Digital Exercise | health and Diseases| Class 8th | General Science| #AdarshVidya #Bhurke_Sir

Digital Exercise | health and Diseases| Class 8th | General Science| #AdarshVidya #Bhurke_Sir

Digital Exercise | Formative | health and Diseases | Class 8th | General Science| #AdarshVidya @Bhurke_Sir.

Digital Exercise | Formative | health and Diseases | Class 8th | General Science| #AdarshVidya @Bhurke_Sir.

Health Benefits of Ginger

 

Health Benefits of Ginger

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Ginger is a flowering plant that originated in Southeast Asia. It is among the healthiest (and most delicious) spices on the planet.

It belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, and it is closely related to turmeric, cardamom, and galangal.

The rhizome (underground part of the stem) is the part commonly used as a spice. It is often called ginger root or, simply, ginger.

Ginger can be used fresh, dried, powdered, or as an oil or juice. It is a very common ingredient in recipes. It is sometimes added to processed foods and cosmetics.

Here are 11 health benefits of ginger that are supported by scientific research.

1.    Contains gingerol, which has powerful medicinal properties

Ginger has a very long history of use in various forms of traditional and alternative medicine. It is been used to aid digestion, reduce nausea, and help fight the flu and common cold, to name a few of its purposes.

The unique fragrance and flavour of ginger come from its natural oils, the most important of which is gingerol.

Gingerol is the main bioactive compound in ginger. It is responsible for much of ginger’s medicinal properties.

Gingerol has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, according to research. For instance, it may help reduce oxidative stress, which is the result of having an excess number of free radicals in the body.

SUMMARY

Ginger is high in gingerol, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

 

2.    Can treat many forms of nausea, especially morning sickness

Ginger appears to be highly effective against nausea.

It may help relieve nausea and vomiting for people undergoing certain types of surgery. Ginger may also help chemotherapy-related nausea, but larger human studies are needed.

However, it may be the most effective when it comes to pregnancy-related nausea, such as morning sickness.

According to a review of 12 studies that included a total of 1,278 pregnant women, 1.1–1.5 grams of ginger can significantly reduce symptoms of nausea.

However, this review concluded that ginger had no effect on vomiting episodes.

Although ginger is considered safe, talk to your doctor before taking large amounts if you are pregnant.

It is recommended that pregnant women who are close to labour or who’ve had miscarriages avoid ginger.

SUMMARY

Just 1–1.5 grams of ginger can help prevent various types of nausea, including chemotherapy-related nausea, nausea after surgery, and morning sickness.

 

3.    May help with weight loss

Ginger may play a role in weight loss, according to studies conducted in humans and animals.

A 2019 literature review concluded that ginger supplementation significantly reduced body weight, the waist-hip ratio, and the hip ratio in people with overweight or obesity.

A 2016 study of 80 women with obesity found that ginger could also help reduce body mass index (BMI) and blood insulin levels. High blood insulin levels are associated with obesity.

Study participants received relatively high daily doses — 2 grams — of ginger powder for 12 weeks.

A 2019 literature review of functional foods also concluded that ginger had a very positive effect on obesity and weight loss. However, additional studies are needed.

The evidence in favour of ginger’s role in helping prevent obesity is stronger in animal studies. Rats and mice who consumed ginger water or ginger extract consistently saw decreases in their body weight, even in instances where they had also been fed high-fat diets.

Ginger’s ability to influence weight loss may be related to certain mechanisms, such as its potential to help increase the number of calories burned or reduce inflammation.

SUMMARY

According to studies in animals and humans, ginger may help improve weight-related measurements. These include body weight and the waist-hip ratio.

4.    Can help with osteoarthritis 

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common health problem.

It involves degeneration of the joints in the body, leading to symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness.

One literature review found that people who used ginger to treat their OA saw significant reductions in pain and disability.

Only mild side effects, such as a dissatisfaction with the taste of ginger, were observed. However, the taste of ginger, along with stomach upset, still prompted nearly 22% of the study participants to drop out.

Study participants received between 500 milligrams (mg) and 1 gram of ginger each day for anywhere from 3 to 12 weeks. Most of them had been diagnosed with OA of the knee.

Another study from 2011 found that a combination of topical ginger, mastic, cinnamon, and sesame oil can help reduce pain and stiffness in people with OA of the knee.

SUMMARY

There are some studies showing ginger to be effective at reducing symptoms of osteoarthritis, especially osteoarthritis of the knee.

 

5.    May drastically lower blood sugars and improve heart disease risk factors 

This area of research is relatively new, but ginger may have powerful anti-diabetic properties.

In a 2015 study of 41 participants with type 2 diabetes, 2 grams of ginger powder per day lowered fasting blood sugar by 12%.

