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Ginger vs. Garlic — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

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Article author photo Christelle  Tchakerian by Christelle Tchakerian | Last updated on July 04, 2023
Medically reviewed by Astghik Baghinyan Article author photo Astghik Baghinyan
Ginger
vs
Garlic

Summary

Ginger and garlic, widely used as aromatics in cooking, have small serving sizes. Hence, their nutritional differences are not significant when put in the context of daily nutrient needs. 

Nevertheless, garlic contains 2 times more calories and carbs and 3 times more protein. Garlic also provides relatively more vitamins and minerals than ginger. It contains around 8 times more vitamin B6 and vitamin B1, 6 times more vitamin C, 3 times more vitamin B5, as well as 7 times more manganese and 20 times more selenium.

Studies have shown that ginger has a higher antioxidant capacity when compared to garlic. It also provides antiemetic properties, while garlic does not. 

Additionally, research links garlic consumption to allergies, whereas ginger demonstrates potential antiallergic properties.

Introduction

In this article, we will explore the differences between garlic and ginger, focusing on their nutritional composition and health benefit variations.

General Information

Ginger belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, which also includes turmeric and cardamom (1). Meanwhile, garlic belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family, which includes onions, chives, and leeks (2).

The active biological compounds in ginger include gingerols, shogaols, and paradols (3). Meanwhile, garlic's sulfur compounds are of great chemical importance (4).

Taste

Garlic tastes pungent, while ginger is warmly spicy. Both are widely used aromatics during cooking. 

Historical Use

Garlic has been used since ancient times to treat a variety of ailments. Historically, garlic was given to Egyptian laborers to increase their strength and productivity (5). It was also given to the Olympic athletes before the games to boost performance (6).

Meanwhile, ginger has been used in ancient Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Unani medicine to treat ailments such as rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatism, pains, cramps, constipation, indigestion, vomiting, dementia, fever, and infectious diseases (7, 8, 9).

Nutrition

The nutritional values used in this article are for raw garlic and raw ginger root.

Macronutrients and Calories

Both garlic and ginger have similar serving sizes. The serving size of garlic is usually one clove, weighing 3 grams, while for ginger, it is one teaspoon, weighing 2 grams

That said, it is important to note that a single serving of garlic or ginger does not provide any significant amounts of nutrients to fill up the daily need. However, it is still important to consider their differences in composition, as both garlic and ginger are commonly added to meals during cooking

Garlic and ginger have vastly different macronutrient compositions. As you can see from the graphs below, garlic is more nutrient-dense, consisting of 59% of water, while ginger consists of 79% of water

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Ginger
2
:
3
Garlic
Contains more Fats +50%
Contains more Water +34.7%
Contains more Protein +249.5%
Contains more Carbs +86%
Contains more Other +94.8%
2% 18% 79%
Protein: 1.82 g
Fats: 0.75 g
Carbs: 17.77 g
Water: 78.89 g
Other: 0.77 g
6% 33% 59%
Protein: 6.36 g
Fats: 0.5 g
Carbs: 33.06 g
Water: 58.58 g
Other: 1.5 g
Contains more Fats +50%
Contains more Water +34.7%
Contains more Protein +249.5%
Contains more Carbs +86%
Contains more Other +94.8%

Calories

Garlic has around 2 times more calories than ginger. However, they are both safe to consume during low-calorie diets since a single serving of garlic or ginger is only 2-3 grams; hence, the calories they provide are negligible

Carbohydrates

Garlic also contains 2 times more carbs than ginger. Again, when put in the context of daily carbohydrate intake, a single serving of garlic and ginger provides no significant amounts of carbs. Hence, they are both safe to consume during low-carb diets. 

Fats

Both foods are very low or devoid of saturated fats and cholesterol.

Even though the levels of fats are extremely low, we can still compare their fat-type compositions. As shown in the graphic below, the fat in garlic is made of mostly polyunsaturated fat, while the most prevalent fat type in ginger is saturated fat

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Ginger
1
:
2
Garlic
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +1300%
Contains less Saturated Fat -56.2%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +61.7%
40% 30% 30%
Saturated Fat: 0.203 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.154 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.154 g
26% 3% 71%
Saturated Fat: 0.089 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.011 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.249 g
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +1300%
Contains less Saturated Fat -56.2%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +61.7%
 

Protein

Garlic is also around 3 times higher in protein content when compared to ginger. Neither ginger nor garlic are considered high-protein foods; however, they can be used as aromatics while cooking high-protein meals such as chicken or beef. 

Vitamins

While comparing the vitamin compositions of garlic and ginger, it is evident that garlic is the winner in this category. 

Garlic contains around 8 times more vitamin B6 and vitamin B1, 6 times more vitamin C, and 3 times more vitamin B5, although a single serving only contains negligible amounts of these vitamins. 

