Is ginger ale good for you? Ginger ale is a carbonated beverage made with ginger root and sweetener. Most commercial ginger ale use high fructose corn syrup and artificial coloring. Traditional ginger ale typically contains more natural ingredients.
Some of the popular types of ginger ale are sodas which contain ginger, sugar, high fructose corn syrup and carbonation. Another type of ginger ale is diet ginger ale which contains artificial or calorie sweeteners in place of sugar.
The nutrition facts of a single 12 ounce of ginger ale contains 36 grams of added sugar which is 72% of the Daily Value based on a 2000 calorie a day diet.
Is ginger ale good for you? Photo credit: iStock-bhofack2
Ginger ale is not considered a healthy drink because of all of the added sugar, but ginger root is healthy. And it is an underground stem of a ginger plant. It has a long history of medicinal and health uses related to the digestives system. Some research studies have shown that ginger can help relieve stomach flu, migraines, nausea, upset stomach, or morning sickness in pregnancy.
Other health benefits of ginger root are:
- Studies have shown it may help support heart health and lower blood pressure.
- It may reduce inflammation of the brain and joints.
- It has a natural source of antioxidants and antioxidants help to fight off diseases.
Some of the negative effects of consuming ginger ale is the carbonation which can unfortunately lead to gassing, bloating, and burping. Another negative health benefit is the added sugar in ginger ale. And if you consume added sugar, it raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic health problems.
One of the best ways to look at ginger ale to determine if it is healthy is to look at the back of the ingredients of the bottle. And make sure that most of the ingredients are natural and they don’t contain any excessive added sugar.
What people don’t know is most ginger ales contain more added sugar than actual ginger ale.
“Ginger ale is not considered a healthy drink because of all the added sugar, but ginger root is healthy.” Celebrity Fitness & Nutrition Expert Obi Obadike
The Bottom Line is most commercials ginger ales contains a lot of added sugar and very little ginger. But actual ginger root contains a lot of health benefits such as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. And it also improves headaches and nausea symptoms.
If you have any interest in trying any of our Ethical Supplement products to help you heighten your immune system or assist you with your fitness, weight loss or health goals. You can get a discount below at this link.
https://offer.ethicalinc.com/suppressant-offer/ ?utm_source=blog
References
- USDA- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/432651/nutrients
- Paglia L. The sweet danger of added sugars. Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2019 Jun;20(2):89. doi: 10.23804/ejpd.2019.20.02.01. PMID: 31246081.
- Malik VS, Pan A, Willett WC, Hu FB. Sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain in children and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Oct;98(4):1084-102. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.058362. Epub 2013 Aug 21. PMID: 23966427; PMCID: PMC3778861.
- Amato MC, Guarnotta V, Giordano C. Body composition assessment for the definition of cardiometabolic risk. J Endocrinol Invest. 2013 Jul-Aug;36(7):537-43. doi: 10.3275/8943. Epub 2013 Apr 23. PMID: 23612318.
- Mäkinen KK. Gastrointestinal Disturbances Associated with the Consumption of Sugar Alcohols with Special Consideration of Xylitol: Scientific Review and Instructions for Dentists and Other Health-Care Professionals. Int J Dent. 2016;2016:5967907. doi: 10.1155/2016/5967907. Epub 2016 Oct 20. PMID: 27840639; PMCID: PMC5093271.
- White B. Ginger: an overview. Am Fam Physician. 2007 Jun 1;75(11):1689-91. PMID: 17575660.
- Hasani H, Arab A, Hadi A, Pourmasoumi M, Ghavami A, Miraghajani M. Does ginger supplementation lower blood pressure? A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Phytother Res. 2019 Jun;33(6):1639-1647. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6362. Epub 2019 Apr 11. PMID: 30972845.
- Altman RD, Marcussen KC. Effects of a ginger extract on knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2001 Nov;44(11):2531-8. doi: 10.1002/1529-0131(200111)44:11<2531::aid-art433>3.0.co;2-j. PMID: 11710709.
- Jeena K, Liju VB, Kuttan R. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of essential oil from ginger. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2013 Jan-Mar;57(1):51-62. PMID: 24020099.
- Li Y, Hong Y, Han Y, Wang Y, Xia L. Chemical characterization and antioxidant activities comparison in fresh, dried, stir-frying and carbonized ginger. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2016 Feb 1;1011:223-32. doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2016.01.009. Epub 2016 Jan 11. PMID: 26799205.
- Obrenovich ME, Li Y, Parvathaneni K, Yendluri BB, Palacios HH, Leszek J, Aliev G. Antioxidants in health, disease and aging. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2011 Mar;10(2):192-207. doi: 10.2174/187152711794480375. PMID: 21226664.
- Lete I, Allué J. The Effectiveness of Ginger in the Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting during Pregnancy and Chemotherapy. Integr Med Insights. 2016 Mar 31;11:11-7. doi: 10.4137/IMI.S36273. PMID: 27053918; PMCID: PMC4818021.
- Baliga MS, Haniadka R, Pereira MM, D’Souza JJ, Pallaty PL, Bhat HP, Popuri S. Update on the chemopreventive effects of ginger and its phytochemicals. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2011 Jul;51(6):499-523. doi: 10.1080/10408391003698669. PMID: 21929329.
