How Many Grams of Ginger do I Eat in a Day to Control My Blood Sugar Levels?
In this write-up I reveal how many grams of ginger do I eat in a day to control my blood sugar levels.
This article is a continuation of a series of informative articles that I have written on various herbs and spices that I have used in order to keep my blood glucose levels in check.
All the information here is based on my trial and error with regards to the chosen herb or spice. So, the final results may differ from one individual to another.
Nonetheless, you may consider the final doses (per day) to be as accurate as possible. If the need arises then, do consult your healthcare professional to get more accurate figures as per your current diabetic condition.
Why do I choose holistic medication to treat diabetes?
Well, for one, these are completely natural. Two, they have no adverse side effects if taken in moderation.
With that being said, let’s carry on with today’s article on ginger and its effects on my blood glucose:
How Many Grams of Ginger do I Eat in a Day to Control My Blood Sugar Levels – The Article Index:
1) What is Ginger?
2) Why I Considered Ginger for Treating My Type 2 Diabetes?
3) How did Ginger Control My Blood Sugar Levels?
4) How Much Ginger do I Eat in a Day?
5) How do I Consume Ginger to Keep My Diabetes in Check?
6) Final Opinion
What is Ginger?
Ginger is a plant that bears flowers. It belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. This is the same family of plants wherein I derived my other herbs to fight diabetes from. These include curcumin (basically turmeric) as well as cardamom.
The ginger plant is about 1 meter in length. It has leaves that are shaped like a knife’s blade. The flowers of this plant are formed in a cluster. The color of these flowers is pale yellow. The edge of these flower is purple.
History of the Ginger Plant:
This plant has a unique history that dates back to 5000 BP. While it is said to have originated in southern parts of Asia, ginger has been transported and grown in several countries now.
The largest producer of ginger in the world is India. Ancient Greeks and Romans were really fond of this spice. So, the spice trade between Asia and Europe was responsible for ginger to flow so easily to other countries.
It’s Use as Holistic Medicine:
The root of ginger has been used for centuries as medicine. The Indian civilization as well as the ancient Chinese civilization have been known to use ginger to treat various diseases.
The juice of ginger is also used widely in various medicines. It is not a drug. Nonetheless, this herb has no side effects attached – if consumed in permissible quantities.
Why I Considered Ginger for Treating My Type 2 Diabetes?
I am very fond of curries. In fact, I consume a curry based meal once during the day. As ginger is a prime ingredient in curries and other similar dishes, I am habitual of using it often in the kitchen.
Apart from being used in gravy, I have also used ginger in tea. The aroma and flavor that ginger has to offer in a hot cup of tea is incomparable in nature.
So, what made a Type 2 diabetic like myself attracted to ginger?
@ First and foremost, gingerol is a bioactive compound found in ginger. It has immense medicinal properties.
@ Gingerol is a powerful antioxidant that has the ability to reduce oxidative stress from my body.
@ As ginger reduces inflammation in my body, it is great for me as I wish to lose weight. Type 2 diabetes caused me to put on a lot of extra pounds that I now need to get rid of.
@ My HbA1C levels reduced considerably when I consumed around 3000 mg of ginger daily.
@ Ginger is also good for my digestion. I used to experience nausea often. Nonetheless, after I took ginger for a week, my nausea symptoms reduced by almost 80%.
@ Ginger is also known to reduce menstrual pain. Some researchers are also of the belief that 1000 mg of ginger grated into a cup of warm water and drunk is as effective as ibuprofen.
@ Ginger has also helped me ease my IBS symptoms. I often faced bloating, pain in the gut and indigestion as I ate fast food daily. After I started to consume ginger, all this was eased considerably.
@ My LDL and glyceride levels also reduced considerably after just 3 weeks of regular ginger intake. So, it seems ginger is great for my cardiac wellbeing as well.
@ Gingerol is also known to possess anti-cancerous properties. Luckily I do not face any such issues. I have researched and found that cancers of the digestive tract, pancreas and the liver reduced considerably after regular ginger intake.
@ By reducing inflammation in the brain, diseases such as Alzheimer’s is contained by ginger intake. Even brain functionality has been known to improve considerably.
@ Finally, I suffered from E. coli infection after I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I took ginger for about 4 weeks and my infection disappeared.
@ So, I can confidently say that ginger has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Infections such as E. Coli, C. albicans and S. aureus are well taken care of by ginger.
How did Ginger Control My Blood Sugar Levels?
I have probably forgotten to reveal that ginger is a boon for the digestive tract. In my case, the optimal functionality within my liver was jeopardized owing to my fluctuating blood glucose.
Better Metabolism:
After ginger intake, the metabolization of carbs within my liver were optimized. When I take juice of ginger (say 1 tablespoon), it boosts the serum insulin levels. By improving insulin production in my body, ginger juice also enables me to regulate my blood sugar levels naturally.
