The holidays just wrapped up, along with winter break for school kids, which means lots of people are about to get sick from extended indoor time with other people.
So, what's the best defense? A new story says ginger has a wide range of health benefits, including anti-nausea, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. And those could keep sickness at bay.
The study from the Leibniz Institute in Germany found that consuming even very small amounts of ginger can enhance immune cell activity, making them more effective at fighting bacteria.
The study showed that even a low concentration of gingerol in the blood can put white blood cells on heightened alert, resulting in a more than 30% increase in their response to bacterial threats.
"Thus, at least in experiments, very low gingerol concentrations are sufficient to affect the activity of immune cells via the TRPV1 receptor. In blood, these concentrations could theoretically be achieved by consuming about one liter of ginger tea," says Gaby Andersen, a study author.
While more research is needed, incorporating ginger into your diet or taking supplements containing gingerol may help support immunity. Additionally, getting enough sleep and regular exercise are also important factors in boosting immunity.
"Nevertheless, there are still many unanswered questions at the molecular, epidemiological and medical levels that need to be addressed with the help of modern food and health research," concludes fellow researcher Veronika Somoza.