Ginger root is commonly used as a spice in cooking food and ingridient in beverages, such as ginger root beer. It is also used in traditional medicine. It is especially popular in South Asian households.
Ginger is consumed as a fresh root, root extract or powder form.
Chemical components in ginger root include 6-Gingerol, 8-gingerol, 6-shogaol and 10-gingerol. The gingerols and other compounds (flavonoids) in ginger root extract have been shown to have antioxidant activity. Altogether about 50 types of antioxidants are identified in extract of ginger root.
Table: List of nutrients and their content in ginger root, raw. Nutrient values and weights are for edible portion.
| Nutrient |
Units
|
Nutrient content per 100 grams
|
|---|---|---|
| Water |
g
|
78.89
|
| Energy |
kcalorie
|
80
|
| Energy |
kj
|
333
|
| Protein |
g
|
1.82
|
| Total lipid (fat) |
g
|
0.75
|
| Ash |
g
|
0.77
|
| Carbohydrate, by difference |
g
|
17.77
|
| Fiber, total dietary |
g
|
2.0
|
| Sugars, total |
g
|
1.70
|
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium, Ca |
mg
|
16
|
| Iron, Fe |
mg
|
0.60
|
| Magnesium, Mg |
mg
|
43
|
| Phosphorus, P |
mg
|
34
|
| Potassium, K |
mg
|
415
|
| Sodium, Na |
mg
|
13
|
| Zinc, Zn |
mg
|
0.34
|
| Copper, Cu |
mg
|
0.226
|
| Manganese, Mn |
mg
|
0.229
|
| Selenium, Se |
mcg
|
0.7
|
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid |
mg
|
5.0
|
| Thiamin |
mg
|
0.025
|
| Riboflavin |
mg
|
0.034
|
| Niacin |
mg
|
0.750
|
| Pantothenic acid |
mg
|
0.203
|
| Vitamin B-6 |
mg
|
0.160
|
| Folate, total |
mcg
|
11
|
| Folic acid |
mcg
|
0
|
| Folate, food |
mcg
|
11
|
| Folate, DFE |
mcg_DFE
|
11
|
| Vitamin B-12 |
mcg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin B-12, added |
mcg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin A, IU |
IU
|
0
|
| Vitamin A, RAE |
mcg_RAE
|
0
|
| Retinol |
mcg
|
0
|
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) |
mg
|
0.26
|
| Vitamin E, added |
mg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) |
mcg
|
0.1
|
| Fatty acids (Lipids) | ||
| Fatty acids, total saturated |
g
|
0.203
|
| 4:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 6:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 8:0 |
g
|
0.007
|
| 10:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 12:0 |
g
|
0.039
|
| 14:0 |
g
|
0.018
|
| 16:0 |
g
|
0.120
|
| 18:0 |
g
|
0.017
|
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated |
g
|
0.154
|
| 16:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.021
|
| 18:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.119
|
| 20:1 |
g
|
0.007
|
| 22:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.000
|
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated |
g
|
0.154
|
| 18:2 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.120
|
| 18:3 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.034
|
| 18:4 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 20:4 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.000
|
| 20:5 n-3 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 22:5 n-3 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 22:6 n-3 |
g
|
0.000
|
| Cholesterol |
mg
|
0
|
| Phytosterols |
mg
|
15
|
| Amino acids | ||
| Tryptophan |
g
|
0.012
|
| Threonine |
g
|
0.036
|
| Isoleucine |
g
|
0.051
|
| Leucine |
g
|
0.074
|
| Lysine |
g
|
0.057
|
| Methionine |
g
|
0.013
|
| Cystine |
g
|
0.008
|
| Phenylalanine |
g
|
0.045
|
| Tyrosine |
g
|
0.020
|
| Valine |
g
|
0.073
|
| Arginine |
g
|
0.043
|
| Histidine |
g
|
0.030
|
| Alanine |
g
|
0.031
|
| Aspartic acid |
g
|
0.208
|
| Glutamic acid |
g
|
0.162
|
| Glycine |
g
|
0.043
|
| Proline |
g
|
0.041
|
| Serine |
g
|
0.045
|
| Other nutrients | ||
| Alcohol, ethyl |
g
|
0.0
|
| Caffeine |
mg
|
0
|
| Theobromine |
mg
|
0
|
| Carotene, beta |
mcg
|
0
|
| Carotene, alpha |
mcg
|
0
|
| Cryptoxanthin, beta |
mcg
|
0
|
| Lycopene |
mcg
|
0
|
| Lutein + zeaxanthin |
mcg
|
0
|
Ginger root nutrition facts source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 19 (2006)
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