It also dramatically improved haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a marker for long-term blood sugar levels. HbA1c was reduced by 10% over a period of 12 weeks.

There was also a 28% reduction in the Apolipoprotein B/ApolipoproteinA-I ratio and a 23% reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA), which is a byproduct of oxidative stress. A high ApoB/ApoA-I ratio and high MDA levels are both major risk factors for heart disease (19Trusted Source).

However, keep in mind that this was just one small study. The results are incredibly impressive, but they need to be confirmed in larger studies before any recommendations can be made.

In somewhat encouraging news, a 2019 literature review also concluded that ginger significantly reduced HbA1c in people with type 2 diabetes. However, it also found that ginger had no effect on fasting blood sugar.

SUMMARY

Ginger has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and improve various heart disease risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes.

 

6.    Can help treat chronic indigestion

Chronic indigestion is characterized by recurrent pain and discomfort in the upper part of the stomach.

It is believed that delayed emptying of the stomach is a major driver of indigestion. Interestingly, ginger has been shown to speed up emptying of the stomach.

People with functional dyspepsia, which is indigestion with no known cause, were given either ginger capsules or a placebo in a small 2011 study. One hour later, they were all given soup.

It took 12.3 minutes for the stomach to empty in people who received ginger. It took 16.1 minutes in those who received the placebo.

These effects have also been seen in people without indigestion. In a 2008 study by some members of the same research team, 24 healthy individuals were given ginger capsules or a placebo. They were all given soup an hour later.

Consuming ginger as opposed to a placebo significantly accelerated emptying of the stomach. It took 13.1 minutes for people who received ginger and 26.7 minutes for people who received the placebo.

SUMMARY

Ginger appears to speed up emptying of the stomach, which can be beneficial for people with indigestion and related stomach discomfort.

 

7.    May significantly reduce menstrual pain

Dysmenorrhea refers to pain felt during the menstrual cycle.

One of the traditional uses of ginger is for pain relief, including menstrual pain.

In a 2009 study, 150 women were instructed to take either ginger or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for the first 3 days of the menstrual period.

The three groups received four daily doses of either ginger powder (250 mg), mefenamic acid (250 mg), or ibuprofen (400 mg). Ginger managed to reduce pain as effectively as the two NSAIDs.

More recent studies have also concluded that ginger is more effective than a placebo and equally as effective as drugs such as mefenamic acid and acetaminophen/caffeine/ibuprofen (Nova fen).

While these findings are promising, higher-quality studies with larger numbers of study participants are still needed.

SUMMARY

Ginger appears to be very effective against menstrual pain when taken at the beginning of the menstrual period.

8.    May help lower cholesterol levels 

High levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol are linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

The foods you eat can have a strong influence on LDL levels.

In a 2018 study of 60 people with hyperlipidaemia, the 30 people who received 5 grams of ginger-pasted powder each day saw their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels drop by 17.4% over a 3-month period.

While the drop in LDL is impressive, it is important to consider that study participants received very high doses of ginger.

Many cited a bad taste in the mouth as their reason for dropping out of an OA study where they received doses of 500 mg–1 gram of ginger.

The doses taken during the hyperlipidaemia study are 5–10 times higher. It is likely that most people may have difficulty taking a 5-gram dose for long enough to see results.

In an older study from 2008, people who received 3 grams of ginger powder (in capsule form) each day also saw significant reductions in most cholesterol markers. Their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels dropped by 10% over 45 days.

These findings are supported by a study in rats with hypothyroidism or diabetes. Ginger extract lowered LDL (bad) cholesterol to a similar extent as the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin.

Study subjects from all 3 studies also experienced drops in total cholesterol. Participants in the 2008 study, as well as the lab rats, also saw reductions in their blood triglycerides.

SUMMARY

There is some evidence, in both humans and animals, that ginger can lead to significant reductions in LDL (bad) cholesterol, total cholesterol, and blood triglyceride levels.

 

9.    Contains a substance that may help prevent cancer

Ginger has been studied as an alternative remedy for several forms of cancer.

The anti-cancer properties are attributed to gingerol, which is found in large amounts in raw ginger. A form known as [6]-gingerol is viewed as especially powerful.

In a 28-day study of individuals at normal risk for colorectal cancer, 2 grams of ginger extract per day significantly reduced pro-inflammatory signalling molecules in the colon.

However, a follow-up study in individuals at a high risk for colorectal cancer did not produce the same results.

There is some evidence, albeit limited, that ginger may be effective against other gastrointestinal cancers such as pancreatic cancer and liver cancer.

It may be effective against breast cancer and ovarian cancer as well. In general, more research is needed.

SUMMARY

Ginger contains the substance gingerol, which appears to have protective effects against cancer. However, more studies are needed.

