Curling up with a cup of tea sounds relaxing, and when you choose ginger tea, you get this and more. Ginger has been used for thousands of years to support optimal health.
Today, as part of your daily routine, a cup of hot ginger tea can deliver more than just warmth and great flavor. With every sip, you can help ease everyday tensions while supporting overall health.
The Benefits of Ginger
Ginger is packed with bioactive compounds and nutrients that deliver a healthy dose of beneficial support to the body. The compound most frequently associated with health benefits in ginger is gingerol. It is the oil that gives ginger its unique scent and powerful antioxidant capacity.
While gingerol is reason enough to begin a daily ginger habit, it’s not the only compound at work. Ginger root also contains shogaol, paradol, and zingerone, which all work to help reduce typical oxidative stress.
All of these compounds working together make ginger a real powerhouse that can support optimal health in a variety of different ways.
1. Promotes Immune System Activity
When you want to give your immune system extra support, start your day with a cup of ginger tea. The compounds in ginger help reduce typical oxidative stress and support healthy immune system responses. Gingerol also helps to defend the body from everyday environmental threats.
2. Promotes Joint Health
By helping to reduce common oxidative stress to promote healthy joint movement and relieve occasional joint discomfort, ginger helps to support joint mobility and health.
3. Supports Healthy Hormone Function
A cup of ginger tea is a great way to help maintain healthy hormone levels and to help reduce occasional bloating and discomfort.
4. Helps Reduce Occasional Discomfort
By helping to reduce occasional oxidative stress and supporting healthy circulation, the compounds in ginger can help reduce everyday aches and discomfort.
5. Helps Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar
Gingerol helps to maintain healthy blood glucose levels, which can support arterial health, metabolic health, and circulation.
6. Supports Healthy Weight Management
Whether used as a spice or in tea, ginger helps support healthy weight management. By promoting healthy metabolism and healthy hormone levels and helping to reduce feelings of hunger, ginger can help you avoid unhealthy food temptations during the day.
7. Supports Brain Health
The compounds in ginger help increase antioxidant capacity, which helps to reduce typical oxidative stress in the brain. One study looked at ginger and the cognitive function in women and found that ginger helped support healthy cognitive processing.
8. Reduces Occasional Nausea
Motion sickness, morning sickness, and occasional nausea from eating can be uncomfortable. Ginger acts as a naturally-sourced soothing agent, to reduce occasional stomach discomfort.
How to Make the Perfect Cup of Ginger Tea
Now that you’re sold on the idea of adding ginger tea to your daily routine, you certainly want to make the best cup of tea possible. These tips will steer you in the right direction and give you that health-supporting beverage you crave.
Ginger Tea Directions
1. Start with a fresh ginger root that’s about two inches in length. Peel the ginger and then thinly slice it.
2. Put two cups of water into a pot and heat until boiling.
3. Add the ginger to the water and let boil for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Discard the ginger and pour the tea into a cup.
5. If you like a sweeter tea, consider adding honey.
The Bottom Line
Ginger has been used for centuries to flavor food and to support health. Finally, the Western diet had found a place for ginger too. Adding a cup of ginger tea to your daily routine can help support whole-body health. It’s hard to argue with the science, and it’s even harder to resist a deliciously refreshing beverage that can promote optimal health while also helping you relax.
