved Blood Sugar Regulation
Believe it or not, combining ginger and garlic can also help you regulate your blood sugar levels. Both ginger and garlic contain compounds that have been linked to improved blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes, according to research.
Garlic is particularly effective at improving blood sugar levels due to its presence of the compound allicin, which helps increase insulin sensitivity, while ginger has been found to stimulate the production of insulin.
Studies suggest that taking garlic and ginger together maybe even more effective at lowering blood sugar levels than individual components alone. A study published in The Journal of Nutrition concluded that when combined, garlic and ginger had a positive effect on fasting glucose and HbA1c (a measure of long-term glucose control) in type 2 diabetes patients.
By combining ginger and garlic, you may be able to improve your overall glucose tolerance, as well as support healthy digestion.
Potential Side Effects of Ginger and Garlic
Here are some potential side effects of consuming ginger and garlic:
Heartburn
Ginger and garlic can cause heartburn in some people, particularly when consumed in large amounts. The acids present in both ginger and garlic can irritate the lining of the esophagus and stomach, which can lead to heartburn.
Allergic Reactions
Some people may be allergic to ginger and garlic, which can cause symptoms such as skin rashes, itching, hives, and swelling. If you experience any type of allergy-like symptoms after consuming either of these ingredients, you should stop taking them and speak to your doctor.
Gastrointestinal Issues
Eating too much ginger and garlic can lead to stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. People with pre-existing digestive issues should speak to their doctor before taking either of these ingredients.
Interactions with Medication
Ginger and garlic may interact with certain medications, so it’s important to speak to your doctor before taking them if you’re currently on any medications.
Blood Thinners
Ginger and garlic can thin the blood, so it’s important to consult your doctor before taking them if you’re on blood thinners or are about to undergo surgery.
Who Should Not Consume Ginger and Garlic
It’s important to note that not everyone should consume ginger and garlic. Here are four groups of people who should not consume ginger and garlic:
Pregnant Women
Ginger and garlic can stimulate the uterus, which can lead to preterm labor. Pregnant women should avoid consuming ginger and garlic.
Breastfeeding Women
Garlic and ginger can pass through breast milk and may affect the baby, so it’s best for breastfeeding women to avoid taking these ingredients.
Children
There is limited research on the effects of ginger and garlic on children, so it’s best to avoid giving these ingredients to children.
People with Low Blood Pressure
Consuming ginger and garlic can further lower blood pressure in people who already have low blood pressure, so it’s best to avoid taking these ingredients.
It’s important to speak to your doctor before taking ginger and garlic if you’re in any of these groups.
Conclusion
All in all, the combination of ginger and garlic can be an incredible addition to your diet to help boost your health. If you’re looking for an easy and natural way to improve your overall health, incorporating some ginger and garlic in your meals could be a great place to start. Not only do they bring a unique flavor to your dishes, but they can also help you fight off sickness and disease, protect you from joint and cardiovascular issues, and even help you manage your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. With so many impressive health benefits, there’s no reason not to give this powerful food pair a try.