10. May improve brain function and protect against Alzheimer’s disease

Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation can accelerate the aging process.

They are believed to be among the key drivers of Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline.

Some animal studies suggest that the antioxidants and bioactive compounds in ginger can inhibit inflammatory responses that occur in the brain.

There’s also some evidence that ginger can help enhance brain function directly. In a 2012 study of healthy middle-aged women, daily doses of ginger extract were shown to improve reaction time and working memory.

In addition, numerous studies in animals show that ginger can help protect against age-related decline in brain function.

SUMMARY

Animal studies suggest that ginger can protect against age-related damage to the brain. It can also help improve brain function in middle-aged women.

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Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin

 

Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin

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Turmeric may be the most effective nutritional supplement in existence.

Many high-quality studies show that it has major benefits for your body and brain.

Here are the top 10 evidence-based health benefits of turmeric.

 

1. Turmeric Contains Bioactive Compounds with Powerful Medicinal Properties

Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its yellow colour.

It has been used in India for thousands of years as a spice and medicinal herb.

Recently, science has started to back up what Indians have known for a long time — it really does contain compounds with medicinal properties (1Trusted Source).

These compounds are called curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin.

Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.

However, the curcumin content of turmeric is not that high. It is around 3%, by weight (2Trusted Source).

Most of the studies on this herb are using turmeric extracts that contain mostly curcumin itself, with dosages usually exceeding 1 gram per day.

It would be very difficult to reach these levels just using the turmeric spice in your foods.

Therefore, if you want to experience the full effects, you need to take a supplement that contains significant amounts of curcumin.

Unfortunately, curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. It helps to consume black pepper with it, which contains piperine, a natural substance that enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2,000% (3Trusted Source).

The best curcumin supplements contain piperine, substantially increasing their effectiveness.

Curcumin is also fat soluble, so it may be a good idea to take it with a fatty meal.

SUMMARY

Turmeric contains curcumin, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Most studies used turmeric extracts that are standardized to include large amounts of curcumin.

2. Curcumin Is a Natural Anti-Inflammatory Compound

Inflammation is incredibly important.

It helps your body fight foreign invaders and has a role in repairing damage.

Without inflammation, pathogens like bacteria could easily take over your body and kill you.

Although acute, short-term inflammation is beneficial, it can become a major problem when it becomes chronic and inappropriately attacks your body’s own tissues.

Scientists now believe that chronic, low-level inflammation plays a major role in almost every chronic, Western disease. This includes heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s, and various degenerative conditions.

Therefore, anything that can help fight chronic inflammation is of potential importance in preventing and even treating these diseases.

Curcumin is strongly anti-inflammatory. In fact, it is so powerful that it matches the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs, without the side effects.

It blocks NF-kB, a molecule that travels into the nuclei of your cells and turns on genes related to inflammation. NF-kB is believed to play a major role in many chronic diseases.

Without getting into the details (inflammation is extremely complicated), the key takeaway is that curcumin is a bioactive substance that fights inflammation at the molecular level.

SUMMARY

Chronic inflammation contributes to many common Western diseases. Curcumin can suppress many molecules known to play major roles in inflammation.

 

3. Turmeric Dramatically Increases the Antioxidant Capacity of the Body

Oxidative damage is believed to be one of the mechanisms behind aging and many diseases.

It involves free radicals, highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons.

Free radicals tend to react with important organic substances, such as fatty acids, proteins, or DNA.

The main reason antioxidants are so beneficial is that they protect your body from free radicals.

Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals due to its chemical structure.

In addition, curcumin boosts the activity of your body’s own antioxidant enzymes.

In that way, curcumin delivers a one-two punch against free radicals. It blocks them directly, then stimulates your body’s own antioxidant defences.

 

SUMMARY

Curcumin has powerful antioxidant effects. It neutralizes free radicals on its own but also stimulates your body’s own antioxidant enzymes.

 

4. Curcumin Boosts Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Linked to Improved Brain Function and a Lower Risk of Brain Diseases

Back in the day, it was believed that neurons were not able to divide and multiply after early childhood.

However, it is now known that this does happen.

Neurons can form new connections, but in certain areas of the brain they can also multiply and increase in number.

One of the main drivers of this process is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a type of growth hormone that functions in your brain.

Many common brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of this hormone, including depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

Interestingly, curcumin can increase brain levels of BDNF.

By doing this, it may be effective in delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function.

It may also improve memory and make you smarter, which seems logical given its effects on BDNF levels. However, controlled studies in people are needed to confirm this.

 

SUMMARY

Curcumin boosts levels of the brain hormone BDNF, which increases the growth of new neurons and fights various degenerative processes in your brain.

5. Curcumin Should Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death in the world.

Researchers have studied it for many decades and learned a lot about why it happens.

Unsurprisingly, heart disease is incredibly complicated and various things contribute to it.

