According to a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, adding small amounts of powdered ginger to food may help take the edge off seasonal allergy symptoms. A major component in ginger, 6-gingerol, suppresses the activation of T lymphocytes, or T cells, a type of white blood cell that plays an important role in sensitising people to specific allergens, the researchers say. The study also finds that daily intake of dried ginger significantly reduced sneezing and other signs of allergy in subjects with induced allergic rhinitis or hay fever.