What Can Happen to Your Body When You Eat Gingerbread Cookies

We’re getting closer to Christmas and nearly every bakery is offering a delicious seasonal treat — crunchy, mouth-watering gingerbread cookies. If you waited the whole year to finally try them, we have good news for you. Gingerbread cookies contain lots of healthy spices, such as cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, and if you enjoy them in moderation, they can actually benefit your health in many surprising ways.

We at Bright Side often crave delicious gingerbread cookies during the holiday season. And we decided to find out how the spices they contain can help you eat your way to better health.

1. It might ease menstrual cramps.

In addition to simply being delicious, gingerbread cookies may serve as a natural way to soothe painful menstrual cramps. Cinnamon in gingerbread has been proven to relieve period pain and other unpleasant symptoms of menstruation, such as nausea and fatigue. Gingerbread cookies also contain ginger, which can be very effective against period pain when you take it at the beginning of your period.

2. It may help your liver work better.

It’s hard not to overeat tasty gingerbread, but when you enjoy it in moderate amounts, certain compounds in it can benefit your health. Cloves, for example, is another herb in gingerbread that can relieve liver pain. It contains eugenol that promotes liver function and helps reduce signs of fatty liver disease.

3. It might help with indigestion.

If you’ve ever felt discomfort in the upper part of your stomach, you might be suffering from indigestion. This unpleasant condition can be caused by various things, and one of them is the delayed emptying of the stomach. Ginger has been shown to speed up this process and can help you ease the symptoms of stomach discomfort.

4. It may benefit your skin.

People who regularly eat cinnamon have fewer chances of their skin aging prematurely. Because it contains lots of antioxidants, cinnamon protects skin against harmful free radicals that damage skin cells and cause the skin to lose its elasticity. There are many ways to incorporate cinnamon into your diet, and enjoying a few gingerbread cookies during the holiday season is one of them.

5. It might improve brain function.

Apart from keeping your skin smoother for longer, antioxidants can also help your brain to stay younger. Oxidative stress and constant inflammation can speed up the brain aging process and are believed to be among the main reasons behind Alzheimer’s disease. Ginger has been shown to improve memory and brain function and protect brain cells against age-related decline.

6. It’s good for your bones.

Cloves give gingerbread its warm and slightly spicy taste, and in addition to being delicious, this healthy herb has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It can reduce the risk of arthritis, and because it’s rich in the mineral manganese, it helps your body to manage enzymes that repair your bones.

Do you like gingerbread cookies? Do you prefer to cook them yourself or buy them at the grocery store?

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