Ginger chews are a popular confection, often marketed as a natural remedy for digestive discomfort and nausea. These chewy candies are typically made from real ginger root, preserved and sweetened, often with ingredients like sugar or maltose. Determining if they are genuinely beneficial involves balancing the known advantages of the ginger root against the reality that the chew is a highly processed snack food.
How Ginger Supports Digestion and Wellness
The therapeutic properties of ginger are primarily attributed to its pungent compounds, gingerols and shogaols, which are concentrated in the root’s rhizome. Gingerols, more abundant in fresh ginger, significantly affect gastrointestinal motility. They accelerate gastric emptying and stimulate contractions in the stomach, helping food move through the digestive tract more efficiently.
This action is particularly helpful for alleviating feelings of nausea, including morning sickness during pregnancy, because it prevents stomach contents from lingering. The compounds also exert an anti-nausea effect by interacting with serotonin 5-HT3 receptors found in the gut and nervous system. Modulating these receptors helps interrupt the signaling pathways that trigger the sensation of sickness.
Beyond stomach comfort, the active ingredients in ginger also demonstrate anti-inflammatory capabilities. Both gingerols and shogaols work at a molecular level to inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory messengers, such as TNF-α and IL-1β. They achieve this by suppressing key inflammatory pathways, including the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) cascade.
This mechanism of action is similar to some conventional anti-inflammatory agents, offering a way to mitigate inflammation throughout the body. Ginger’s ability to modulate these widespread inflammatory responses contributes to its traditional use for various types of discomfort.
Understanding the Added Sugar Content
The main trade-off for the convenience and palatability of ginger chews is the high concentration of added sugars. Commercial chews are essentially candies, relying on sweeteners like cane sugar, maltose, or corn syrup to achieve the desirable chewy texture and mask the intense heat of the ginger. A single piece often contains about 3 to 4 grams of sugar and roughly 15 calories.
Consuming several chews throughout the day for continuous nausea relief can quickly lead to an excessive intake of refined sugars. This can undermine the ginger’s benefits by contributing to blood sugar spikes and weight gain. High sugar consumption is also linked to promoting systemic inflammation, which directly counteracts the anti-inflammatory effects of the ginger.
The standard nutrition label lists total sugars and calories but does not specify the amount of active gingerols or shogaols. Because the chews are sold as candy, the precise therapeutic dose of the ginger compounds is unknown and varies significantly between brands. This lack of standardization means consumers may be getting a large dose of sugar without a reliably effective amount of the beneficial ginger compounds.
Guidelines for Safe and Effective Consumption
To maximize ginger benefits while minimizing sugar intake, consumers should treat ginger chews as an occasional supplement rather than a daily snack. It is advisable to check the ingredient list and nutrition facts, opting for brands that list ginger high up and use minimal or more natural sweeteners. Some brands offer options sweetened with fruit juice or lower-glycemic alternatives.
For most healthy adults, ginger consumption is considered safe up to about 3 to 4 grams of dried ginger equivalent per day. Exceeding 5 to 6 grams of ginger daily may lead to mild gastrointestinal side effects, such as heartburn, gas, bloating, or irritation in the mouth and throat. Since the exact ginger content in chews is often undisclosed, limiting intake to one or two pieces at a time is a prudent approach.
Individuals taking certain medications should consult a healthcare provider before regular consumption. Ginger may interact with blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin or aspirin, due to its mild anti-platelet activity, potentially increasing the risk of bleeding. It may also affect blood pressure or blood sugar levels, so those on medications for diabetes or hypertension should be mindful of their overall intake.