If you are looking for a natural way to prevent and fight sickness, you may be interested in ginger tea for colds. This aromatic herb is one of the most used medicines of all time and cultures all around the world benefit from its healing powers.
Recent studies and science prove ginger’s worth as a cold fighter and you’ll see that in this article, as well as:
- A few different ways to make the tea
- Any safety concerns
- My favorite place to get ginger
Let’s get into it.
Ginger’s Healing History
Ginger is a prominent herb in China’s first great herbal, Classics of Herbs, which was complied by mystical emperor-sage Shen Nung, over 5000 thousands a year ago. He recommends ginger for:
- Colds
- Fevers
- Chills
Also, The Chinese treated many more issues like arthritis, ulcers and kidney problems with it. Women noticed ginger relived nausea and morning sickness while sailors found it useful for motion sickness.
The Greeks and Romans learned of this wonderful herb and found it very helpful. Eventually it made its way to Europe and all the way to the colonies. There it was enjoyed in beers and sodas.
Some herbs fall in and out of popularity but that’s not the case with ginger; it’s been going strong since the dawn of human history.
Ginger Is Loaded With Cold Fighting Compounds
Contemporary herbalists endorse ginger enthusiastically for colds, flu and nausea. There’s many chemicals in ginger that make it great for these issues and it contains nearly a dozen anti-viral compounds. One of the most powerful is called sesquiterpenes and according to Dr. James A. Duke, it has “specific effects against the most common family of colds, the rhinoviruses.”
This isn’t the only chemical in ginger that’s good for common cold. Other constituents in ginger, gingerols and shogaols, relieve symptoms of cold and reduce:
- Pain
- Fever
- Suppress cough
- And has a mild sedative effect to promote rest
Researchers in China and India found ginger helps kill different viruses and enhances the immune system to keep you feeling your best.
Another great herb for these issues is meadowsweet.
How To Take
The healing powers of ginger come from its rhizomes (often called roots). To make a tea pour a cup of boiling water onto a couple tablespoons of fresh, shredded ginger root. Let it steep for 10 minutes before drinking and you can strain if you wish. You can drink up to 2 cups a day.
If you wish to skip the process of making a herbal tea from scratch, you can always get ginger tea bags. Once you have the tea bag, place it in a cup of boiling water, cover and steep for 3 to 6 minutes and enjoy.
Either way is an excellent way to make the tea.
Do You Know What The Best Part About Ginger Is?
Besides its pleasant taste and smell, there’s basically no side effects or safety issues with this herb. Some people experience heartburn when trying to prevent motion sickness with ginger but that’s it.
Compare that to any pharmaceutical or cold medicine. You will always find side effects with them. Aspirin alone is responsible for over 15,000 deaths a year and over 100,000 hospital visits.
When you take ginger you are fighting colds the way nature intends and face virtually no risk.
Quality Matters
To get the best results, you need to take high quality ginger. If you go with mediocre ginger you run the risk of not getting its cold fighting powers.
Personally, I only purchase ginger and other herbs from a few places. My favorite is Starwest Botanicals and they offer several different ginger preparations including roots, capsules, powders, extracts and more. Every product is USDA certified organic and is fairly priced.
Check Out My Favorite Herbal Supplier
Sometimes I don’t feel like going through the entire tea making process and just want ginger’s immune enhancing effects in the form of a tea bag. There’s only one place I buy ginger tea bags and that’s Buddha Teas. If you are interested, click below.
All your ginger needs will be taken care of between these two places.
The Natural Way To Better Health
You should always explore natural solutions to your problems before you turn to harmful pharmaceuticals. Nature provides all the remedies you will ever need and you just have to learn what works for what.
If you are finding yourself constantly under the weather, ginger will help you tremendously. This wonder herb has many different compounds that are scientifically proven to fight colds.
Plus it’s enjoyable to take. If you have any ginger experiences and wish to share, comment below; I’d love to hear them. Also, if you would like your friends and family to see this information, share on social media.
Congrats on your interest in ginger and nature’s remedies!