Ginger Tea Benefits
A cup of hot ginger tea may offer more than just a soothing and
warming feeling. Learn what are the potential benefits of drinking ginger tea.
What is ginger tea?
Ginger tea is a caffeine-free herbal tea made with fresh or
dried ginger root or ginger powder. This root is a common ingredient in many
cuisines. Ginger tea can be made by either steeping dry ginger root, boiling
fresh ginger, or dissolving ginger powder in hot water. Freshly squeezed ginger
juice Is often used for treating different health-related problems too, and can
be mixed with other ingredients, such as fresh lemon juice and honey.
Because of its spicy and warming flavor, ginger is one of the
most common ingredients in herbal blends and one of the most important
ingredients in Indian masala chai. Blended with cardamom,
cinnamon, star anise, black peppercorns, and other spices, it’s brews into an
amazingly soothing and comforting drink.
Many ginger tea benefits come from three
important compounds: zingerone, shogaols and gingerols, both giving a pungent taste to ginger root.
Gingerols are found in fresh ginger root. When
cooked or dried, they form another compound – shogaol. Shogaols are present in
dried ginger. Both may provide numerous health benefits, including “anticancer,
anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties”.
What is the best time to drink ginger tea?
Pure ginger tea contains no caffeine. It’s suitable for drinking anytime of the day
or night. However, some studies suggest that taking ginger on an empty stomach
may cause some side-effects, such as heartburn or abdominal pain.
To
gain benefits, many studies suggest taking between 1000 to 1500 mg of ginger
extract per day. This dose is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
or 4 8-oz cups of ginger tea made with ½ teaspoon of freshly grated ginger.
It’s recommended to use ginger in smaller doses throughout the day, rather than
taking just one big dose.
Benefits of drinking ginger tea
1. Alleviate nausea
Ginger
has been used as a natural remedy for treating different types of nausea for
centuries. It may help with not only different types of nausea, from morning
sickness, motion sickness, seasickness and nausea induced by chemotherapy, but
vomiting as well. Studies suggest that 1 grams of ginger powder a day may be
enough to alleviate nausea. Furthermore, taking up to 1500 mg of ginger per day
to relieve nausea in pregnancy may be sufficient to alleviate the symptoms and
pose no health risks.
2. Aid in weight loss
Studies
suggest that ginger may help with weight loss goals and reduce body weight,
waist to hip ratio and hip ratio. However, it may not have a significant effect
on triglycerides and bad cholesterol. A study on animals showed that ginger
water may help increase energy expenditure and help reduce body weight gain.
3. Help with digestion
Ginger may help not only with nausea and
vomiting, but with other digestive problems too. Research suggest that it may
be beneficial for relieving cramps, flatulence, and constipation. It may
stimulate gastric emptying in people with dyspepsia and help relieve
symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
4. Relieving symptoms of allergy
Ginger
may not be the first ingredient that you would take for relieving allergy
symptoms, but studies say that because of its anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory
properties, it may be a very potent remedy for treating symptoms of allergic
rhinitis. A 3-week ginger treatment with ginger may help increase the quality
of life by relieving symptoms such as “itching, runny nose, nasal congestion
and sneezing.”
5. Anticancer activity
Ginger
may not only help with side-effects induced by chemotherapy, but it may also
provide anticancer activity too. Studies suggest it may help prevent different
types of cancer, including skin, breast, liver, prostate, and gastric cancer.
6. Relieving symptoms of common cold
Common cold is one of
the most common infections of nose and throat caused by viruses, but usually
not treated with medicine. Therefore, different home remedies have been very
popular for relieving different symptoms of common cold – from runny nose to
sore throat. Ginger may not only help with sore throat, but it may help with
bacterial infections that cause sore throat too.
7. Neuroprotective activity
Studies suggest that ginger, because of its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, may show a neuroprotective activity in traumatic brain injury. Furthermore, it may help prevent symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease too. Another study showed that shogaols, from dried ginger, may provide a neuroprotective activity in Parkinson's disease.
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