Commonly found in most households, ginger comes packed with umpteen health benefits — from helping fight colds and flu to aiding digestion, and also lowering bad cholesterol. But which variety of ginger should you choose for better health — dry or fresh? According to Shweta Shah, celebrity nutritionist and founder at Eatfit24/7, ginger lends a great taste and zest to both sweet and savory foods. “In addition to these, ginger also provides a range of health benefits that you can enjoy in many forms. However, dry ginger or sunthi is better than fresh ginger, and it can be consumed throughout the year,” she told indianexpress.com.
Explaining, the expert said that while it is commonly assumed that fresh ginger root has higher antioxidant activity when compared to its drier counterpart, it is actually the latter that shows greater antioxidant activity due to its higher content of polyphenols (antioxidant compounds). “As the water content is removed from ginger in the drying process, the concentration of polyphenols, and thus its antioxidant activity, increases. In short, dried ginger shows greater antioxidant activity than fresh. But that’s not to say that fresh ginger isn’t antioxidant at all; however, cooking it decreases its antioxidant activity,” she explained.
Are both varieties of ginger suitable for everyone (or should certain people avoid it)?
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Ginger is safe to be consumed by everyone, provided taken in safe amounts. “About 1-3 gms of ginger is more than enough for daily consumption,” Shah shared.
The nutritionist further shared that the benefits of both varieties are almost the same — they both contain gingerol, which has powerful medicinal properties. “Ginger treats many forms of nausea, especially morning sickness. It also helps with weight loss and osteoarthritis. It also lowers blood sugars and improves heart disease risk factors. The most effective use it offers is to cure indigestion,” she explained.
According to Dr Rekha Radhamony, an Ayurveda expert, dried ginger wins hands-down.“I recently recovered from seasonal cold and flu by drinking only dry ginger water,” she wrote on Instagram, further sharing the various benefits of having dried ginger. She added that, in Ayurveda, dried ginger is considered better than fresh ginger.
Vata decreasing
Fresh ginger increases vata while dried ginger balances vata. “Hence, chewing fresh ginger or drinking fresh ginger tea for gas, or bloating is not a great idea. Take dry ginger water instead,” the expert suggested.
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A post shared by Dr. Rekha Radhamony, Ayurveda (@doctorrekha)
Great for constipation
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In spite of being absorbent (grahi), dry ginger is a mild laxative and great for constipation. “If you find it difficult to pass bowels in the morning, drink a glass of dry ginger water,” said Dr Rekha.
Non drying
Dried ginger has the property of ‘snigdha’ or is non drying. Hence it is good for long-term use. But, fresh ginger is drying (rooksha) and hence must be used once in a while.
Reduces mucous
Dried ginger is kapha decreasing while fresh ginger increases kapha. “Hence, dry ginger water works great in cases of seasonal flu, cold, cough, and most upper respiratory tract disorders,” she shared in her Instagram post.
How to consume dry ginger?
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Dr Radhamony suggested boil 2 glasses of water with 1-inch piece of dry ginger, reducing the quantity to 1 glass and drinking it. Adding, Shah said that the best way to consume ginger is in a tea made with either the fresh root or ginger powder using a tea bag. “Drinking ginger tea may have benefits for digestion, inflammation, and the common cold. It can also be consumed post meals to improve digestion,” she said.
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