How Can Turmeric and Ginger Provide Health Benefits?

Medically reviewed by Jamie Johnson, RDNMedically reviewed by Jamie Johnson, RDN

Turmeric and ginger, commonly used as seasonings, in drinks, and as dietary supplements, come from tropical flowering plants. Curcumin is a component of the turmeric plant.

Products extracted from these plants are associated with a number of different health benefits. Evidence shows that they could potentially provide some protection from health conditions associated with inflammation, such as arthritis and diabetes.

Additionally, turmeric and ginger are often consumed together for a combined flavor and to enhance health benefits.

What Are Turmeric and Ginger?

Turmeric and ginger are each extracted from different flowering plants, as the root and flower are dried to make products used for food color, flavoring, and in tea or other drinks. They are usually marketed separately, but combined products containing both turmeric and ginger are becoming popular as well.

Curcumin, which gives turmeric a yellow color, is responsible for many of the physiologic effects attributed to turmeric. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, turmeric is promoted for helping reduce symptoms of arthritis, digestive disorders, respiratory infections, allergies, liver disease, and depression.

Ginger can be beneficial for managing nausea, and it has also been promoted as a potential supplement for managing pain, viral infections, high blood pressure, heartburn, stomach upset, and even for preventing Alzheimer’s disease, which can lead to severe cognitive decline.

Related: Should You Take Turmeric Supplements?

Benefits of Turmeric and Ginger, According to Scientific Research

Turmeric and ginger are often used together as spices to enhance flavor. They also are combined in tea, other drinks, and in supplements. Ginger and turmeric are each individually known to have beneficial effects, and research suggests that they may also complement each other’s health benefits when taken together.

A laboratory experiment using human cells demonstrated an optimal ratio of ginger to turmeric of 5-to-2 for inhibiting inflammatory cells and promoting chemicals within the body known to protect against inflammation and cancer. These include nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin 6.

This combination of turmeric and ginger also increases nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 activity, which regulates many complex cellular processes. The substances change inflammatory activity at the genetic level, increasing the production of protective proteins that your body already produces.

1. Antioxidant Effects

The combination of turmeric and ginger may work as an antioxidant. Oxidative stress, which causes damage to the body, is a chemical process that results from exposure to harmful chemicals or illness.

Oxidative stress is one of the main contributors to damage from degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Reducing the effects of oxidative damage is widely considered beneficial. Antioxidants are natural chemicals that help reverse and protect from oxidative stress.

A 2021 research study examined the effect of turmeric and ginger on rats exposed to harmful substances that caused oxidative stress. The rats exposed to harmful oils without the addition of turmeric and ginger showed significant effects of oxidative damage, while the rats exposed to harmful oils with the addition of turmeric and ginger did not show these effects.

2. Anti-Inflammatory and Pain Relief

Inflammation is essential to the body's response to injury and infection. But chronic inflammation is involved in many medical disorders, either as a key element of illness, a contributing factor, or as a disease response that worsens the outcome.

Inflammation is associated with medical conditions ranging from acne to heart disease. That’s why supplements and dietary modifications that reduce inflammation are often recommended.

The combination of ginger and turmeric may mediate the body’s harmful immune responses.

A research study used turmeric extract and ginger root powder in a lab experiment on mouse cells. The researchers noted that ginger and turmeric reduced the production of cytokines (which are inflammatory proteins) and decreased the production of inflammatory cells.

Due to the wide range of anti-inflammatory effects seen in the experiments, the authors concluded that combining turmeric and ginger can potentially impact many diseases.

Related: Is Ginger Anti-Inflammatory? Health Benefits and When to Avoid Ginger

3. Cancer

While neither turmeric nor ginger has been promoted as curing or preventing cancer, both of these spices have been shown in experimental laboratory and animal studies to have the potential to reduce the cellular changes that are associated with certain cancer-producing chemical compounds.

According to a 2018 review, ginger and turmeric were each shown to reduce measures of cancer-causing chemicals in human smokers.

4. Kidney Health

Turmeric and ginger are sometimes promoted as beneficial for kidney function. Neither of these substances specifically targets kidney function, but both have been found to reduce inflammatory kidney damage in experiments involving rats.

If your kidneys are healthy, adding turmeric and ginger is unlikely to have an impact, but these supplements can potentially protect the kidneys in the same way that they protect the body in general—by reducing the harmful effects of inflammation.

5. Weight Loss

Both turmeric and ginger have been found in some laboratory-based research studies to have an impact on cellular production of fat molecules. The results showed that these substances specifically work to normalize production of fats and carbohydrates in the body to healthy levels.

Normalizing fat and carbohydrate levels may provide health benefits by lowering blood levels of harmful fats and cholesterol. It might promote weight loss for people who need to lose weight.

Heart Health

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of chronic illness, stroke-related disability, and death. Turmeric and ginger can potentially help prevent or limit the severity of heart disease by reducing inflammation and oxidative damage and lowering unhealthy fats.

Possible Side Effects

It’s never recommended to take mega doses of any supplement or overdo it with specific spices that aren’t necessarily associated with physical effects—and that goes for turmeric and ginger.

Ginger and turmeric can have side effects such as:

• Ginger can cause abdominal discomfort, heartburn, diarrhea, and mouth and throat irritation.

• Turmeric is not recommended for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or chestfeeding.

Related: 10 Serious Side Effects of Turmeric

It’s always best to have a balanced diet that includes a variety of vitamins and minerals. If you are deficient in a specific nutrient, your healthcare provider may recommend a supplement.

Do not substitute turmeric and ginger for medical treatment for any condition. Before taking any supplement, discuss it with a healthcare provider.

How to Take Turmeric and Ginger

Turmeric and ginger can be used in multiple forms. It’s unclear whether either spice is more beneficial than the other.

They are both available as fresh or dried spices that you can sprinkle on prepared foods or drinks or add to food before cooking. Heating or cooking can change the taste and chemical properties of spices.

Combination turmeric and ginger tea blends are available, as are combination supplements. Supplements are usually already in a form that the body can absorb. Usually, supplement labels include recommendations for how to take them—such as with or without food or drink—and how to time them in relation to other supplements.

Summary

Turmeric and ginger, taken individually or together in different forms, have been shown to help ease many medical problems. Most of the studies have been done in a lab setting with human cells or animal tissue. Additionally, some studies have examined the effects on humans, and these have also shown some benefits to using these spices alone or together.

It’s important to keep in mind that turmeric and ginger pose very little risk of harm to your health, but mega doses of turmeric, ginger, or any herb, spice, or supplement could be harmful.

Additionally, the effects of turmeric or ginger—separately or together—have not been shown to be an effective substitute for medication. It’s a good idea to incorporate ingredients in your diet that are healthy, rather than harmful—and turmeric and ginger are good options to add to your lifestyle.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.