The Power of Ginger

By Editorial Staff

Ginger is heralded as an effective natural way to ease stomach upset, but that's not where the health benefits of ginger end. Another important benefit, suggests research, is its ability to reduce the all-too-common pain that plagues women of reproductive age.

Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory, and inflammation often presents as pain. When researchers analyzed the combined results of 12 studies, they concluded that "ginger is notably more effective than placebo in reducing both the intensity … and duration of pain."

They also noted that there were no differences between ginger and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which is a major positive, since NSAIDs are associated with a number of potential side effects, particularly if used long term. Findings appear in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine.

There are many ways to incorporate ginger into your diet, either for dysmenorrhea pain relief or for its anti-inflammatory benefits in general. John Hopkins Medicine provides a list here, along with more of its health benefits. Tap into the power of ginger and tap into the power of good health.