Before revealing my recipe, a little molecular zoom on ginger. An ancestral remedy known to relieve pain, nausea and vomiting, ginger is now the subject of more and more scientific studies relating to health. Gingerol and shogaol, the two best-known activating molecules in ginger, are attracting great interest in the scientific community. It contains other active molecules, less studied, but nevertheless very interesting for their antioxidant properties (zingiberene, zingerone, and terpenes).
5 main actions of ginger have been scientifically proven by several studies:
1/ Antiemetic action: it reduces nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy treatment and during pregnancy. However, its effectiveness seems uncertain on nausea related to motion sickness.
2/ Digestive action: it would have an effect on gastric emptying and the motility of the stomach. It would therefore allow the stomach to empty itself more quickly and efficiently. It has also been shown to have a positive action in the treatment of colorectal cancer. On the other hand, its effectiveness in the treatment of an irritable colon remains to be demonstrated.
3/ Painkiller effect: quite controversial effect, ginger would nevertheless have a positive action on the reduction of pain related to menstruation, on migraines and lower back pain...?
4/ Anti-inflammatory effect: probably the most studied and validated effect. Ginger has an action on various pro-inflammatory metabolic factors (cytokines, FOX, TNF...). I gladly recommend it to my patients with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis (500 mg / d). Its anti-inflammatory action is also interesting in the management of obesity and its complications: indeed, the adipocyte tissue (in other words fat) is very inflammatory and is at the origin of what is called low-grade chronic inflammatory states.
5/ Metabolic action: here again, a widely studied and validated effect on diabetes in particular. Ginger helps improve insulin sensitivity, fasting blood sugar, glycated hemoglobin and lipid profile.
Other lesser-known effects that still need to be studied:
- respiratory (in patients with asthma or respiratory distress).
- cardiovascular (decrease in platelet aggregation)
- decrease in bleeding during menstruation
- increase in the volume of milk during breastfeeding
Obviously ginger cannot replace drug treatment, but it is beginning to be recognized and used in the management of diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and certain cancers.
Now enough theory, time for tasting ;-)
Ginger chicken curry
Ingredients ( for one person)
125g diced chicken
100ml soy cream
Turmeric, curry, and paprika powder
A piece of grated fresh ginger
1 carrot
1 slice of ball celery
1 rutabaga
½ onion
2 tbsp olive oil
Cooking (30 minutes + 2h to marinate)
Mix the diced chicken with 3 tbsp of soy cream and half of the powdered spices. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Cut the vegetables into cubes and chop the onion.
In a pan, sauté the onion, ginger and the other half of the powdered spices over low heat. Add the chicken cubes and cook for 2 min.
Add the diced vegetables and the rest of the soy cream. Cover and simmer over low heat, 15 to 20 minutes.
Sources :
Cours DU diététique santé et physionutrition. Université de pharmacie de Grenoble.2020-2021
Gingerols and shogaols: Important nutraceutical principles from ginger. Semwal RB, Semwal DK, Combrinck S, Viljoen AM. 2015.
Ginger on Human Health: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of 109 Randomized Controlled Trials. Nguyen Hoang Anh,1 Sun Jo Kim,1 Nguyen Phuoc Long,1 Jung Eun Min,1 Young Cheol Yoon,1 Eun Goo Lee,1 Mina Kim,1 Tae Joon Kim,1 Yoon Young Yang,1 Eui Young Son,1 Sang Jun Yoon,1 Nguyen Co Diem,2 Hyung Min Kim,1 and Sung Won Kwon1. 2020.
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