For most people, added sugar is the most unhealthy thing about drinking ginger ale. Many studies have suggested that consuming large amounts of added sugar may lead to weight gain and chronic disease.
Is Ginger Ale Bad for Weight Loss? As a drink laden with sugar, ginger ale shouldn’t be considered a weight watcher’s best friend. Nearly every brand has about 140 calories per 12 oz serving. Sugary drinks are known to cause weight gain, as well as elevate blood pressure and the risk of chronic diseases.
Having pro-longed high blood sugar levels (known as hyperglycemia) can cause weight gain in some cases. Ginger is also anti-inflammatory. Research has linked weight gain with inflammation.
Put simply, not exactly. As a sugary drink, ginger ale contains many calories, 135 in a 12-ounce serving to be exact, says MedlinePlus. Sugary drinks will not only cause weight gain, but increase the risk of heart disease, other chronic diseases and type 2 diabetes, says the Harvard School of Public Health.
In addition to regular ginger ale, you’ll also find diet ginger ale, which contains calorie-free sweeteners, and dry ginger ale. “Dry” is a marketing term to describe a spicier ginger flavor. While ginger ale itself isn’t a health food, it may offer a few benefits if it contains real ginger root.
These properties of ginger don’t directly address excess pounds, but they do help prevent cardiovascular damage and other side effects of being overweight while you work to bring your weight to a healthy number. Other research supports the idea that ginger could play a role in weight loss as well.
In some people, ginger may cause abdominal discomfort, heartburn, diarrhea or gas. If you regularly consume too much ginger, side effects may include an increased bleeding risk due to a decrease in platelet aggregation, according to a 2014 Nutrition Journal review.
What are the side effects of ginger ale?
Some of the common allergic reactions caused by the ginger ale are breathing difficulties, swollen tongue and lips, choked throat and itchy rashes in the body.
Ginger ale is known for improving digestive health as it improves the secretion of bile juice in our body. Bile juice plays an important role in digestion as it breaks down fats into fatty acids which are much easier to digest.
Steps involved in the production of ginger ale are as follows:- 1 For making ginger ale, take one cup of water and add sliced ginger, brown sugar, and white sugar to it, and then boil the mixture in a saucepan. Stir the solution frequently and ensures that both sugars get dissolves completely. 2 Once the sugar is dissolved, lower the flame and keep cooking the mixture for a minimum of 15 minutes. In this step, the mixture will turn into a syrup. 3 Strain the mixture, and let the mixture cool down at normal temperature. Let it cool naturally without the use of a fan or air conditioner. 4 Add lemon juice to the solution and mix well. 5 At the final step, add club soda to the mixture and stir well.
Some other differences between ginger ale and ginger beer are as follows. Ginger beer was initially made as an alcoholic beverage with the use of ingredients such as fermented ginger, water, and sugar. On the other hand, ginger ale is a non-alcoholic beverage. Ginger ale is basically a ginger-flavored sweetened soft drink , but on the other hand, …
For this reason and as well as because of their anticoagulant nature, it is advised to stop drinking ginger ale three weeks prior to surgery as otherwise it can lead to internal bleeding and slowed healing.
The earliest mention of ginger beer is from 1809 in England, and at that time it was a farmhouse staple, an alcoholic beverage made from fermented ginger, honey and lemon juice. Later, nonalcoholic ginger beer became popular. Ginger ale first emerged in the mid 19th century in present-day Northern Ireland.
High doses of ginger in ginger ale cause heart palpitation. This happens to be one of the most dreaded side effects of ginger ale. Consumption of ginger in any form can trigger an arrhythmia if consumed in very high quantities.
What are the compounds in ginger called?
Compounds in ginger called gingerols and shogaols are what give ginger its distinct pungency and pharmacological activity, says Integrative Medicine Insights. However, the concentrations of active ingredients will vary greatly based on the way ginger is processed and used.
The edible underground stem, aka rhizome, of ginger has been used since antiquity — not only as a spice, but also to treat gastrointestinal ailments, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and dyspepsia. It may also be used to treat arthritis, muscular aches and fever.
