Learning how to make fresh ginger tea (whether as an infusion or a decoction) can be a game-changer, especially for those of us navigating digestive issues.
Read on to learn why and how to make ginger tea for gut health, and when to avoid it, from the perspective of a gut health dietitian and clinical herbalist who has reaped and witnessed the benefits of fresh ginger tea first-hand.
Disclaimer: This post was written for general educational purposes and is intended to serve as a supplemental resource for some of my 1-1 clients who are leaning into fresh ginger tea as a key element of their customized gut-healing protocols. Make sure to consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner if you would like customized nutrition advice tailored to your bio-indivoidual needs!
Table of Contents
DIY fresh ginger tea: Quick summary
In a nutshell, making fresh ginger tea basically entails steeping or simmering a piece of fresh washed, peeled and sliced ginger root in very hot (but not boiling) filtered water or spring water for about 5-15 minutes.
(A general rule of thumb is to use a 1-inch piece of peeled, sliced ginger root for every 8 to 12 ounces of hot water.)
The longer you steep the tea, the stronger it will be.
Simmering (versus steeping) the tea will give you a significantly more potent tea (decoction).
Feel free to scroll further down for the formal fresh ginger tea recipe and variations, or continue reading to learn more about the “why” and “how” in terms of working with ginger tea clinically for gut health.
What is ginger?
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a type of pungent, carminative herb (or technically a spice, from a culinary standpoint) and rhizome (from a botanist lens).
You can spice up your dishes with a little ginger for a tangy zing and unique flavor, or take ginger internally for medicinal purposes.
Ginger can be safe and effective whether fresh, dried, powdered, or extracted (as a tea, tincture, glycerite, spagyric, syrup, or in capsule form). It’s often added to supplements to help enhance their effectiveness.
As a medicinal plant ally, ginger tea is now known to have very specific actions and potential health benefits, especially in the scope of gut health.
Potential benefits of drinking fresh ginger tea for gut health
Anti-inflammatory
Certain key water-soluble constituents of ginger (specifically gingerol, shogoal, zingerone, and 1-Dehydro-(10) gingerdione) are found to be antioxidant and anti-inflammatory by shutting down certain pro-inflammatory immune cells called “cytokines”. (1, 2)
This makes ginger tea potentially beneficial and therapeutic for those navigating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and/or food sensitivities which are essentially a form of diet-induced, immune-mediated inflammation in our gut.
Antimicrobial
The gingerol and paradol, shogaols and zingerone as well as the pungent essential oils in ginger have also been shown to have antimicrobial properties, inhibiting the growth of certain pathogenic (disease-causing) unhealthy microbes such as those in cases of gut microbial overgrowth. (1)
That’s why I’ve included ginger on my comprehensive list of antimicrobial herbs, and why you may see ginger included in a variety of antimicrobial herbal supplements on the market.
Anti-nausea
According to research, ginger tea is among the far and few types of tea found to be more effective than placebo against nausea and vomiting, whether it be from sea sickness, morning sickness, chemotherapy-induced nausea, or nausea caused by other digestive issues. (3, 4, 5)
In my private practice, I’ve anecdotally noticed that many of my clients seem to find natural relief when they lean on ginger tea. Some have even told me that the ginger tea was more helpful than Zofran, a commonly prescribed anti-nausea medication!
Bile-moving
Ginger is said to a natural bile-mover, making ginger tea a wonderful potential digestive aid. That’s because it stimulates the flow of bile, aiding in the natural digestion and emulsification of fats from a meal. (6)
Consider drinking a ginger tea infusion/decoction within 30 minutes of eating if you’d like to reap the bile-moving, digestion-enhancing benefits of fresh ginger tea!
(Warning: While moving bile is generally beneficial for many people with digestive issues, this is NOT good if you have gallstones and/or bile acid diarrhea! Avoid ginger if you have or suspect gallstones and/or bile acid diarrhea.)
Caffeine-free
While there isn’t anything inherently bad about a little caffeine (in moderation), some people who are navigating gut issues (especially diarrhea) and/or anxiety, and/or insomnia may be sensitive to caffeine.
