Pickled ginger, also known as gari, is the yellowish/pinkish slices you see accommodating almost every sushi dish. There’s nothing like it. The spiciness, sweetness, and vinegar tastes add so much that it’s an essential part of the sushi experience. But what are the health benefits of pickled ginger?
Let’s go over them.
Health Benefits Of Pickled Ginger
Since pickled ginger is not much different from regular ginger (obviously), they share most health benefits. But fermented foods have health benefits of their own, which means pickled ginger will have extra health benefits such as:
- Reducing inflammation
- Boosting immunity
- Regulating gut function
- Improving nutrient absorption
The vinegar in gari will also provide independent health benefits such as:
- Controlling blood sugar
- Aiding weight management
- Reducing cholesterol
- Antimicrobial
That already gives you an idea of how healthy pickled ginger is. And we haven’t even gotten to the main subject, the ginger! We actually have a comprehensive guide about ginger’s health benefits, which we highly recommend you read (and incorporate into your diet).
Ginger has been used medicinally for thousands of years in many cultures; Indian, Arabic, and Asian are just a few. Not to mention its popular botanical brothers’ turmeric and cardamom. It has tremendous benefits that combined with the benefits of vinegar and fermentation we previously mentioned, make gari pack quite a punch.
But if you’re just looking for a brief summary of ginger, look no further. Ginger, on its own, has the following health benefits:
- Antioxidant
- Antibiotic
- Anti-nausea
- Anti-inflammatory
- Immune system support
- Alleviates nausea
- Eases menstrual pain
- Eases joint pain
- Regulates blood sugar
- Treats indigestion
Most of these benefits are due to ginger’s active components, gingerols. So, combine all of that together, and you have the health benefits of pickled ginger.
Of course, there are also lower-order health benefits such as the low-calorie content: one tablespoon (14 grams) = 10 calories. And there’s absolutely no fat or saturated fat contents and no added sugar (unless you buy low-quality gari).
Side Effects Of Pickled Ginger?
You might be asking yourself, are there even any? Well, as with anything, have too much of it, and the positive will turn negative. So as long as you keep your gari intake under control, you should be fine. But if you go overboard, you might experience the following side effects:
- Gas
- Heartburn
- Upset stomach
- Mouth irritation
Conclusion
Pickled ginger is the perfect buddy to accompany your sushi. It adds another layer of taste that you should experience if you haven’t yet. And it has tremendous health benefits that come from the fermentation process, the vinegar, and the ginger itself.
You shouldn’t worry about side effects unless you’re cracking open jars and forking gari into your mouth. Then you should be a little worried. But not about the side effects, haha.
So enjoy your gari. Just make sure you get high-quality gari as the lower quality gari often contains sugar, preservatives, and more contents that ruin the taste and the benefits.