You have likely heard of ginger powder and ginger tea, but ginger essential oil is also a powerful and useful tool for your overall health. With a wide variety of uses and a number of impressive health benefits, ginger oil – whether store-bought or made at home is something that every medicine cabinet should contain!
What is Ginger Essential Oil?
Ginger essential oil is the concentrated oil extracted from fresh or dried ginger. Through a steam distillation or solvent extraction method, you can separate the active ingredients from the root, which can be consumed and used in many ways. While the other forms of ginger are good for flavor and as an ingredient in foods, ginger oil is the best form to use as a medicine, thanks to its high concentration of gingerol and other organic compounds. With stimulants, antioxidants, laxative, and anti-inflammatory properties, this essential oil is praised throughout the world. [1]
In aromatherapy, ginger essential oil is considered as an effective stimulant. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Ginger Essential Oil Benefits
The key benefits of ginger oil include its ability to boost heart health, reduce inflammation, prevent chronic diseases, optimize digestion, stimulate the immune system, and protect the respiratory system, among others.
Prevents Chronic Diseases
With known antioxidant effects, ginger essential oil will not only help to prevent oxidative stress and chronic diseases but will also strengthen the immune system and prevent infections throughout the body. [2]
Improves Respiratory Health
The soothing, stimulating and antibiotic effects of ginger essential oil are great for healing the respiratory system, soothe sore throats, and eliminate excess mucus and phlegm in your respiratory tracts. [3]
Aids Digestion
Known around the world for soothing stomach and eliminating nausea, just a few drops of this essential oil can improve your digestive processes and you can get rid of cramping or bloating. [4]
Reduces Inflammation
When topically applied with a carrier oil, ginger essential oil can rapidly relieve pain, swelling, and discomfort on joints or other sore areas on the body. [5]
Increases Sex Drive
Anecdotally, ginger oil has long been praised for increasing libido in both men and women. [6]
Treats Menstrual Cramping
Women can consume small amounts of this oil to relieve cramps, particularly from painful menstruation.
Ginger Essential Oil Uses
There are many ways to use ginger oil, including in cooking, topical application, oral consumption, and aromatic diffusion, among others.
Topical Application
You can blend this essential oil with a carrier oil, such as almond or coconut oil, and apply it directly to joints, temples, and sore muscles to relieve inflammation. This oil is also used in massage therapy in many areas. [7]
Oral Consumption
Some people consume small amounts of ginger oil directly to soothe inflammation in the gut and general stomach upset. This can also help with respiratory disorders.
Culinary Use
Many people add trace amounts of ginger essential oil to their meals for a nutritious boost, as well as adding flavor to the meal, thanks to the spicy bite of this infused oil.
Diffusion
Using small amounts of this oil for aromatherapy applications, or in a room diffuser, can help you enjoy the benefits all day, but be sure to blend this with other, less potent oils. [8]
How to Make Ginger Essential Oil?
Many people prefer to make their own essential oils, and when it comes to ginger oil, it is quite easy to prepare.
DIY Ginger Essential Oil Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh ginger chopped
- 2 cups olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse the ginger (chopped) and let it dry for 1-2 hours.
- Add the olive oil to an oven-safe bowl and grate the dry ginger into the oil.
- Stir the mixture and place the bowl in the oven for 2 hours at low heat (170 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Strain the contents of the bowl through cheesecloth into a jar.
- Squeeze the remaining pieces of ginger in the cheesecloth to get the remaining infused oil.
Notes
Side Effects of Ginger Essential Oil
While a small amount of this oil is not inherently dangerous, an excessive amount can be dangerous and may lead to bleeding disorders, high blood pressure, low blood sugar levels, gastrointestinal distress, and topical inflammation, if you are allergic to ginger or other members of the turmeric family. However, when consuming normal amounts, ginger oil is generally perfectly safe.
