Adding a few teaspoons of ginger to your cooked fish or veggies every day may be a recipe for heart health. A study found that eating ginger daily reduced the risk of hypertension and coronary heart disease in adults. Published in Nutrition, the study included 4,628 participants, ages 18 to 77. Researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with the participants to collect dietary and health data. They also reviewed the participant’s health records for diagnoses of diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and other chronic diseases. Researchers then analyzed participants’ data, looking for relationships between ginger intake and the prevalence of chronic diseases, and found:

• In participants between 18 and 60 years old, daily ginger intake was associated with an 8% lower risk of hypertension and a 13% lower risk of coronary heart disease, compared with not eating ginger daily.
• In participants over 60, daily ginger intake was associated with a 16% lower risk of coronary heart disease, but no difference in risk of hypertension.

These findings are early evidence that developing a ginger habit may do your heart good. Previous research has linked ginger to nausea relief, improved blood sugar control, and osteoarthritis relief. If you’d like more ginger in your life, options abound with this versatile root: along with being a stellar fish and veggie topper, it also shines when added to savory soups and sauces and sweet baked goods.

Source: Nutrition