You can usually feel it starting slowly before it turns into something bigger. That all-too-familiar tickly feeling in the back of your throat is a tell-tale sign. When a sore throat hits (or is about to), you have to take action fast. Luckily, one of the ways in which you can combat this common health complaint is by drinking some soothing lemon and ginger tea.
Aside from easing the pain, you also want to target the other irritating symptoms of this illness. While there’s a broad range of medicinal options out there, a holistic approach is to make your own homemade ginger tea. If you don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a quick look at how to make ginger tea, ways you can customize your tea to your liking, and some of its most striking health benefits.
What Are the Health Benefits of Ginger Tea?
So, what exactly is it about lemon and ginger tea that makes it so effective? The answer is the ginger itself. This remarkable ingredient is rich in antibacterial properties. That means that it can go to work on any bacteria or other toxins that enter the body. When you have a sore throat, you can count on this root to attack the problem at its source. For now, we can take a brief look at some of the other health benefits of ginger tea.
Eases Muscle Pain
Suffering from aches and pains? One of the most common symptoms of over exercising, a cold, or the flu is soreness and achy muscles. Should you suffer from achy muscles, you may want to think about including homemade ginger tea in your diet. Research from the University of Georgia found that consuming this common ingredient on a daily basis could ease muscle pain by 25%[1]. Drinking lemon and ginger tea each and every morning could be the key to pain reduction.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
When you’re getting sick, one of the things you need to prevent is inflammation. Luckily, one of the best health benefits of ginger tea is its anti-inflammatory properties. The major bioactive compound found in this root, gingerol, has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidizing benefits.[2] It’s no wonder that so many people rely on this particular ingredient when they’re ill or feeling under the weather.
Ginger helps to get to the root of the problem and detoxify your body, in a sense. When you put it into tea, it’s easy to drink and it works quickly. The great thing is that if you have ginger then you have the foundation of this lemon and ginger tea recipe. Sometimes the easiest and most natural ingredients, such as ginger, are what can offer you the most help.
Lowers Blood Sugar
When we’re talking about the many lemon ginger tea benefits, there’s one that we simply cannot overlook. High blood sugar is a serious health risk and common in people who suffer from type 2 diabetes. Research suggests that sufferers can lower their blood sugar by a massive 12% simply by taking two grams of ginger powder per day.[3] Consuming this ingredient in the form of a hot drink is a creative way to include it in your regular diet.
Of course, those who are not suffering from type 2 diabetes can also benefit from this aspect of ginger. Maintaining a healthy blood sugar level is essential to your everyday wellness. Drinking lemon and ginger tea as a preventative measure could mean that you will save yourself from health concerns later down the line.
Could Lower Cholesterol
You may have heard about high cholesterol before now, but are you aware of the risks that it presents? According to the British Heart Foundation, this fatty substance, which can be found in your blood, could have some troubling effects on your health.[4]
While there are two different types of cholesterol, the low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are known as the “bad” kind. These fats can quickly clog up your arteries, which may lead to health problems such as strokes and heart attacks in the long run.
But wait, what does all of this have to do with drinking lemon and ginger tea? One scientific investigation into the benefits of ginger found that taking three grams of powder each day could lead to fewer cholesterol markers.[5] This is one of the more surprising health benefits of ginger tea and not one that you should disregard.
Eases Indigestion
Have you ever considered drinking some homemade ginger tea after you eat a meal? While it may sound like an odd idea, doing so could be the key to battling any digestive problems you may have encountered. Each year, physicians receive around 32.3 million visits from patients suffering from digestive issues.[6] What’s more, the problem is only set to grow as people continue to eat richer and less healthy diets.
One way in which you may be able to combat this problem is by consuming more ginger in the form of lemon and ginger tea. One research study into the matter found that including 1.2 grams of ginger powder in your daily routine could help to empty your stomach after meals in twice the time.[7] This quick and simple change could be all that it takes to improve your digestion and help ease any problems you’ve been having.
How to Make Homemade Ginger Tea
Want to feel better sooner rather than later? You’re in luck! This is your “go to” tea when you feel a sore throat coming on, but it can go even further than that. All three of the ingredients in this lemon and ginger tea are simple and natural, but they go to work quickly when it comes to healing what ails you. Plus, their natural properties ensure that you will get better faster, which is what makes for a seriously powerful tea. Here’s how to get it right.
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Serves: 10
Equipment: 12 oz mason jar, large spoon, knife
Storing time: 6-8 Weeks
Ingredients
- 2 lemons (thoroughly cleaned)
- 2 pieces of fresh ginger
- Raw honey
Directions
- Slice both the lemons and ginger.
- Place the lemon and ginger slices in a mason jar, alternating layers of each.
- Slowly pour honey over the lemon and ginger.
- Allow the honey to sink down and around the lemon and ginger slices.
- Fill the jar to the top with honey and seal tightly.
- Store in the refrigerator. Over time, the mixture will start to turn into a loose jelly.
- When you are in need of some soothing tea, scoop 2-3 tablespoons into a mug full of hot water — be sure to scoop whole pieces of ginger and lemon.
- Allow to steep for 3-4 minutes and sip away.
When a sore throat or related symptoms hit, you want something to help you quickly and efficiently. This lemon and ginger tea is easy enough to whip up and it will help you in your time of need. Since it uses the most natural and effective ingredients, you can count on some excellent healing from something you can create in your very own kitchen. Nothing beats homemade ginger tea!
Did you know that honey is one of the best natural antibiotic treatments? It can help fight off infections and protect your body against a range of viruses.
Tips for Customizing Your Homemade Ginger Tea
Now that you know the basics, let’s talk about taking your homemade ginger tea to a whole new level. You can actually use the mixture from the mason jar in a wide variety of ways. Once you start experimenting with homemade ginger tea recipes, you should find that there are so many ways in which you can enjoy this drink. To get you started, here are some of the easiest ways to customize the beverage for yourself.
Honey Ginger Tea
Do you have something of a sweet tooth? Don’t make the mistake of mixing pure sugar into your homemade ginger tea. Instead, there is a natural way in which you can sweeten up the drink and still get a wealth of the health benefits of ginger tea. Should you have some honey in your cupboard at home, you have the ideal way to get the sweetness you’re craving without feeling too guilty about it at all.
You could find that there are benefits to honey ginger tea once you try it for yourself. While you may not realize it, honey contains rich antioxidants and nutrients too.[8] As though that weren’t enough to have you reaching for a pot of the stuff, research suggests that honey can suppress children’s coughs.[9] The same might be true for adults, although there needs to be further research into this area to confirm it.
Making honey ginger tea could not be more straightforward. All you have to do is follow the original lemon and ginger tea recipe and then add a spoonful of honey before you serve. Remember, you can add as much or as little as you want, depending on what taste you desire and how sweet you would like your homemade ginger tea to be.
Turmeric Ginger Tea Recipe for Fighting Inflammation
Fighting inflammation can be tough! A whole range of illnesses and medical conditions can result in inflammation. Dealing with this nasty side effect may be much harder than you first imagine. There’s one drink that could be the solution that you’ve been looking for. Since ginger has anti-inflammatory properties, it works well for this problem.
However, to give the tea that extra powerful boost, you might want to add a teaspoon of turmeric into the mix before serving. Curcumin, the pigment in this particular powder that makes it bright yellow, is full of both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.[10] Combined with the benefits from the ginger, you should find that this packs a real healthy punch.
Ginger Green Tea
In case you didn’t know, drinking green tea is a savvy move when it comes to your health. This flavorsome drink is brimming with some of the greatest wellness benefits out there. Research suggests that adding green tea to your diet can actually make you smarter by increasing the firing of neurons in your brain.[11] It can also help with weight loss as research suggests that it helps your body to burn fat at a super fast rate.[12]
When you’re drinking homemade ginger tea for weight loss, you may want to consider giving it a green tea twist. To get this right, brew yourself a cup of green tea and then take out the bag after a few minutes. Next, add a spoonful of the ginger and lemon mixtures that you made using the original recipe.
Pro Tip: You can add another spoon of the ginger lemon mixture if you’d like to mask the flavor of green tea. Some people find that it can be a little bitter!
What Other Lemon Ginger Tea Benefits Are There?
While the ginger is, of course, the superstar ingredient in this lemon and ginger tea (and the very essence of this recipe), what you add is also important. Both lemon and honey are exceptional for soothing a sore throat. Not only do they combine well with ginger for a tea, but they have power on their own. What’s more, you can get antibacterial properties from both lemon and honey.
When you combine lemon and honey with ginger, it will provide some very natural soothing in a powerful and effective way. They can get to the root cause of the sore throat and may even stop any other symptoms before they start. The recipe may seem simple to you, but see how quickly these superior ingredients work in harmony to get rid of the pain and discomfort that a sore throat can bring. Here are some other lemon ginger tea benefits that you may wish to consider.
Lemon Ginger Tea for Cold and Flu
There’s nothing worse than struggling with the ongoing pain and irritation of a cold or, worse, the flu. Of course, in extreme cases, you should visit your doctor sooner rather than later so you can deal with the problem head-on. However, there are also some ways that you can treat the issue at home that won’t cost you too much money or time. One sure way is by drinking homemade ginger tea. Hydration is vital when your body is battling a cold or infection, but that’s not the only reason that lemon and ginger tea is so effective.
For many years, ginger has been used as a plant-based alternative to traditional medicine and is one of the ten most popular herbal treatments for cold and flu.[13] Since, as we have already covered, ginger can battle sickness, aches, and inflammation, it is the ideal ingredient when it comes to fighting off an infection.
Drinking lemon and ginger tea for cold relief is a no-brainer and it’s something that we should all be doing these days. The evidence is all there for us to see. There are also loads of anti-oxidizing properties in this particular root as well. That means that it can arm your body with the right tools to ward off infections, viruses, and more.
Pro Tip: Add extra lemon zest and lemon juice for extra vitamins and cold-fighting properties.
Lemon and Ginger Tea for Weight Loss
Losing weight can be tough at the best of times. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to exercise and eat a healthy balanced diet, shifting those pounds can feel like an impossible mission. Adding some supplementary ingredients to your current eating plan could be the way to go. Many people rely on drinking ginger tea for weight loss results. If you’ve yet to try this for yourself, now could be an excellent time to give it a shot.
There is some research to suggest that adding ginger (or ginger supplements) to your diet could help to boost weight loss. In fact, one study found that the inclusion of ginger extract in a female diet had positive effects on both weight and BMI over an eight-week period.[14] With that in mind, sipping on this tea on a regular basis could be great for your waistline so long as you also eat well and stay active.
Pro Tip: Add green tea to the mix to make sure that you lose extra weight and burn more fat than ever before.
Lemon Ginger Tea for Nausea
When you’re feeling nauseous, you need instant relief. You might think that there’s no way to get rid of sickness quickly but that’s simply not the case. Research suggests that eating some form of ginger could help with seasickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy-induced nausea among other problems.[15] The next time you’re not feeling so well, try sipping on some lemon and ginger tea. If you find yourself feeling a little queasy, do yourself a massive favor and try some homemade ginger tea for nausea relief in minutes.
Pro Tip: Sip ginger tea slowly when you’re feeling sick so that you get the best results.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve got the facts, what are you waiting for? Shaking up your diet and drinking lemon and ginger tea could be just what you’ve been missing! Whether you’re soothing a sore throat or improving your overall health and well-being, this drink could be the key to your success. Make a large mason jar of this stuff so that you can make a hot beverage whenever you feel the urge. It’s that easy!
References
- [1] https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(09)00915-8/fulltext
- [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25230520
- [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4277626/
- [4] https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/risk-factors/high-cholesterol
- [5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18813412
- [6] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ahcd/namcs_summary/2015_namcs_web_tables.pdf
- [7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18403946
- [8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12358452
- [9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4264806
- [10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664031
- [11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1356551
- [12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16840650
- [13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3590151
- [14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28595182
- [15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10793599