Ginger is an herb native to Southeast Asia, India and China. It may be used as a garnish or base ingredient or served as tea, according to Michael Murray in the book "The Encyclopedia of Healing Herbs." For more than 2,000 years, Chinese folk medicine has used ginger tea for its gastrointestinal effects. You can easily make this therapeutic beverage, as it contains minimal ingredients.
Ginger
Ginger root is a pungent herb that has a substantial texture. The traditional method for making ginger tea requires you to grate the herb to procure the juice and mix it with boiling water, according to Virginia Harper and Tom Monte in the book "Controlling Crohn's Disease." Harper and Monte recommend using approximately 1 tsp. of ginger juice to 1 cup of boiling water. Ginger is widely available in grocery stores and should be firm upon selection.
Optional Ingredients
In many cases, ginger tea may have other tea varieties included or may contain flavoring agents. Harper and Monte note that mixing ginger juice with shoyu-kukicha twig tea can help relieve fatigue and neutralize acidity while alkalizing the blood, spleen and digestion. Alternately, mixing honey in ginger tea can add sweetness to make the tea more palatable for those not familiar with the taste, according to the book "Hollyhock Cooks." You may also add lemon to enhance the cleansing properties of ginger, as it is a rich source of antioxidants, particularly vitamin C. Murray warns, however, that adding lemon may be problematic if you are using ginger tea for gastrointestinal problems; lemon can disrupt acidity levels in the stomach.
Health Benefits
Perhaps the most noted health benefit of drinking ginger tea is its ability to prevent and reduce nausea induced by pregnancy, chemotherapy, motion or surgery, according to Deborah Mitchell and Hunter Yost in their book "A Woman's Guide to Vitamins, Herbs and Supplements." The health benefits are most likely due to the tea's volatile oils and phenol compounds, like gingerol and sogaols. The gastrointestinal ailments most helped by ginger tea include irritable bowel syndrome, stomach ache, nausea and acid reflux. It can also help relieve menstrual cramps in women, as well as general joint and muscle pain.
References
- "The Encyclopedia of Healing Herbs"; Michael Murray; 2005
- "Hollyhock Cooks"; Linda Solomon et al.; 2003
- "A Woman's Guide to Vitamins, Herbs and Supplements"; Deborah Mitchell and Hunter Yost; 2008
- "Controlling Crohn's Disease"; Virginia Harper and Tom Monte; 2002
Member Comments