The many health and healing benefits of ginger have been known since ancient times. From China to the Middle East, the ginger plant root is used as an anti-inflammatory, a cure for ulcers and acid reflux, to relieve nausea and even to help fight certain cancers.
Now recent research has shown that ginger can also help reduce exercise-related muscle pain.
A study from University of Georgia and Georgia College and State University took seventy-four student volunteers and had them perform a series of eccentric muscle exercises.
They then split the volunteers into three groups. One group was given raw ginger, one group received heated ginger and the third group received a fake ginger placebo for the following 11 days.
Results showed that the heat-treated ginger group experienced a 23% reduction in pain intensity, while the raw ginger group had a 25% reduction in muscle pain.
Ginger contains powerful antioxidants that counteract free radicals produced by nitric oxide which promote tissue damage and inflammation as well as reduce the production of pro-inflammatory compounds in the joints.
All this research indicates that ginger may possess the same analgesic properties as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but without the side effects.
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