Our favourite holiday spice

Have you been baking up a holiday storm? If you have, chances are you have used one of our favourite holiday spices, ginger.

And while it’s an essential ingredient in everything from mulled wine to gingerbread during the festive season, did you know it also has some excellent health properties?

Why we love it: As many of you probably already know, ginger is excellent at relieving nausea and vomiting cause by things such as motion sickness and morning sickness. Best of all it’s safe to use during pregnant unlike many anti-nausea drugs. Ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties thanks to potent compounds called gingerols. A number of studies have shown it to be effective at relieving the pain associated with osteo-arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It has also been shown to have anti-cancer properties particularly in patients with colorectal cancer and ovarian cancer. What’s more, it’s an immune system booster making it excellent to eat when suffering from a cold or flu.

How to eat it: you can buy ginger either fresh or ground with the ground variety perfect for Christmas baking. Fresh ginger can be chopped or crushed and added to anything from salad dressings and teas to Asian stir fries and curries.