Curcumin may help reverse many steps in the heart disease process.

Perhaps the main benefit of curcumin when it comes to heart disease is improving the function of the endothelium, which is the lining of your blood vessels.

It is well known that endothelial dysfunction is a major driver of heart disease and involves an inability of your endothelium to regulate blood pressure, blood clotting and various other factors.

Several studies suggest that curcumin leads to improvements in endothelial function. One study found that it is as effective as exercise while another shows that it works as well as the drug Atorvastatin.

In addition, curcumin reduces inflammation and oxidation (as discussed above), which play a role in heart disease as well.

One study randomly assigned 121 people, who were undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery, either a placebo or 4 grams of curcumin per day, a few days before and after the surgery.

The curcumin group had a 65% decreased risk of experiencing a heart attack in the hospital.

SUMMARY

Curcumin has beneficial effects on several factors known to play a role in heart disease. It improves the function of the endothelium and is a potent anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant.

6. Turmeric Can Help Prevent (And Perhaps Even Treat) Cancer

Cancer is a terrible disease, characterized by uncontrolled cell growth.

There are many different forms of cancer, which still have several things in common. Some of them appear to be affected by curcumin supplements.

Curcumin has been studied as a beneficial herb in cancer treatment and been found to affect cancer growth, development and spread at the molecular level.

Studies have shown that it can contribute to the death of cancerous cells and reduce angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels in tumours) and metastasis.

Multiple studies indicate that curcumin can reduce the growth of cancerous cells in the laboratory and inhibit the growth of tumours in test animals.

Whether high-dose curcumin (preferably with an absorption enhancer like piperine) can help treat cancer in humans has yet to be studied properly.

However, there is evidence that it may prevent cancer from occurring in the first place, especially cancers of the digestive system like colorectal cancer.

In a 30-day study in 44 men with lesions in the colon that sometimes turn cancerous, 4 grams of curcumin per day reduced the number of lesions by 40%.

Maybe curcumin will be used along with conventional cancer treatment one day. It is too early to say for sure, but it looks promising and is being intensively studied.

SUMMARY

Curcumin leads to several changes on the molecular level that may help prevent and perhaps even treat cancer.

7. Curcumin May Be Useful in Preventing and Treating Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world and a leading cause of dementia.

Unfortunately, no good treatment is available for Alzheimer’s yet.

Therefore, preventing it from occurring in the first place is of utmost importance.

There may be good news on the horizon because curcumin has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier.

It is known that inflammation and oxidative damage play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, and curcumin has beneficial effects on both.

In addition, a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease is a build-up of protein tangles called amyloid plaques. Studies show that curcumin can help clear these plaques.

Whether curcumin can really slow down or even reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in people is currently unknown and needs to be studied properly.

SUMMARY

Curcumin can cross the blood-brain barrier and has been shown to lead to various improvements in the pathological process of Alzheimer’s disease.

8. Arthritis Patients Respond Very Well to Curcumin Supplements

Arthritis is a common problem in Western countries.

There are several different types, most of which involve inflammation in the joints.

Given that curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory compound, it makes sense that it may help with arthritis.

Several studies show this to be true.

In a study in people with rheumatoid arthritis, curcumin was even more effective than an anti-inflammatory drug.

Many other studies have looked at the effects of curcumin on arthritis and noted improvements in various.

SUMMARY

Arthritis is a common disorder characterized by joint inflammation. Many studies show that curcumin can help treat symptoms of arthritis and is in some cases more effective than anti-inflammatory drugs.

9. Studies Show That Curcumin Has Incredible Benefits Against Depression

Curcumin has shown some promise in treating depression.

In a controlled trial, 60 people with depression were randomized into three groups.

One group took Prozac, another group one gram of curcumin and the third group both Prozac and curcumin.

After 6 weeks, curcumin had led to improvements that were like Prozac. The group that took both Prozac and curcumin fared best.

According to this small study, curcumin is as effective as an antidepressant.

Depression is also linked to reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and a shrinking hippocampus, a brain area with a role in learning and memory.

Curcumin boosts BDNF levels, potentially reversing some of these changes.

There is also some evidence that curcumin can boost the brain neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.

SUMMARY

A study in 60 people with depression showed that curcumin was as effective as Prozac in alleviating symptoms of the condition.

10. Curcumin May Help Delay Aging and Fight Age-Related Chronic Diseases

If curcumin can really help prevent heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s, it would have obvious benefits for longevity.

For this reason, curcumin has become very popular as an anti-aging supplement.

But given that oxidation and inflammation are believed to play a role in aging, curcumin may have effects that go way beyond just preventing disease.

SUMMARY

Due to its many positive health effects, such as the potential to prevent heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer, curcumin may aid longevity.

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