Dry Skin, Dull Hair, Muscle Aches And Poor Digestion... One Kitchen Ingredient For All These Problems

Dried ginger powder can aid better digestion in winter

The goodness of ginger has often been talked about. But what about the goodness dried ginger powder? Popularly known as saunth or soonth, dried ginger powder can be the solution to a lot of your problems. Elaborating on the health benefits of dried ginger powder is nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar on social media. According to her, dried or powdered form of ginger is a spice which is as good as turmeric (the golden spice which has gained popularity globally). The former, however, is the one which works quietly in the background regulating appetite, blood pressure and even blood sugar levels.

Health benefits of dried ginger powder that will surprise you

Dried ginger powder can be helpful in reducing muscle aches and body pains. It is rich in beneficial antioxidants. Including dried ginger powder in your daily diet can help in activation of trypsin and lipase, the digestive enzymes which help in breaking down protein and fat. What's more, dried ginger powder acts as a natural analgesic by providing pain relief.

Also read: Ginger And Turmeric: Medicinal Kitchen Ingredients You Should Eat Daily

All these benefits of dried ginger powder makes the spice of great value during winter. "Most winter delicacies are heavy so need help in digestion. Winters also bring aches and pains in joints, especially in those who are old, soonth helps with that. And winter also means skin and hair damage so soonth helps with that too," writes Rujuta in her post.

Dried ginger can help in dealing with frizzy hair and dull skin in winter
Photo Credit: iStock

How to include saunth or dried ginger powder in your diet?

A popular and delicious way to eat saunth is by making chatpati saunth chutney, which is commonly served with samosas. Saunth is also added to the water added to mouth-watering gol gappas. Besides, here other ways to add saunth to your daily diet:

1. Masala chai

A cup of masala chai can undoubtedly fix everything that is broken in your life, quite literally! It is soothing and calming in nature and can help in relieving stress.

You can add saunth to masala chai and have it daily to reap benefits from it
Photo Credit: iStock

2. Saunth, ghee and jaggery

You can have small pea-sized laddoos made with a pinch of saunth, ghee and jaggery. You can have this laddoo after your lunch and even dinner. In the afternoon, it can help you get rid of unwanted afternoon slump or sugar cravings that you usually experience after having lunch. Rujuta says that saunth with jaggery and ghee can also be helpful for people who take medicines for thyroid regulation.

Also read: The Perfect Guide To Losing Weight If You Are Suffering From Thyroid

3. At bed time or late in evening

Add some saunth to a glass of milk with some kesar (saffron), 1 tsp of freshly crushed almonds, cashews and other nuts, haldi and some nutmeg. Drinking this at bedtime can help you sleep better. It is also good for strengthening your bones and joints. Diabetics and people with joint pain and arthritis pain can also benefit from this.

4. Saunth, ghee, jaggery and haldi for cough and cold

Rujuta suggests that you can make bite-sized balls by mixing equal amounts of ghee, jaggery, saunth and haldi. You can give this regularly to children who experience cough, cold and congestion regularly.

5. Ghee and saunth

Mix saunth in some ghee and rub the paste on the soles of your feet before going to bed. It can help in improving your sleep, reduce digestion problems and may even reduce nightmares.

Also read: Ghee Health Benefits: Here's How Much Ghee You Should Eat Every Day

6. Aradiyo

This is a Gujarati dish, mentions Rujuta, which is made with haldi, saunth and numerous other ingredients. It can help in reducing hair frizziness and dull skin-common occurrences of winter. Aradiyo can help in reducing muscle soreness after a workout. If you have just started working out or play intense sports that gives you soreness you don't want, then aradiyo is the one for you.

(Rujuta Diwekar is a nutritionist based in Mumbai)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.