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Ginger
3
:
7
Garlic
Contains more Vitamin E +225%
Contains more Folate +266.7%
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin C +524%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +700%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +223.5%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +193.6%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +671.9%
Contains more Vitamin K +1600%
Equal in Vitamin B3 - 0.7
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 0% 6% 0% 17% 7% 8% 15% 13% 37% 9% 0% 1%
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 1% 2% 0% 105% 50% 26% 14% 36% 285% 3% 0% 5%
Contains more Vitamin E +225%
Contains more Folate +266.7%
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin C +524%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +700%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +223.5%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +193.6%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +671.9%
Contains more Vitamin K +1600%
Equal in Vitamin B3 - 0.7

Minerals

Garlic is also the winner in this category. 

Garlic contains 7 times more manganese, 20 times more selenium, as well as more calcium, iron, copper, and phosphorus; however, a single serving contains only negligible amounts of these minerals. 

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Ginger
3
:
7
Garlic
Contains more Magnesium +72%
Contains less Sodium -23.5%
Contains more Calcium +1031.3%
Contains more Iron +183.3%
Contains more Phosphorus +350%
Contains more Zinc +241.2%
Contains more Copper +32.3%
Contains more Manganese +630.1%
Contains more Selenium +1928.6%
Equal in Potassium - 401
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 5% 23% 31% 15% 37% 2% 10% 76% 30% 4%
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 55% 64% 18% 66% 36% 3% 32% 100% 219% 78%
Contains more Magnesium +72%
Contains less Sodium -23.5%
Contains more Calcium +1031.3%
Contains more Iron +183.3%
Contains more Phosphorus +350%
Contains more Zinc +241.2%
Contains more Copper +32.3%
Contains more Manganese +630.1%
Contains more Selenium +1928.6%
Equal in Potassium - 401

Glycemic index

The glycemic index is a rating system used for foods containing carbohydrates. As both garlic and ginger contain very few carbohydrates, their glycemic index is low, which means their consumption has minimal effect on blood sugar levels. 

Acidity

One way to understand the acidity of foods is through their potential renal acid load (PRAL) value, which shows how much acid or base the given food produces inside the organism. 

Based on our calculations, the PRAL values of ginger and garlic are -7.9 and -2.6, respectively, which means that ginger has a greater potential to alkalize the body.

Weight Loss

A meta-analysis conducted in 2019 showed that the intake of ginger reduced weight, waist-hip ratio, hip ratio, and fasting glucose while increasing HDL-cholesterol (the good cholesterol) in overweight and obese individuals. However, it did not affect body mass index or insulin (10).

On the other hand, another meta-analysis showed that garlic supplementation reduces waist circumference but not body weight or body mass index (11).

Health Benefits

Cardiovascular Health

Section reviewed by cardiologist Astghik Grigoryan Article author photo Astghik Grigoryan

Garlic is known to be beneficial for cardiovascular diseases. Studies suggest that garlic extract helps lower blood pressure and may be used as a hypertension treatment (12).

Garlic also has antilipidemic and antithrombotic effects (13, 14, 15).

Ginger is also known to have cardioprotective properties. It has anti-hypertensive, anti-hyperlipidemia, and anti-platelet effects (16).

Compared to garlic, and in addition to these cardiovascular effects, it has been shown that ginger may reduce abnormalities in diabetic cardiomyopathic patients (17). Moreover, ginger acts as a cardiotonic that increases the efficiency of heart contraction and improves blood flow throughout the body (16).

Cancer

Studies showed that garlic has an anti-tumor effect primarily attributed to its bioactive compounds (18, 19). However, heating destroys the active compound in garlic, which is responsible for its anti-cancer properties (20).

In the "Iowa Women's Health Study," garlic was the only food out of 127 food items that showed a significant association with decreased colon cancer risk (21).

Gingerol, an active ingredient found in ginger, also inhibited the growth of human colorectal cancer cells (22).

Gingerol showed to inhibit skin tumor promotion (23). Meanwhile, a study mentioned the importance of considering the application of garlic in the chemoprevention of skin cancer (24).

Antioxidant Effect

Antioxidants are scavengers of free radicals found in the body that protect the body from cell damage. 

Both ginger and garlic have antioxidant effects. However, ginger was found to have the highest antioxidant potency, followed by dry garlic and fresh garlic (25). The antioxidant capacity was comparable to that of vitamin C.

Diabetes

A study showed that ginger and garlic are insulinotropic rather than hypoglycemic and that the anti-diabetic effects of ginger are much higher than those of garlic (26). 

This study also suggests that higher anti-diabetic effects may be obtained when consuming a normal diet instead of a high-fat diet.

On the other hand, the active ingredient in garlic may be beneficial in treating erectile dysfunction in diabetic patients (27).

Gastrointestinal Tract

Section reviewed by gastroenterologist Arpi Gasparyan Article author photo Arpi Gasparyan

Ginger has antiemetic effects. It has implications for treating nausea and vomiting due to pregnancy and chemotherapy (28).

Meanwhile, garlic consumption is viewed as a possible cause of gastrointestinal adverse effects and mild nausea (29).

Hair Loss

A study showed that garlic is a fast, cheap, and efficient topical treatment for a type of hair loss called alopecia areata (30). Moreover, the study mentioned that this treatment has no side effects.

