Ginger water: what it is for, benefits and how to make it

More and more people are including in their daily diet natural products that due to their nutritional composition, improve our state of health in general. Among these products we find ginger, a plant that is increasingly popular among the population for its different benefits.

Ginger, also known scientifically as Zingiber officinales roscoe, is a plant from which its rhizome or root is mainly used for the elaboration of different culinary dishes with a characteristic spicy flavor. However, currently the root of this plant is also used to prepare home remedies such as water or ginger tea, as it has excellent digestive and slimming properties, among others. Do you want to know more about this natural remedy? Keep reading this article and find out all about ginger water: what benefits are it for and how to make it.

Properties of ginger water

Ginger or Zingiber officinale roscoe is an evergreen plant that belongs to the Zingiberaceae family and is grown mainly in South Asia, although they can also be observed in other regions with a warm climate. Although some parts of the plant such as the stem or leaves can be used both for cooking and to make remedies, it is the rhizome or root that is used to prepare ginger water, since it is the area where its active ingredients are concentrated, among which its richness in resins (shoagols, gingerols and zingibain), vitamins (B and C), essential oils, fatty acids, curcumin, flavonoids and minerals (chromium, silicon, zinc, manganese and phosphorus).

Thanks to its richness in different nutrients, ginger water stands out for its following properties:

• Antibacterial properties: ginger water is considered a natural antibiotic that mainly fights bacteria that cause alterations in the intestional flora or other infections in the digestive system. Due to these properties, it is also an excellent remedy for respiratory diseases and their symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion and sore throats.
• Digestive properties: this plant increases the production of enzymes that improve the digestive process. As a consequence, ginger avoids some problems that can appear in the digestive system such as, for example, abdominal bloating, gas or flatulence or heavy digestions.
• Thermogenic properties: due to its content in gingerols and shogaols, ginger water increases the body temperature of our body. Thanks to this thermogenic effect, this remedy favors the burning of fats in some areas of our body such as the belly.
• Satiating properties: The consumption of ginger raises the levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that can cause feelings of hunger. Therefore, this plant is ideal for weight loss, as it helps reduce appetite.
• Diuretic properties: ginger water is a powerful natural diuretic that reduces the retention of fluids and toxins accumulated in our body and expels them through the urine.

What is ginger water for?

Now that we have known some of the properties of this plant, below we will list what ginger water is for:

• It promotes weight loss and reduces localized fat in the abdomen.
• Prevents diarrhea, constipation and other alterations that can occur in the intestinal flora.
• It reduces heavy digestions and other related problems such as abdominal bloating, flatulence and gas.
• It prevents other stomach problems such as gastritis and digestive ulcers.
• Relieves coughs and other symptoms caused by respiratory illnesses such as the flu or the common cold.
• It regulates glucose levels and reduces bad cholesterol.
• It reduces bad breath and increases saliva production in cases of dry mouth.

How to make ginger water at home

Do you want to use ginger to thin the abdomen? Or are you looking for a remedy to improve your digestions? If you want to take advantage of some of the benefits that we have explained in previous sections, we recommend that you follow the following steps to make ginger water at home:

Ingredients:

• 1 liter and a half of mineral water
• 50 grams of ginger root

Preparation and treatment:

1. Add 6 glasses or 1 liter and a half of mineral water to a pot and let it heat over medium heat.
2. In the meantime, grab 50 grams or 5 tablespoons of ginger root and rub it against a grater to get a zest.
3. Once the water reaches its boiling point, add the ginger zest in it and let it cook for 2 minutes.
4. Then, remove the pot from the heat and let the ginger sit in the water for 10 minutes.
5. Strain the contents to remove the root remains and put the ginger water obtained in a thermos so that the properties of the plant are not lost.

If you want to use this remedy to thin the abdomen and / or for weight loss, you will have to take ginger water on an empty stomach. However, if you want to use this natural treatment for digestive or respiratory problems, it is best to drink a glass of ginger water after the main meals.

Other recipes with ginger water

In addition to the above remedy, we can also make some of the following recipes with ginger water:

• Ginger and lemon water: this citrus fruit is a fruit that stands out for its excellent antiseptic, digestive and antibacterial properties, making it an ideal remedy to improve digestive problems and respiratory diseases. To use it, you will only have to follow the previous step by step and, once you have the ginger water ready, you will have to add the juice of two lemons. Have 1 glass after the main meals.
• Ginger and cinnamon water: in addition to ginger to thin the abdomen, we also find cinnamon, a condiment with powerful fat burning properties that accelerate our metabolism and favor the loss of accumulated fats in the abdominal area. To prepare this remedy, you will have to follow the previous step by step but adding a cinnamon stick during cooking. Take 2 glasses of this remedy a day (one on an empty stomach and one after the main meal).