Turmeric and ginger are both highly beneficial and versatile foods that have potent anti-inflammatory properties.
Inflammation plays an important role in the immune system, but chronic inflammation can lead to numerous diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, cancer, and depression. Therefore, turmeric and ginger can be of great help in their treatment and prevention.
The main compound of turmeric is curcumin, which has powerful anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, and treats joint inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic digestive problems, abdominal pain, improves liver health, and relieves gas.
However, it is poorly absorbed in the body, so you should use black pepper to boost its bioavailability by 2000%. It has an impressive nutritional profile, and according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database, a tablespoon (tbsp) of turmeric powder provides:
- 29 calories
- 0.91 grams (g) of protein
- 0.31 g of fat
- 6.31 g of carbohydrates
- 2.1 g of fiber
- 0.3 g of sugar
Moreover, that same 1-tbsp serving provides:
- 26 percent of daily manganese needs
- 16 percent of daily iron
- 5 percent of daily potassium
- 3 percent of daily vitamin C
On the other hand, ginger belongs to the same family as turmeric, Zingiberaceae family, and is rich in powerful anti-inflammatories known as gingerols. Ginger relieves pain, treats inflammation, and is helpful in the treatment of arthritis pain, rheumatism, osteoarthritis, nausea, stomach cramping, and heart issues. Ginger is a rich source of multiple vitamins and minerals, and a serving of 100 grams (g) of the fresh ginger root contains:
- 79 calories
- 17.86 g of carbohydrate
- 3.6 g of dietary fiber
- 3.57 g of protein
- 0 g of sugar
- 14 mg of sodium
- 1.15 g of iron
- 7.7 mg of vitamin C
- 33 mg of potassium
Ginger is also high in magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin B6, folate, niacin, riboflavin, and zinc.
The combination of these two potent ingredients in the form of tea is an incredibly beneficial natural remedy that improves health in numerous ways:
— Turmeric and ginger tea fights inflammation in the body, alleviates pain, and treats inflammatory conditions like joint swelling, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis.
— Turmeric and ginger tea improves cardiovascular health and lowers the risk of blood clots, irregular heartbeat, and anti-inflammatory effects on the cardiovascular system. It also lowers blood pressure and prevents palpitations.
— It boosts blood circulation and flow and prevents oxidative stress on the vascular system.
— It lowers cholesterol levels in the blood
— It reduces joint inflammation in the body and manages arthritis and its symptoms fights osteoarthritis, and studies have even found that curcumin can be as effective as phenylbutazone – a pharmaceutical drug used to treat arthritis.
— This tea improves cognitive power and treats neurological diseases. The compound 6-shogaol in ginger has an anti-inflammatory effect on neurological processes and prevents memory impairment and relieves the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
— This combination relieves digestion issues, reduces inflammation in the digestive tract and prevents nausea, vomiting, stomach ulcers, irritable bowel disease, indigestion, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and Crohn’s disease.
— The consumption of turmeric and ginger tea strengthens the immune system and boosts the body’s response to infections.
— These two powerful anti-inflammatories protect against various cancer types, especially gastrointestinal, pancreatic, liver, prostate, cervical, and breast cancers.
— Turmeric and ginger tea improves mood and may relieve symptoms of depression, by stimulating neurotransmitters associated with feelings of pleasure and happiness, such as dopamine and serotonin. Also, geraniol in ginger protects the brain from stress
— Studies have found that turmeric and ginger control diabetes and positively impact blood sugar levels and reduce oxidative stress
— This versatile tea promotes weight loss and helps weight management
Now, here is how to prepare turmeric ginger tea:
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated turmeric root or 1/3 tsp dried turmeric
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger root or 1/3 teaspoon of dried ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- Raw honey
- A slice of lemon
- 1 cup of water
Instructions:
Boil the water, and then turn off the heat, and add turmeric and ginger. Steep with the lid on for 5 minutes, and then strain the tea. Add honey and black pepper when the tea is cool, stir well, and squeeze the juice of the lemon slice.
Despite the countless health benefits of turmeric and ginger, the other ingredients of this tea recipe are highly beneficial as well. Lemon juice is rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant which boosts immunity levels and enhances the skin, while the numerous antioxidants in honey improve cholesterol and lower high blood pressure. Also, black pepper unclogs the sinuses and improves digestion.
Note that you should avoid the use of ginger and turmeric in case you take blood-thinning medications, or drugs that prevent blood clots, diabetes and high blood pressure medications, or if you are prone to gallstones and kidney stones. Moreover, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should avoid their consumption as well.