A lot of shampoos containing ginger extracts are being produced nowadays. These shampoos claim to induce hair growth and stop hair loss. However, scientific evidence revealed that 6-gingerol, an active compound found in ginger, can suppress human hair shaft elongation (31).     

Allergy

The topical application of raw garlic may be associated with adverse effects (32). The most common adverse effects include burns, contact dermatitis, and asthma, although they are rare (32, 33). 

On the other hand, ginger has been shown to suppress symptoms of rhinitis due to its anti-inflammatory and antiallergic properties (34).

Downsides and Risks

The most common side effects of garlic topical use and consumption are a pungent smell in the breath and body odor, indigestion, and flatulence (35). Meanwhile, no side effects related to ginger have been documented (36).

References

  1. Phytochemistry and pharmacology of plants from the ginger family, Zingiberaceae
  2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/092552149600018X
  3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11880572/
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23196104/
  5. https://worldveg.tind.io/record/23425/
  6. Garlic: A Review of Its Medicinal Effects and Indicated Active Compounds
  7. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-59259-020-9_11
  8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16422532/
  9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1702243
  10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29393665/
  11. https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/abs/10.1024/0300-9831/a000607?journalCode=vit
  12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3561616/
  13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11788172/
  14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5400934/
  15. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/095232789090060
  16. https://europepmc.org/article/med/33297926
  17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4768050/
  18. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23859039/
  19. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/acamc/2011/00000011/00000003/art00002
  20. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/131/3/1054S/4687116?login=true
  21. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8296768/
  22. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4369959/
  23. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9719454
  24. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3499657/
  25. https://www.phytojournal.com/vol2Issue3/Issue_sep_2013/39.1.pdf
  26. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jmf.2007.634
  27. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23427186/
  28. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5887721
  29. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/mnfr.200700072
  30. https://www.iasj.net/iasj/article/51929
  31. https://europepmc.org/article/med/24624885
  32. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17040429/
  33. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14713923/
  34. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955286315002260
  35. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/mnfr.200700072
  36. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/037887419090037T
Article author photo Christelle  Tchakerian
Education: Institute for Integrative Nutrition New York
Last updated: July 04, 2023
Medically reviewed by Astghik Baghinyan

Infographic

Ginger vs Garlic infographic
Infographic link

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Ginger Garlic
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in price ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Ginger Garlic Opinion
Net carbs 15.77g 30.96g Garlic
Protein 1.82g 6.36g Garlic
Fats 0.75g 0.5g Ginger
Carbs 17.77g 33.06g Garlic
Calories 80kcal 149kcal Garlic
Sugar 1.7g 1g Garlic
Fiber 2g 2.1g Garlic
Calcium 16mg 181mg Garlic
Iron 0.6mg 1.7mg Garlic
Magnesium 43mg 25mg Ginger
Phosphorus 34mg 153mg Garlic
Potassium 415mg 401mg Ginger
Sodium 13mg 17mg Ginger
Zinc 0.34mg 1.16mg Garlic
Copper 0.226mg 0.299mg Garlic
Manganese 0.229mg 1.672mg Garlic
Selenium 0.7µg 14.2µg Garlic
Vitamin A 0IU 9IU Garlic
Vitamin E 0.26mg 0.08mg Ginger
Vitamin C 5mg 31.2mg Garlic
Vitamin B1 0.025mg 0.2mg Garlic
Vitamin B2 0.034mg 0.11mg Garlic
Vitamin B3 0.75mg 0.7mg Ginger
Vitamin B5 0.203mg 0.596mg Garlic
Vitamin B6 0.16mg 1.235mg Garlic
Folate 11µg 3µg Ginger
Vitamin K 0.1µg 1.7µg Garlic
Tryptophan 0.012mg 0.066mg Garlic
Threonine 0.036mg 0.157mg Garlic
Isoleucine 0.051mg 0.217mg Garlic
Leucine 0.074mg 0.308mg Garlic
Lysine 0.057mg 0.273mg Garlic
Methionine 0.013mg 0.076mg Garlic
Phenylalanine 0.045mg 0.183mg Garlic
Valine 0.073mg 0.291mg Garlic
Histidine 0.03mg 0.113mg Garlic
Saturated Fat 0.203g 0.089g Garlic
Monounsaturated Fat 0.154g 0.011g Ginger
Polyunsaturated fat 0.154g 0.249g Garlic

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Ginger Garlic
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

People also compare

Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
9%
Ginger
43%
Garlic
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
23%
Ginger
67%
Garlic

Comparison summary

Which food contains less Sodium?
Ginger
Ginger contains less Sodium (difference - 4mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Ginger
Ginger is lower in glycemic index (difference - 20)
Which food is cheaper?
Ginger
Ginger is cheaper (difference - $0.1)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Garlic
Garlic is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.7g)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Garlic
Garlic is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.114g)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Garlic
Garlic is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Garlic
Garlic is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Ginger - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169231/nutrients
  2. Garlic - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169230/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.