In fact, the negative effects of drinking too much ginger ale might have little to do with the ginger content, and more to do with other ingredients. Ginger ale is often loaded with sugar, adds the Cleveland Clinic. If you have bloating, gas or indigestion, the carbonation and sugar can worsen your symptoms.
Given that ginger is most effective in its near-natural state, ginger ale won’t necessarily be the best way to gain the benefits of ginger. The Cleveland Clinic points out that ginger ale may contain artificial ginger flavoring instead of real ginger, or insufficient amounts of ginger to offer relief. In fact, the negative effects of drinking too …
According to the authors, the best available evidence demonstrates that ginger is a safe, effective, inexpensive treatment for nausea and vomiting. Advertisement.
Video of the Day. Ginger root can not only help to alleviate nausea and vomiting , but also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor and anti-ulcer effects, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
When you’re sick to your stomach, your first thought might be to reach for a can of ginger ale — it’s what your parents said to do, right? While you may find some benefits of ginger ale soda, however, you might be better off going straight to the source with ginger root instead.
How much sugar is in ginger ale?
A single 12-ounce (360-mL) can of ginger ale may contain 36 grams of added sugar, which is 72% of the Daily Value (DV) based on a 2,000 calorie diet ( 21. Trusted Source. ). Ingredient lists may include many names for added sugar, such as organic cane sugar, agave nectar, and honey.
Ginger ale is a carbonated beverage made with ginger root and a sweetener. While most commercial ginger ales use high fructose corn syrup and artificial coloring, traditional ginger ale is fermented and tends to contain more natural ingredients.
“Dry” seems to be a marketing term brands use to describe ginger ales that have a spicier, “drier” ginger flavor as a result of a specific way manufacturers source and process the ginger root. Diet. This type of ginger ale contains artificial or calorie-free sweeteners in place of sugar.
This style is made with either yeast or ginger bug as a microbial starter culture. Ginger bug is similar to the SCOBY, or starter culture, used to make sourdough bread or kombucha. It’s derived from either the ginger beer plant or fresh ginger root.
People typically consume it on its own but also sometimes use it in mixed drink recipes. Manufacturers classify most commercial ginger ale as soda. They make ginger ale by mixing carbonated water with sugar or high fructose corn syrup and either natural or artificial ginger flavoring.
Otherwise, when consumed in moderation, ginger ale is a low risk beverage for the average person and can fit within an overall healthy diet. Summary. Ginger ale in moderation is safe for most people. That said, artificial sweeteners in diet versions and added sugar in regular versions may have negative health effects.
Aspartame is one nonnutritive sweetener in diet ginger ale that may have some side effects, but research results are mix ed and scientists need to do more research to investigate its potential effects. A 2017 review on the safety of aspartame suggested it may affect several cellular processes to cause inflammation.
What is ginger used for?
So what are these health benefits of ginger? According to the University of Rochester health encyclopedia, ginger is generally used to treat an upset stomach or reduce nausea, particularly pregnancy-related nausea , such as morning sickness.
Ginger beer is similar in taste to ginger ale, though it actually contains ginger, which means it comes with a number of health benefits, such as alleviating an upset stomach or nausea. Advertisement.
The health benefits of ginger, on the other hand are abundant. Though you won’t find actual ginger in ginger ale, you will find it in a good ginger ale alternative: ginger beer.
As a sugary drink, ginger ale contains many calories, 135 in a 12-ounce serving to be exact, says MedlinePlus. Sugary drinks will not only cause weight gain, but increase the risk of heart disease, other chronic diseases and type 2 diabetes, says the Harvard School of Public Health.
According to a March 2011 article in Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects, ginger also contains antioxidant properties and some research has indicated that it may have anti-inflammatory effects as well. It’s also been studied for its anticarcinogenic and other disease-preventative features.
Furthermore, According to Harvard School of Public Health, regularly drinking sugary drinks can increase your chance of developing gout, compromise healthy bones and in some severe cases, lead to premature death.
The next time someone offers you a ginger ale for your upset stomach, you may have to opt for ginger instead. Canada Dry ginger ale benefits are few, as ginger ale is considered an artificially sweetened beverage with little to no nutritional value.
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