Ginger Tea

Ginger tea, a drink that one either appreciates or absolutely cannot tolerate.  It is fragrant, flavorful and has lots of benefits.  This tea has been used as a home remedy for centuries now for symptoms such as stomach stress, nausea, as well as burning fat.  Furthermore, studies have also shown that it can alleviate inflammation, and control both cholesterol and blood sugar.  Additionally, ginger tea is found effective in fighting against pathogenic strains of viruses, fungi, and bacteria that contribute to diseases.

It is believed that chronic inflammation is the cause of various cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. Because ginger tea has been known to reduce inflammation, it can have some measurable effect on a number of conditions ranging from arthritis to Alzheimer’s.    All these benefits just by having 1-2 cups a day.

Ginger is a tropical plant that has green-purple flowers and a fragrant underground stem (rhizome).  It's strong flavor is used for food and beverages, and it’s oils are used in soap and cosmetics.  For many cultures, ginger has been a foundational root used for its health-related purposes.  This includes areas such as China, India, the Middle East, Greece and Italy.

In present day, ginger is used as a dietary supplement for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, digestive health, cardiovascular disorders, post surgical nausea; nausea caused by motion, chemotherapy, and pregnancy. Ginger can be effective in treating indigestion, constipation, and ulcers. Common forms for ginger include fresh, dried, liquid extracts, tablets, and teas. 

Recently, studies show that ginger contains gingerol, shogaol, paradox and zingerone.  Gingerol is believed to be the content where most of the benefits come from.  Some of these benefits can include enhancing immunity, protecting brain health, easeing digestive distress,  potential increases in weight loss, can help regulate blood sugar, can keep cholesterol in check, and may ease pain with its anti-inflammatory properties. 

Additionally, ginger has anti-microbial potential that may aid in treating infectious diseases. The bioactive molecules like gingerol have shown antioxidants in various modules.  And this generation of free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS) during metabolism beyond the antioxidant capacity of a biological system results in oxidative stress that can play an important role against various heart related diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and the aging process.  These agents if taken prior to workout, may reduce natural occurring pain in quadriceps during moderate-intensity cycling. 

While ginger has many benefits, there are conditions and precautions that should be taken into consideration.  For example, those that have gallstone disease should be careful because taking ginger in any way would increase the flow of bile.  While (at time of writing) there is no known complications between ginger and other medications,  those who are taking anticoagulant (blood thinners) should take precautions and do additional research before taking ginger supplements.   


recipe:
1 ginger root 
brown sugar/ raw honey 

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sources:
https://draxe.com/ginger-tea-benefits/ 
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/ginger 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665023/ 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25230520 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3492709/ 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4106649/  
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16117603