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Ingredients

Commercial ginger ales commonly contains carbonated water, sugar or HFCS, and artificial or natural ginger-flavour. Ginger content is often listed on labels in a general "natural aroma" or "natural flavoring" statement, to preserve secrecy of the complex proprietary mix of spices, fruits and other flavours used. Lemon, lime, and cane sugar are the most common of ingredients. Pineapple and honey are also occasional ingredients.

Traditional ginger ale is made from a microbial starter culture (yeast or ginger bug), sugar, fresh ginger root, other flavourings and water. Ginger bug can be derived from ginger beer plant containing Saccharomyces florentinus and Lactobacillus hilgardii or fresh ginger root containing Lactobacillus bacteria and wild yeast. The carbonation comes from the yeast fermentation as opposed to carbonating the finished product. Ethanol, as a byproduct of fermentation, will be present in the ginger ale but can be controlled by modifying fermentation time.

Processing

Fermentation

Yeast

To make traditional ginger ale, yeast or ginger bug is added to the initial ginger preparation containing sugar and other flavourings. Sugar is added because ginger does not contain enough for the entire fermentation process (1.7g sugar/100g ginger). Like other fermented beverages, the sugar present in the preparation is fermented by the microorganism into ethanol and carbon dioxide. In yeast, the enzyme responsible for fermentation is known as zymase. Fermentation must be conducted in an air-tight container because contact with oxygen will cause the microorganisms to stop fermenting.

Carbonation

Traditional ginger ale will contain carbon dioxide as a result of fermentation but most commercial ginger ales will carbonate the final product instead. First, the water is chilled to a low temperature to allow more carbon dioxide to be dissolved. Then, alkaline compounds such as sodium bicarbonate may be added to reduce acidity. Lastly, carbon dioxide is added and slightly over-pressurized to facilitate movement into storage and the filling machine.

Preservation

Canada Dry Sterilized Bottles

Preservation of commercial ginger ale is usually done by adding a solution of salicylic acid, which has bactericidal and antiseptic properties. Another method of preservation is to use steam heating.

Canada Dry Ginger ale has an acidic pH of 2.82, due to the relatively high concentration of carbonic acid it contains. This preserves the product in that foods with pH below 4.6 do not support microorganism growth.

Ginger Ale vs Ginger Beer

Ginger ale and ginger beer are similar beverages, however, there are clear differences during the process. Ginger beer originated in England in the 1800s while ginger ale was founded in Ireland approximately 50 years later before it was modernized in 1907 by John McLaughlin. Original ginger beer contains 11% alcohol, but modern ginger beer contains less than 0.5% alcohol while modern ginger ale has absolutely no alcohol content. Ginger beer is brewed with natural ginger, lemon juice, sugar and then it must be fermented with a ginger beer plant culture (mainly lactobacillus). The fermentation of the lactobacillus produces a cloudy appearance, stronger-tasting and spicier flavour compared to ginger ale.

Health Effects

Health Benefits

In general, ginger products such as Ginger Ale have been found to help relieve those with an upset stomach and pose benefits for helping with the digestion of food.

Nausea

A study conducted by the University of Maryland Medical Center found that Ginger Ale also relieves nausea in post-chemotherapy patients, or simply in those suffering from conditions such as motion sickness or morning sickness. Ginger Ale has even been found to pose very similar results to easing nausea in pregnant women as the anti-nausea drug dimenhydrinate, with less probability of experiencing drowsiness.

Ginger

Raw Ginger

Although some store-bought Ginger Ale beverages may contain very little ginger content or are even artificially flavoured, the general consumption of Ginger Ale will simultaneously provide individuals with the health benefits of the herb, ginger. For example, ginger has been found to act as a natural agent for decreasing blood clotting and increasing cardiovascular health in humans, much like the effect of aspirin. Ginger has also been found to naturally ease the effects of osteoarthritis by reducing inflammation and relieving the pain of stiffness throughout the body, due to the active constituent within Ginger called Gingerol. Therefore, consuming ginger products such as Ginger Ale will allow individuals to reap the natural anti-inflammatory benefits of ginger while simultaneously reducing their risk of developing ulcers, as many commercial anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to cause. Another common use of Ginger ale takes advantage of its antiemetic property that eases bloating and cramping.

Health Concerns

Ginger ale is generally high in sugar, so it is advisable to consume it in moderate amounts. Consuming high amounts of Ginger ale may also cause heartburn or possibility of blood thinning. Any individuals consuming Ginger ale while they are on other medications are advised to confirm with their physicians to avoid any interactions between their medications and the contents of Ginger ale. The high concentration of sugar in Ginger ale can result in insulin resistance and dehydration. Furthermore, the diet version of Canada Dry is sweetened with aspartame, an artificial sweetener approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Although safe, consuming aspartame is toxic to individuals who have the phenylketonuria disorder, as they will have toxic buildups aspartame's amino acids.