Amazing Benefits of Ginger in Your Juices and Smoothies

By
Robert Hannum
Robert Hannum
Robert Hannum is a food writer and the author of juicing and smoothie cookbooks.
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Updated on 06/24/21
Carrot juice with ginger

Juj Winn / Getty Images
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Serving: 1 to 2 servings
Yield: 20 ounces
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
362 Calories
8g Fat
63g Carbs
19g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1 to 2
Amount per serving
Calories 362
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 20mg 7%
Sodium 216mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 63g 23%
Dietary Fiber 21g 76%
Total Sugars 35g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 80mg 402%
Calcium 862mg 66%
Iron 5mg 26%
Potassium 1146mg 24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Feeling cold on a chilly day and need something to warm you up? Look no further than ginger. Its warming properties have been used for thousands of years!

Ginger has been a major medicinal plant for over 5000 years. It’s been used to treat many problems, from pain relief to nausea, seasickness to infection, and sexual dysfunction to scurvy.

In folk medicine, ginger has a long and fabled history. It was commonly prescribed as an aphrodisiac, as well as for the treatment of any number of intestinal and digestive issues including constipation, and was dispensed to relieve colic. Ginger was used to reduce inflammation and to assist with neurological and nervous system problems. It was commonly utilized to treat infections such as colds and flu and to bring heat to the body.

Ginger is believed to have originated in China and spread quickly to India and Africa, from where it made its way to the ancient Romans and Europeans and on to Jamaica. At one time Jamaica was the leading producer of ginger.

Today we understand a lot more about the power of this wonderful spice, and why it held such high esteem in the ancient world not only for its fantastic flavor but also for its medicinal properties.

Ingredients

For a Juice:

  • 2 medium apples

  • 2 medium ​carrots

  • 1 medium celery stalk

  • 1-inch slice fresh ginger

  • 2 to 4 leaves of your favorite greens such as​ beet,​ kale,​ spinach or​ wheatgrass.

For a Smoothie:

  • 1 to 2 cups of your favorite milk such as dairy, almond, soy, oat, or rice

  • 2 tablespoons nuts, protein powder, or flax seeds, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. If making a juice, process through a juicer.

  3. If making a smoothie, combine all the ingredients from the juice plus the milk of your choice in a blender; process on high until smooth. Add nuts, protein powder, or flaxseeds to create an even smoother consistency, if desired.

  4. Pour into glasses and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Benefits & Research

  • Exceedingly low in calories and rich in vitamins and minerals as well as phytochemicals such as gingerol, ginger provides fiber, high amounts of manganese and magnesium, and good amounts of phosphorus, calcium, iron, potassium, and zinc.
  • Ginger is also a rich source of B-complex compounds, vitamins C and E. Its vitamin C content is the reason ancient voyagers carried this spice with them, to avoid scurvy.
  • Studies have also demonstrated that gingerol acts as a potent anti-inflammatory in fighting the effects of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
  • Ginger also contains shogaols, which have been shown in studies to reduce inflammation and have anti-diabetic and anti-cancerous properties as well.


For these reasons, ginger is an awesome addition to your juices and smoothies. Just as little as a ‘thumb-sized’ portion could not only warm you up on a chilly day, but also protect you from infection, inflammation, and pain!

Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Choi JG, Kim SY, Jeong M, Oh MS. Pharmacotherapeutic potential of ginger and its compounds in age-related neurological disorders. Pharmacol Ther. 2018;182:56-69.  doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2017.08.010

  2. US Department of Agriculture. Food Data Central. Ginger root, raw. Updated April 1, 2019.

  3. Rayati F, Hajmanouchehri F, Najafi E. Comparison of anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Ginger powder and Ibuprofen in postsurgical pain model: A randomized, double-blind, case-control clinical trial. Dent Res J (Isfahan). 2017;14(1):1-7. 

  4. Shidfar F, Rajab A, Rahideh T, Khandouzi N, Hosseini S, Shidfar S. The effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on glycemic markers in patients with type 2 diabetes. J Complement Integr Med. 2015;12(2):165-70.  doi:10.1515/jcim-2014-0021