Chew on This: How Ginger Chews Can Boost Your Well-Being and Fight Nausea

The Gist:

• Ginger chews are made with ginger root and a little sugar.
• Ginger has many health benefits.
• Too much ginger can cause stomach issues.

Ginger is a spicy root vegetable that has many health benefits. Ginger has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and is also known to help relieve nausea, lower bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, and fight infection.

But what about those ginger chew candies you find at the supermarket and natural foods store? Are ginger chews good for you? Let’s look at the health benefits of ginger chews and whether they are good for you or not.

Generally yes, ginger chews can be good for you, because they have many of the same health benefits as raw ginger. That’s because the main ingredient in ginger chews is the ginger root. According to the Marlboro Drug Company, manufacturer of Prince of Peace Ginger Chews, the ginger candy is made from “a slice of ginger root that is boiled in water to soften it and then coated in sugar.”

While you should limit how much sugar you eat, the amount of sugar included in a ginger chew is much less than you would get if you were to drink a ginger ale. One 12-ounce can of ginger ale typically contains almost 33 grams of sugar, per the USDA. Compare that to a ginger chew, which usually has about 3 grams of sugar per Eat This Much.

That said, if you want to avoid too much sugar, there are a variety of low-sugar ginger chews, sugar-free ginger gummies, and sugar-free ginger hard candies on the market.

There are a plethora of health benefits to ginger and its byproducts. Ginger chews have many of the same benefits as the ginger root they are made with, primarily because of the active ingredient gingerol. According to a 2019 study published in Foods, ginger has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties.

As an anti-inflammatory, ginger may help decrease the risk of health problems related to chronic inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and even some cancers, per GoodRX Health.

A 2018 study, published in the journal Clinical & Medical Biochemistry, also found that taking a small amount of ginger daily could reduce LDL cholesterol and body weight, as well as help prevent heart disease. Some studies have indicated that ginger may also help lower blood pressure, per SELF.

Perhaps the most common health benefit of ginger chews is to settle a queasy stomach. Remember when your mother gave you ginger ale when you were sick as a child? Ginger chews can help with nausea just like the ginger ale did, and with less sugar.

Ginger was found to be a safe alternative to anti-nausea medicines for pregnant women experiencing morning sickness, per a 2014 study. It has also proven effective in helping to relieve nausea and vomiting in patients receiving chemotherapy or those with other gastrointestinal disorders, according to Healthline.

However, too much ginger can cause problems such as diarrhea, indigestion, and stomach upset, per WebMD. It also isn’t recommended for people on blood thinners — so to be safe, make sure to consult with your physician before making ginger chews a regular part of your diet.