Ginger tea: properties and health benefits

An effective way to enjoy the benefits of ginger is in the form of an infusion. More and more people confirm that ginger is an ingredient with multiple beneficial properties for health, which is why its use has become popular.

Ginger is a plant whose root is used as a natural remedy for various conditions. The easiest way to consume this root is by making a tea to drink and thus enjoy the properties and benefits of ginger.

Ginger tea and its health benefits.

Ginger is also used powdered or finely chopped in various recipes. It has a good flavor that complements very well various types of gastronomy and although it is also a good way to enjoy its benefits, we take advantage of them more by making it in infusion.

To make a ginger tea, you have to put water on the fire and when it is boiling, add one or two slices of ginger, leave for 5 minutes and remove from the heat. It can be sweetened with honey or sugar.

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1. Against nausea and dizziness

A ginger tea before a long trip prevents sickness from motion sickness. One of the properties of ginger is that helps relieve nausea, especially if these are caused by an imbalance and dizziness.

But you have to be careful if the nausea is caused by pregnancy or by reaction to chemotherapy. In this case, it is best to go to the doctor and not use ginger, as it could be counterproductive.

2. Lowers blood glucose levels

Ginger tea helps reduce sugar levels. It would be enough to drink a cup of ginger tea a day to lower your blood sugar. For this reason it could be a very helpful auxiliary method for people who need to control their sugar levels.

Even if in the case of diabetic people, its use is restricted and most of the time prohibited. This is because ginger in combination with drugs such as metformin causes hypoglycemia.

3. Improves digestion

A very effective use of ginger tea is as an aid to improve digestion. If used before each meal, ginger helps facilitate digestion. In addition, thanks to the phenols it contains, it fights irritation.

Ginger tea helps stimulate gastric juices and this allows the food to be digested effectively and there is no residue left in the stomach. For this reason, digestion works best when ginger is eaten before each meal.

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4. Relieve the flu

Ginger is an excellent ally to prevent and fight the flu. In cold weather it is very comforting to have a ginger tea sweetened with honey and a little lemon juice. In addition to giving a good flavor, it helps warm the body and relieve discomfort.

To use it preventively, it is recommended to take a ginger infusion in the mornings and nights, especially on the coldest days. If the flu has already struck, a ginger tea helps lessen discomfort and speed recovery.

5. Reduce inflammation

One of the most effective properties of ginger is that of anti-inflammatory. In various cultures and in traditional Chinese medicine, ginger has been used mainly as a medication to reduce inflammation.

So if there is any condition that causes inflammation of the stomach, joints, throat or similar, having a ginger tea will help eliminate it, making the discomfort disappear along with the inflammation.

6. Against menstrual cramps

Ginger is used to relieve pain caused by menstrual cramps. While colic is normal as long as it is not disabling, Discomfort related to the menstrual cycle can be alleviated with natural remedies such as ginger.

A ginger tea will help reduce inflammation, provide heat to the body and its flavor is also comforting. So an alternative to get through those days of colic is to prepare an infusion of ginger tea and enjoy its benefits.

7. Alleviate the pain

After an intense session of exercise, a ginger tea can help. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory effects, this infusion helps the pain caused by intense exercise disappear or be significantly reduced.

The recommendation is to prepare and drink the infusion after the exercise session. It will be enough to have a tea with two or three slices of ginger, or a teaspoon of powdered ginger dissolved in warm or hot water.

8. Reduce the cholesterol

Another important property of ginger is to help lower cholesterol. Although this benefit has not been scientifically proven, traditional medicine has long used it to prevent the accumulation of bad cholesterol in the blood.

If it is to be used for this purpose, then ginger tea can be used by drinking it every day on an empty stomach. It is important to pay attention to the diet to balance cholesterol levels, since ginger tea is only an auxiliary.

9. Fat Burner

Ginger is recommended as an aid in weight loss treatments. Ginger infusions help burn fat. In this way, they help reduce weight when it is included in a diet focused on this purpose.

You will be eliminating fat instead of water, since water is recovered by ingesting liquids, but fat takes longer to recover. For this reason, ginger is recommended for people who are looking to lose weight.

10. Remedy bad breath

To combat bad breath after eating, you have to drink an infusion of ginger. In this case you have to add a few drops of vinegar to the ginger tea. Also a few drops of lemon can help.

It is recommended to take this drink after each meal. The combination of vinegar and ginger are a powerful antiseptic agent to fight the cause of bad breath. So that the tea does not have a bad taste, just a few drops of vinegar is enough and sweeten the infusion with honey.

Bibliographic references

• Bode AM, Dong Z. The Amazing and Mighty Ginger. In: Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor S, editors. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press / Taylor & Francis; 2011. Chapter 7. Available in: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/.
• Mashhadi, N. S., Ghiasvand, R., Askari, G., Hariri, M., Darvishi, L., & Mofid, M. R. (2013). Anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of ginger in health and physical activity: review of current evidence. International journal of preventive medicine, 4 (Suppl 1), S36 – S42.