Reduction of Insulin Spikes:
When I was constantly taking 2 to 3 grams of ginger powder or raw ginger, my blood sugar levels witnessed a dramatic dip.
This is with regards to reduction in my Apolipoprotein A-I, fasting blood sugar, Malondialdehyde, Hemoglobin A1c as well as Apolipoprotein B readings.
These tests were taken every week for a period of 4 weeks. My blood sample levels were 10ml.
Hypoglycemic Properties in Ginger:
Another good part of ginger is that it has natural hypoglycemic properties. When I took ginger for 30 days, it significantly reduced my glycosylated hemoglobin levels.
It needs to be noted that glycosylated hemoglobin levels directly indicate reduced levels of blood sugar in my body. This is owing to ginger being fortified of tannins, triterpenoids, 6-gingerol and flavonoids.
Effect on My Hepatic Phosphorylase Enzyme:
When I started to include ginger in my daily dosage, I realized that my Hepatic Phosphorylase Enzyme witnessed a dramatic reduction. This in turn stopped the breakdown of my hepatic glycogen stores.
The result of this was less glucose stores in my blood stream. The end result was reduced blood sugar levels. Also, my hyperactive glucose 6-phosphatase enzyme was given the much needed “break”.
This in turn resulted in enhanced glucose synthesis in my body.
Note: So, in my case, daily ginger intake helped control and even treat my Type 2 Diabetes to a great extent. I just increased my water intake for optimal benefits.
How Much Ginger do I Eat in a Day?
I understand that the title of my article is based on this sub-heading. Unfortunately, the content of this sub-heading is not going to be as long as the others.
The reason???
Well, simply because, all I need to do is reveal the grams per day serving.
So, what I did was stop all other blood sugar support supplement. These includes other herbs and spices meant for controlling my blood glucose naturally.
Then, for the first 3 days, I consumed 1 grams of ginger. I tested my body for any side effects. When none were to be found, I increased the dosage to 2 grams a day for the next three days.
When all was well, I took the final boost and increased my daily ginger intake to 4 grams a day. This I continued for a period of 30 days.
I checked my blood sugar levels daily to see the results. They were positive and indicated that ginger was indeed working in my favor.
How do I Consume Ginger to Keep My Diabetes in Check?
There are several ways of consuming ginger. Most people use it as a spice or herb for adding the missing flavor to their dishes while others add it to their daily cup of tea.
Nonetheless, for a diabetic, the best ways to intake ginger are slightly different. What needs to be kept in mind is the daily dosage.
One also needs to ensure that ginger once consumed, should be digested and absorbed completely, in order to deliver the best results.
Well, here are a few ways I consume ginger to control my blood sugar levels:
Ginger Water:
The first method is making a special tea from ginger. I take 4 grams of raw ginger and crush it. Thereafter, I boil a cup of water. To this water I add crushed ginger and allow the water to boil for about 4 minutes.
Then, I switch off the gas and using a strainer, pour the liquid into a cup. I then drink this liquid just once a day.
Ginger Tea with Special Spices:
In the second method, I take 4 grams of raw ginger. Along with this I take 2 pieces of cardamom, an inch long piece of cinnamon and a pinch of raw turmeric powder.
So, I boil a cup of water and to this I add all the ingredients that I have mentioned above. I allow the water with the ingredients to boil for about 5 minutes.
I then switch off the gas stove and allow the tea to cool down a bit. Then, I pour it into a cup using a strainer. I drink this mixture sip-by-sip.
Mix it Into My Favorite Dish:
The last and final method that I use to include ginger into my diet is by adding it to my favorite dishes. Nonetheless, this process involves sauté.
So, I sauté crushed or grated ginger (3 to 4 grams in weight) to my favorite dishes. I often use ghee, coconut oil or olive oil for this very purpose.
Once the dish is ready, I automatically consume ginger along with the food that I have just eaten.
Final Opinion
My 30 day trial with ginger was successful indeed. Nonetheless, I would recommend you to include other herbs into your diet and avoid fast food in order to maintain optimal blood sugar levels.
It is also a good idea to include natural supplements to lower blood sugar into your daily routine. My experiment was just to test whether ginger really has the ability to reduce glucose development in my blood.
Overall, I am quite satisfied with this herb. Nonetheless, I have a few suggestions:
@ While including ginger into your diet, avoid ‘ready to eat’ ginger based pastes, drinks, salad dressings etc. These are laced with artificial flavors, acidity regulators and preservatives.
@ Include whole turmeric or powdered turmeric that you derive only from an organic store.
@ Avoid overconsumption of ginger. Do not exceed the 4 grams a day recommended dosage.
@ For you to see visible results with regards to reduced blood sugar levels or improvement in your diabetic condition, you need be consistent with ginger intake.
@ You would start to see result only if you consume ginger daily for at least 30 to 45 days.
@ Ginger alone is not a treatment for diabetes. You need to club it with regular physical exercise, healthy diet and a positive mindset.
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