Ginger is one of the most widely used herbs in the world and has many health benefits. It is native to Asia but cultivated in the West Indies, Jamaica, and Africa.
Tea is the most gentle form of consuming ginger. Ginger tea is a spicy, invigorating, and healthy beverage made by peeling and grating fresh ginger root, immersing it in boiling water, and simmering the tea for 15 to 20 minutes depending on the desired strength.
Ginger contains more than 200 substances in its oils, which is why it has so many different uses. It is commonly used as a home remedy for indigestion, nausea, and to ward off colds, flu, and sore throats. Ginger is known to have an effect on a variety of conditions and diseases due in part to its impact on excessive inflammation which is an underlying cause of many illnesses.
Ginger root
Inflammation is the body’s natural healing response to illness or injury, and it subsides as the body heals. However, in some conditions, including arthritis, diverticulosis, gallbladder inflammation, and heart disease, the inflammation does not go away. It becomes chronic and leads to many other problems. Ginger has often been useful in treating chronic inflammation.
It is believed that ginger may block prostaglandins, which stimulate some muscle contractions, control inflammation, and impact some hormones. Therefore migraines may be prevented and stopped by ginger stifling the action of prostaglandins. Ginger, with all its anti-inflammatory properties, is a potent herb that is good for any type of pain or swelling of the tissues. Ginger tea for headaches is a proven remedy. For maximum effect, it is best taken at the very onset of a headache or migraine attack. It is also a popular home remedy to stop nausea that many people experience with migraines.
Healing & Preventive Benefits of Ginger
- Multiple benefits include – Circulation booster, blood sugar reduction, increase perspiration, soothes menstrual pain, weight-loss helps reduce sinusitis and throat soreness
- Treating Colds: Drinking ginger herbal tea is sometimes recommended for relief of cold symptoms because it is said to loosen phlegm and fight chills by spreading a warm feeling throughout the body
- Treating Nausea: Ginger tea has been used in traditional Asian medicine to treat nausea. Pregnant women report relief from morning sickness after consuming small amounts of ginger root, ginger tea, and ginger ale. When given in large doses, ginger also relieves chemotherapy-related nausea.
- Relieving Joint Pain: Ginger has been used to treat joint pain by stimulating blood circulation and has been used to relieve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and Raynaud’s syndrome.
- Digestive Disorders: Ginger has a warming and soothing effect on the stomach. Whether it’s gas, seasickness, indigestion, diarrhea, or the flu, ginger will help. It does this by mimicking some digestive enzymes used to process protein in the body.
- Promoting Heart Health: As little as 5 grams of dried ginger a day has shown to slow the production of triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol in the liver.
GINGER TEA RECIPES
The secret to making a really flavorful ginger tea is to use plenty of ginger – more than you think you will need. Everyone’s taste is different however so adjust the amount of ginger and honey to your liking.
#1 Honey Ginger Sweet Tea
Ingredients:
- 3 cups water
- 2 family-size tea bags
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 7 cups cold water
- Garnish: lemon slices
Preparation
- Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; add tea bags. Boil 1 minute; remove from heat. Cover and steep 10 minutes.
- Discard tea bags. Stir in honey and ginger. Pour into a 1-gal. container.
#2 Homemade Ginger Tea (Serve Hot or Cold)
Ingredients
- 4-6 thin slices of raw ginger
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups of water
- juice from 1/2 lime, or to taste (may use lemon instead of lime)
- 1-2 tbsp honey or agave nectar, or to taste
Preparation:
Peel the ginger and slice thinly to maximize the surface area. This will help you make a very flavorful ginger tea. Boil the ginger in water for at least 10 minutes. For a stronger and tangier tea, allow to boil for 20 minutes or more, and use more slices of ginger. Remove from heat and add lime juice and honey (or agave nectar) to taste.
For stronger ginger flavor…
Simply slice ginger into paper-thin slices, without peeling it, bring it to boil, then turn it down and let it simmer for 30 mins then cover it and let it sit overnight. It will develop a really strong ginger flavor and a lovely brown color. The next morning, strain it and either bottle it or, add the lemon juice and serve. You can sweeten with honey, brown or white sugar, or artificial sweetener. The ginger will have a strong, deep flavor and spicy, heat you simply can’t get by pouring hot water over it, or letting it steep for a short time.
Note: Keep in mind that if you are making ginger tea as a home remedy during cold and flu season, sweeteners are not recommended.
#3 Ginger Honey Green Tea
Ingredients
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
- 1 regular-size green tea bag
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup boiling water
Preparation
- Grate ginger, using the large holes of a box grater, to equal 1 Tbsp. Squeeze juice from ginger into a teacup; discard solids. Place tea bag, lemon juice, and honey in teacup; add boiling
water. Cover and steep for 3 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bag, squeezing gently.
#4 Ginger Tea (1 quart)
Ingredients:
- Water, 4 cups
- 2-inch piece of fresh ginger root or 1/4 cup freshly grated ginger
- Juice of 1 lemon (optional)
- 1/4 cup honey (optional)
- Thin slices of lemon or lime (garnish)
Peel the ginger root and slice it into thin slices. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Once it is boiling, add the ginger. For a more lemon taste, add the lemon juice and the whole squeezed lemon to the boiling water as well. Cover it and reduce it to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Instead of adding lemon to boiling water, you may also add it “to taste” after the boiling process.
Line a strainer with a thin wet cloth and strain tea into a pitcher. Stir in honey and lemon to taste. Serve hot or chill thoroughly and serve on ice with thin slices of lemon and lime.
#5 Cranberry Ginger Tea
A tangy blend of ginger and cranberries. This tart tea recipe will make your taste buds
jump for joy, and wake you up in the morning.
Ingredients:
- 2 tea bags
- 2 cups hot water
- 1/2 cup ginger, fresh and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup cranberries
- 1/2 cup cranberry juice
- Pinch of nutmeg
Preparation:
Steep tea, ginger, and cranberries in water for 15 minutes. Strain and add nutmeg and cranberry juice. Serve warm.
#6 Cranberry Ginger Punch
Ingredients
- 1 piece (3-inch) fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 3 cups cranberry-raspberry juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 6 slices lemon 6 slices orange
Directions Make the ginger tea: Bring the ginger and 3 1/2 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and steep for 2 hours. (Tea can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated.)
Mix the punch: Strain the tea into a large pitcher and stir in the remaining ingredients. Serve over ice.
Invent your own ginger tea concoction…
To make different variations of ginger tea, you can add just a few slices of ginger tea to a variety of teas. Here are some examples.
- Ginger White Tea
- Ginger Black Tea
- Ginger Green Tea
- Ginger Chamomile Tea
- Ginger Lemon Balm Tea
- Ginger Osmanthus Tea
- Ginger Cinnamon Tea
- Ginger Clove Tea
Note: Store fresh ginger in a cool, dark, dry place. Do not keep them in the refrigerator, even after cutting them, or they will shrivel up.
Stay healthy and enjoy!
