How to Use Ginger for PCOS: 5 Tips You Probably Don't Know

Historically ginger has been used for things like morning sickness, digestive problems and colic.

But, “is ginger good for PCOS?”

Several studies indicate that ginger may provide significant relief from several PCOS symptoms. Therefore, this is one herb that is worth considering – under the supervision of your doctor – as you put together your PCOS treatment plan.

In this post, we;re going to look at the top benefits of using ginger for PCOS, as well as 5 ways in which you can add ginger to your PCOS diet.

6 BENEFITS OF GINGER FOR PCOS RELIEF

1. May Be As Effective As Clomid (and without the side effects)

Also known as clomiphene citrate, Clomid is a popular drug that is used to address fertility issues in women with PCOS.

Interestingly, one study shows that ginger is also quite effective at regulating the hormones associated with fertility.

In fact, the study concluded that since long-term use of Clomid has negative side effects “the use of ginger as a herbal medicine without any side effects at high doses can be an effective and good alternative in improving PCOS” (source).

2. May Balance Blood Sugar Levels

Research shows that ginger improves fasting blood sugar levels and long-term blood sugar by 12% and 10% respectively (source).

This is an important benefit since insulin resistance and high blood sugar are very common in women with PCOS (1, 2).

3. Fights Inflammation

how to use ginger for pcos root and powder — Whether you use fresh or ground ginger, you get all the benefits of this warming root.

As I mention in this 7-step plan for PCOS relief, chronic inflammation is one of the 3 underlying causes of PCOS.

Therefore, reducing inflammation is an important piece of the puzzle if you want to improve your symptoms.

As it turns out, ginger can be a really beneficial ally in reversing PCOS.

This is mainly because ginger contains ingredients like gingerol, shogaol, paradol and zingerone, which have all been found to reduce inflammation (3, 4).

4. May Reduce Period Pain

Studies indicate that ginger reduces the intensity and duration of menstrual cramps (source).

In addition, ginger has also been shown to relieve period pain just as effectively as ibuprofen and mefenamic acid (source).

And the best part of all this? Ginger doesn’t demonstrate the same nasty side effects that are associated with drugs like mefenamic acid (think liver damage, stomach pain, rash and so on).

5. May Support The Immune System

There is a strong link between the immune system and the endocrine (hormone production) system.

In fact, research confirms that some hormones can also be produced by cells of the immune system. And by the same token, some cytokines (immune system substances) are actually produced by our hormone production glands.

So, what does this mean for PCOS? Well, it tells us that in order to resolve the hormonal imbalances associated with PCOS, we have to keep the immune system strong.

Ginger happens to be an effective antiviral, antibacterial and antioxidant food (5, 6, 7).

Therefore, adding ginger to your PCOS diet can give your body the support it needs to find its natural balance.

6. May Support Weight Loss

Because of the imbalances that occur with PCOS, weight loss can often be quite difficult.

However, ginger can support weight loss because it balances blood sugar and fights inflammation.
Both of these factors are strongly tied to weight gain (8, 9).

HOW TO USE GINGER FOR PCOS RELIEF

1. Relax With A Cup of Ginger Tea

ginger tea in a cup — Ginger tea, sweetened with honey is both soothing and healing.

Drinking 2 to 3 cups of ginger tea a day not only gives you its health benefits, but it’s also very soothing and relaxing.

BONUS TIP: sweeten your ginger tea with raw honey for additional antioxidant and immune-boosting power.

Here’s how to make your own ginger tea.

Ginger Tea Recipe

Ingredients	How To Make
2-inch piece of fresh ginger (with skin), chopped coarsely 4 cups water	Bring the water and ginger to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the ginger pieces out of the tea and store in a jar.

2. Add Ginger to Homemade Juices

Another tasty way of enjoying the benefits of ginger for PCOS is to use ginger in a juice.

Here are some ginger juice combos to try:

Carrot, Cucumber and Ginger Juice

Ingredients

4 large carrots

¼ medium cucumber

2-inch piece of ginger (with skin)

Carrot, Beet and Ginger Juice

Ingredients

4 large carrots

½ small beet

2-inch piece of ginger

3. Blend Ginger into Turmeric Milk

how to use ginger for pcos turmeric milk — Combining turmeric milk and ginger gives you a very potent, anti-inflammatory PCOS drink.

Turmeric milk is one of my favorite soothing drinks!

It is packed with anti-inflammatory and liver-friendly ingredients, which is good news for our hormones.

And you can boost it by adding in a little ginger.

Here’s how to make your own turmeric milk.

Ingredients	How To Make
1 cup full-fat coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk1 tsp coconut oil 1/2 – 3/4tsp cinnamon powder 1/4 – 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp ginger Pinch of black pepper 1 to 2 tsp raw honey to sweeten Optional adds ins: Cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and fennel.	Combine all ingredients except the raw honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat the ingredients (BUT DON’T BOIL) for approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure they blend well. Pour directly into a mug if you don’t mind the spices settling at the bottom of the mug. Otherwise pour through a strainer first. Sweeten with raw honey.

4. Add Ginger To Green Tea

Green tea is high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.

In addition, green tea can also boost your metabolism.

So, why not combine the power of ginger and green tea to fight inflammation and boost weight loss?

To do this simply make yourself a cup of green tea and then, add a small amount of ground ginger to it.

Start with ¼ tsp of ginger. Add more if your taste buds like it.

5. Use Ginger Essential Oil for Additional PCOS Relief

If you don’t like eating ginger, or simply want more options for healing your body, then you should try using ginger essential oil for PCOS!

The easiest way to get the benefits of ginger oil is to diffuse it.

For more PCOS support, combine ginger oil with geranium oil (lowers inflammation, balances hormones and relieves stress) and frankincense oil (fights inflammation, may balance hormones and support fertility).

Try diffusing 2 drops each of ginger, geranium and frankincense.

Another option for using ginger oil is to make your own body oil.

In this case, I also recommend blending the ginger oil with other PCOS-friendly oil.

Here’s a quick recipe for you to try: