10 reasons to replace your morning cuppa with ginger tea!

Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti Feb 16, 2015 at 05:09 pm

Ginger tea is well-known for its powerful medicinal benefits that range from fighting nausea to reducing menstrual pain. A sip of this healthy drink in the morning not only refreshes you but also provides a whole range of antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. Though there are numerous reasons to include ginger in your diet, here are 10 ways ginger tea can work wonders for your health!

#1 Acts as natural aid for migraine and tension headache

Ginger contains anti-inflammatory compounds that play a key role in combating various symptoms of migraine and headache. These compounds inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins that cause inflammation and pain thereby relieving a headache and its associated symptoms namely nausea and vomiting. So the next time you experience a migraine attack or headache, sip a cup of warm ginger tea.

#2 Treats cough, cold and sore throat

By promoting salivation and mucus secretion, ginger tea provides quick relief from cough symptoms. In addition to preventing airway contraction, ginger has antihistamine property that helps in treating allergies thereby aiding in quick recovery from cough and cold. For effective results, drink this tea twice a day. Here are 5 natural remedies for cough and cold that really work!

#3 Aids in the treatment of kidney infections

Ginger contains a volatile oil that is made of gingerol, which has a strong antibiotic action. Coupled with anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, this spice provides effective results in relieving kidney infections. Drink this tea in the morning and in the evening time along with taking medications as prescribed by your doctor for better results.

#4 Reduces menstrual pain

Gingerols present in ginger inhibits the production of these hormones and provides relief from the painful menstrual cramps. Ginger also reduces pitta in the body which is found to cause cramps during periods, thereby relieving menstrual pain. Consume a cup of ginger tea daily (2 – 3 days before your periods) to get rid of delayed menstruation and menstrual pain. Here are 10 natural remedies to reduce pain during your menstrual periods.

#5 Relieves post nasal drip

As ginger tea contains mostly water, it causes thinning of mucus thereby acting as an effective natural remedy to control postnasal drip. This is mainly due to the presence of anti-inflammatory compounds and anti-bacterial action of ginger. All you need to do to get rid of this condition is to drink this tea at frequent intervals.

#6 Stimulates the digestive system

Ginger is packed with antioxidants and that play a key role in the absorption and assimilation of dietary nutrients thereby aiding in digestion. It also helps break down the proteins in your food and protects the stomach against ulcers by promoting mucus secretion. Hence, if you are suffering from indigestion or acidity drink a cup of ginger tea to attain instant relief. Do you suffer from digestion problem? Try these yoga poses to improve your digestive system.

#7 Prevents various types of cancer

A recent research study has shown that ginger posses the ability to induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) and also suppress the activity of protein molecules responsible for cancer. Although ginger can prevent various types of cancer, it is found to be effective against ovarian cancer. To reap the anti-cancer properties of ginger, make it a habit to drink ginger tea every morning.

#8 Helps to deal with arthritic pain

The anti-inflammatory compounds present in ginger root reduce pain associated with inflammatory conditions like arthritis. Apart from reducing pain and inflammation, drinking a cup of ginger tea relieves muscle pain.

#9 Acts as an appetizer

Are you suffering from a poor appetite? Well, cup of ginger tea when consumed in the morning or mid-afternoon might do the trick. Ginger stimulates the production of digestive juices and in turn, increases your appetite. It acts as an effective home remedy to improve digestive power along with cleansing toxins from the stomach. Here are home remedies to improve your appetite and eat more.

#10 Improves blood circulation

Ginger is increasingly gaining recognition as a herb that promotes heart health. Studies have shown that ginger is capable of preventing formation of clots, improving blood circulation, lowering LDL  cholesterol levels and also prevents formation of a blood clot.

# 11 Moisturises the skin

The presence of potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in ginger helps in flushing out the harmful toxins from the body and thus, maintain your skin health. Apart from this, drinking ginger tea hydrates the skin thereby helping in restoring the moisture and thus, aid in natural glow. Read about  5 skincare secrets by dermatologists for radiant skin.

Ginger tea – how to prepare it at home?

• Take a medium piece of ginger, wash and peel it.
• Now, grate ginger or chop it into few pieces.
• Add these ginger pieces to a cup of boiling water and steep it for around 10 to 15 minutes.
• Allow this mixture to cool a little, strain and drink.
• You can also add honey, tulsi leaves and lime juice (it’s optional).

Image Source: Getty images

References: 

1. Habib, S. H. M., Makpol, S., Hamid, N. A. A., Das, S., Ngah, W. Z. W., & Yusof, Y. A. M. (2008). Ginger Extract (Zingiber Officinale) has Anti-Cancer and Anti-Inflammatory Effects on Ethionine-Induced Hepatoma Rats. Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 63(6), 807–813. doi:10.1590/S1807-59322008000600017
2. Zeng GF, Zhang ZY, Lu L, Xiao DQ, Zong SH, He JM. Protective effects of ginger root extract on Alzheimer disease-induced behavioral dysfunction in rats. Rejuvenation Res. 2013 Apr;16(2):124-33. doi: 10.1089/rej.2012.1389. PubMed PMID:Vutyavanich T, Kraisarin T, Ruangsri R. Ginger for nausea and vomiting
3. Vutyavanich T, Kraisarin T, Ruangsri R. Ginger for nausea and vomiting inpregnancy: randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol.2001 Apr;97(4):577-82. PubMed PMID: 11275030.
4. Srivastava KC, Mustafa T. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) in rheumatism andmusculoskeletal disorders. Med Hypotheses. 1992 Dec;39(4):342-8. PubMed PMID:1494322.

http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/10-reasons-to-replace-your-morning-cuppa-with-ginger-tea-bj0215/

Best and Worst Drinks for Preventing Kidney Stones

Mention kidney stones and everyone within earshot winces—because we’ve all heard how painful these stones can be. So if you want to be stone-free, you’re probably following the common advice to drink lots of liquids. But instead of focusing on how much you drink, the crucial question is what you drink, a new study reveals. Certain beverages—including some very surprising ones, such as beer!—are particularly helpful in protecting against stones, while other drinks do more harm than good.

Unfortunately, kidney stones are common, plaguing 19% of men and 9% of women in the US at least once in their lifetimes—and recurrences are quite common. Drinking plenty of water helps prevent stones from forming…but actually, there are other fluids that can be even more effective.

DRINK THIS, NOT THAT

Using data from three large studies, researchers followed 194,095 people, none of whom had a history of kidney stones, for more than eight years. Participants periodically completed questionnaires about their diet and overall health. During the course of the study, there were 4,462 cases of kidney stones.

Researchers adjusted for health factors (age, body mass index, diabetes, medications, blood pressure) as well as various dietary factors (including intake of meat, calcium and potassium) known to affect kidney stone risk. Then they calculated the stone risk associated with various types of beverages.

How the comparison was done: For each analysis, the effects of drinking an average of one or more servings per day were compared with drinking less than one serving per week. Because data from three different studies were used, serving sizes were not necessarily alike across the board. But in general, a serving was considered to be 12 ounces of soda or beer…eight ounces of coffee, tea, milk or fruit punch…five ounces of wine…and four to six ounces of juice. The researchers’ findings were eye-opening.

Kidney stone risk boosters…

• Sugar-sweetened noncola sodas increased kidney stone risk by 33%.
• Sugar-sweetened colas increased risk by 23%.
• Fruit punch increased risk by 18%.
• Diet noncola sodas (but, surprisingly, not diet colas) increased risk by 17%.

Kidney stone risk reducers…

• Beer reduced kidney stone risk by 41%.
• White wine reduced risk by 33%.
• Red wine reduced risk by 31%.
• Caffeinated coffee reduced kidney stone risk by 26%.
• Decaf coffee reduced risk by 16%.
• Orange juice reduced risk by 12%.
• Tea reduced risk by 11%.

Consumption of milk and juices other than orange juice did not significantly affect the likelihood of developing kidney stones.

Theories behind the findings: Because sugar-sweetened sodas and fruit punch are associated with higher risk, researchers suspect that their high fructose concentration may increase the amount of calcium, oxalate and uric acid in the urine—and those substances contribute to kidney stone formation. So how to explain the beneficial effects of orange juice, which is also high in fructose? Perhaps orange juice’s high concentration of potassium citrate offsets the fructose and favorably changes the composition of urine.

Regarding the beneficial effects of coffee and tea, it could be that their caffeine acts as adiuretic that promotes urine production and thus helps prevent stones. Tea and coffee, including decaf, also contain antioxidants that may help combat stone formation. Alcohol, too, is a diuretic, and wine and beer contain antioxidants as well—though of course, with any type of alcoholic beverage, moderation is important.

Source: Pietro Manuel Ferraro, MD, physician, department of internal medicine and medical specialties, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. His study was published in Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

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