Ginger is a plant that has been cultivated for many thousands of years in India and China. The roots are most often used as a spice in food, but in recent years ginger shots have also become very popular.
You get the most benefit from ginger by eating the root raw as it is. You can also grate it and put it in your juices, smoothies, morning tea or in the juice from a freshly squeezed orange. You can also eat sliced ginger for sushi, stuff it into soups or add it finely chopped to your wok dishes. Ginger is also suitable to use fresh in marinades for meat, as it contains an enzyme that tenderizes the meat. You can also boil ginger and use it for the populaire ginger shots.
How to make ginger shots
There are many good reasons to start the morning with a ginger shot. A Ginger shot is a strong little drink that is both refreshing and super healthy. You can buy it in many supermarkets, but it is both easier and much cheaper to make yourself. See here how to make ginger shots. It’s easier than you think.
Ingredients for 15 dl ginger shot (1 ½ l)
- 200 g of lemons (about 2 lemons, preferably organic)
- 200 g of finely chopped ginger
- 1 ½ l of water
Step-by-step guide
- Clean or peel the ginger and cut it into small pieces
- Rinse the lemons and cut them into slices
- Pour water into a pot and add the ginger and lemon slices
- Let all the ingredients for the ginger shot simmer for 45 minutes
- Let it drain and cool a little in the pot
- Then strain the liquid and refrigerate the ginger drink
Time consumption
- Preparation time – 10 minutes
- Cooking time – 45 minutes
- Time in total – 75 minutes (including cooling before you can pour ginger shots into bottles)
If you think your ginger shot tastes too bitter, you can simply add the juice from lemons instead of the whole lemons. Add the juice when the ginger mixture has cooled a little – then you preserve the C vitamins from the lemon juice, which can otherwise be broken down by boiling.
What is ginger good for?
Ginger reduces inflammation
Recent research has determined that ginger is one of the most anti-inflammatory ingredients available. This means that ginger is excellent for fighting inflammation in your body. That is because ginger contains nearly 40 antioxidant compounds, which can be used to treat various inflammatory conditions. It is especially the gingerols that works effectively against inflammation.
Ginger counteracts nausea
Several studies show that ginger effectively takes care of your nausea, both if it is caused by seasickness, motion sickness, pregnancy or even chemotherapy. You can test whether it can also relieve nausea after a hangover at home.
Ginger strengthens your immune system
Ginger gives your immune system more power to take care of the viruses that attack your body. That is because ginger contains vital vitamins like iron, magnesium, vitamin B6 and zinc. These vitamins along with gingers antioxidant compounds can help strengthen your immune system. Gingerol can help ease common cold symptoms, like muscle fatigue and a sore throat.
Ginger can relieve arthritis pain
Ginger cannot cure arthritis, but according to studies, ginger extract can reduce stiffness and pain in patients with osteoarthritis of the knees and hips, and thus increase their mobility. As mentioned above it is presumably the gingerols that fight inflammation in the body, which can take credit for the effect. According to Arthritis Foundation, experts recommend about 250 mg of ginger 3 or 4 times a day for arthritis. Although that’s less than what’s used in the studies, its best to start out with a smaller dose, maybe 200 mg a day, and go up gradually. Just remember to take no more that 4 grams (4,000 mg) a day.
Ginger relieves sore muscles
If you train hard and often have sore muscles, you can benefit from starting to eat ginger or grab a ginger shot after your workout. Studies show that it can relieve soreness after exercise. But it is important to remember that the effects of ginger won’t be immediate. It takes about 2 grams of ginger each day for a minimum of 11 days before effects are felt. Again, it is thought to be the gingerols that are at play, as they reduce the inflammation that can occur in the body after a hard workout.