You’ve probably heard that when you’re trying to cut down on salt and fat, spices are one of the best ways to flavor your food. And it’s true! But there’s one spice that stands proudly apart from the rest, both for its versatility and its health benefits. Ginger is a superfood — or, should we say, superspice — worth working into your food and drinks. 

The goodness of ginger.

Why? Let’s take a quick tour of its benefits:

• Feeling nauseous? Try eating some ginger or brewing a ginger tea. It’s been shown to reduce nausea in people with morning sickness, those who’ve just had surgery or are getting chemo, and more. (And, hey, it can probably help with your hangover, too.)
• It’s good for your stomach in general, actually. Ginger has phenolic compounds that can help reduce gastrointestinal irritation. 
• Guess what’s high in gingerol, which has tons of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties? Yep, you guessed it: ginger.  And those anti-inflammatory properties can help with everything from osteoarthritis to post-workout soreness if you ingest ginger on a regular basis. 
• It can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and your blood sugars and keep your heart healthy.

How to use it.

When we talk about ginger, we actually mean ginger root. You can find it fresh in your grocery store’s produce section. Fresh ginger has higher levels of gingerol than powdered ginger and, let’s be honest, tastes way better in recipes. When you’re picking a piece of ginger, look for one that’s hard and has smooth, tight skin. Then, store it in your crisper drawer in your fridge until you’re ready to use it. And — bonus! — you can pretty much find ginger year-round. 

That said, powdered ginger is still awesome for you. While the process of turning ginger to powder does reduce the levels of gingerol, it actually amplifies some of ginger’s other health properties. Don’t be afraid to use powdered ginger when you’re looking for a quick and easy way to capitalize on this superspice. 

Okay, so beyond curry, how should you be using ginger? Here are a few things you can try:

• Add it to salad dressings
• Add it to smoothies
• Steep peeled, fresh ginger in boiling water to make a ginger tea
• Add it to stir-fries
• Try baking sweets with ginger
• Grab our Turmeric Ginger bottled drink

Just like that, you can spice up any dish and boost your body. Thanks, ginger!