Weight-management kitchen
Ginger-Lemon Tea
Please read: These are everyday recipes and drinks that fit a balanced eating pattern. No food, drink or supplement here causes weight loss on its own, and we make no promise of any result. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before changing your diet, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take medicine (such as diabetes or blood-pressure medicine) or have a medical condition.
Ingredients
- 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 10 fl oz (300 ml) water
- Juice of ½ lemon (about 1 tbsp)
- Optional: 1 tsp honey
Step by step
- Peel and thinly slice the ginger.
- Simmer the slices in the water for 10 minutes.
- Strain into a mug.
- Stir in lemon juice and honey.
Traditional and historical use
Ginger has warmed kitchens from India to the Mediterranean for millennia and was a staple of 19th-century American pharmacy.
“when swallowed it acts as a stimulating tonic, stomachic, and carminative, increasing the secretion of gastric juice, exalting the excitability of the alimentary muscular system, and dispelling gases accumulated in the stomach and bowels.”
What modern research says
Research summarized by NCCIH focuses on ginger and nausea. Small studies on ginger and body weight exist, but the evidence is limited and not conclusive.
Safety notes
- Can cause heartburn in some people.
- Ask your doctor if you take blood thinners.
- Never give honey to infants under 1 year.