Ginger also popularly known as “adrak” is a thermogenic food. It gets this property from its combination of two compounds – gingerol and shogaol. Having thermogenic quality, this root vegetable is great for keeping the body warm during the cold weather. You can consume it in this season as a preventative measure to keep yourself fit when many people around you are sick or as when you are feeling under the weather.

Here are a few health benefits to consuming ginger in your daily diet during the winter season:

Antibacterial: Ginger is antibacterial and thus helps support the immune system. The immune-boosting benefits in ginger make it one of the top “go-to” ingredients during the winter season that brings many infections and health issues along with it. It is good to consume ginger every day in any form to keep various cold season-related diseases at bay.

Anti-inflammatory: Ginger contains a phenolic anti-inflammatory compound called gingerol that may be responsible for relaxing blood vessels. It is also a natural blood thinner that increases blood flow, thus helping warm your body.

Helps ward off the common cold: Due to the presence of cold-fighting properties, ginger helps ward off the common cold.

Helps ease muscle pain: Whether it is a temporary twitch in the muscle, a sudden resurfacing of an old injury or that post-workout agony, there are many factors that warm your core body temperature and boost the immune system to prevent and cure symptoms that can cause muscle pain. Muscle pains get usually worse during the winter season. Ginger has magical properties to cure various types of muscle pains.

Helps relief knee pain: Many people (especially elders) experience knee pain during winters, for them, drinking ginger tea regularly can help. You can have ginger with milk also to relieve pain effectively. The topical application of ginger can also soothe knee pain. Cold weather adds to the excessive pain in people suffering from arthritis. The symptoms of this condition are mostly seen in people aged 60-65 years. Although there is no permanent cure for arthritis, ginger can help treat this condition by lowering inflammation which is one of the symptoms of arthritis.

Good for hair: Hair generally tends to fall more during the winter season. It also loses its lustre in this weather. Ginger makes the roots of your hair stronger and thus reduce hair loss. It also increases the blood circulation to the scalp making hair silky and shiny naturally. It stimulates hair growth and contains antiseptic properties that help fight dandruff and split ends which commonly occur or worsen during the winter season. Ginger oil can also be mixed with shampoo to naturally moisturize your scalp and hair to fix any dryness.

Improves skin tone and soothes other skin related issues: Dull and flaky skin are common winter skin problems. Ginger helps fight skin blemishes making your skin more radiant while cleaning it. Mix grated ginger with your natural face mask to help moisturize and soften the skin leaving it supple and glooming.

Improves digestion: During winters, we tend to eat more. Consumption of high- calorie food also increases during this weather. All this may lead to an upset stomach due to poor digestion. Incorporating ginger in daily meals helps improve digestion and thus cures stomach problems.

You can add one-two teaspoons of grated ginger to your daily diet. Sprinkle it over a salad or into a stir fry. You can also simmer it in a pot with hot water for five minutes to make a soothing ginger tea.

Note: Consult your doctor regarding ginger intake if you are taking any kind of medication as ginger may reverse the effects of a few drugs. Also, take in moderation. The recommended amounts can help prevent and cure winter illness but heavy concentrated doses can actually cause harm to your body.