- Recommended reading: Exploring the Connection Between Caffeine and IBS
Ginger tea is a nice beverage if you’d like to lean into a naturally caffeine-free herbal beverage! (It can be enjoyed hot or iced, in a variety of ways,)
Carminative
Ginger tea is said anecdotally to have natural carminative actions and properties.
- Recommended reading: Best Carminative Herbs for Gas and Bloat
(In other words, this means sipping on ginger tea can potentially help reduce/alleviate symptoms of gas and bloating!)
Disclaimer: I have not experienced this particular benefit first-hand, but I’ve heard it from some of my clients. I find generally that to relieve gas and bloating requires specific dietary modification, alongside carminative herbs and possibly other interventions.
Low FODMAP
While FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) in foods aren’t inherently bad, they can be common IBS symptom triggers.
As long as you aren’t adding milk or large amounts of milk or honey to your fresh ginger tea, ginger infusions can be considered a type of low FODMAP tea and thus may be less likely to trigger IBS symptoms compared to higher FODMAP teas.
- Recommended reading: 15+ Low FODMAP Teas: Comprehensive List & Expert Guidance
Prokinetic
Ginger is a type of natural prokinetic herb, which means it supports healthy gut motility and stimulates our Migrating Motor Complex (MMC) to keep our intestines nice and clean in between meals. (7, 8)
(Ginger tea as a prokinetic herb can be a key component of a natural SIBO treatment plan!)
Warming
Whether you’re drinking it hot or iced, ginger tea is warming to the tissues of the body, making it especially cozy to sip on during the cooler months of the year.
Why I prefer fresh (versus dried) ginger tea
Fresh ginger tea infusions were a daily staple for me during my irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) healing journey.
I found (and was also formally taught by two of my past mentors, Ginger Webb & Dr, Natasha Campbell McBride) that dried ginger tea is exponentially hotter on the tissues of the body, compared to fresh ginger which is gentler and just as effective.
This means dried ginger is more likely to trigger symptoms of heartburn, acid reflux, and/or gastritis (hello, stomach aches!),
But you do you! Listen to your body, your healthcare team, and your own intuition – even if that means going with dried instead of fresh ginger tea.
Ginger tea infusions versus decoctions: what’s the difference?
A fresh ginger tea infusion means you’re steeping the piece of ginger root passively, and making a weaker tea. (I always recommend starting with an infusion if you’re unsure how your body will respond to ginger!)
If you desire a stronger and more potent ginger, you can upgrade to a ginger tea decoction which entails simmering (but not boiling) the ginger over low heat in a stove pot for roughly the same duration of time – about 10-15 minutes.
DIY fresh ginger tea: recipes and variations
Materials
- Knife and cutting board
- Stove pot or tea pot
- Sieve
- Mug(s) for serving
- Optional: Mason jar for cooling and refrigerating (to make iced ginger tea variation)
Ingredients
- 3 to 4-inch piece of fresh, washed, peeled and chopped ginger root
- 24 to 32 ounces (3 to 4 cups) filtered water or spring water
- Optional add-in’s: fresh lemon, fresh turmeric, raw honey (or sweetener of choice), dried chai spices (cinnamon bark, cloves, cardamom pods, star anise pod)
Directions
For ginger tea infusions
- Heat the water until it’s very hot, but not boiling.
- Steep the ginger in very hot (but not boiling) water for ~10 to 15 minutes.
- Strain and sip ~8 ounces of tea at a time, with optional add-in’s, into a temperature-safe tea mug.
For ginger root decoctions
- Combine the fresh ginger root and cold water in the stove pot.
- Turn stove burner onto low heat and simmer the fresh ginger root for ~10-15 minutes or longer. The longer you simmer the ginger, the stronger and more potent your tea will be.
- Strain and sip ~8 ounces of tea at a time, with optional add-in’s if desired.
Notes
- If you’re prone to tummy aches or you have a very sensitive stomach, consider starting with a DIY ginger tea infusion, using less ginger and more water, and/or steeping for less time to make a weaker tea.
- The longer you steep/simmer the ginger, the stronger and more potent your tea will be.
- For optional digestive benefits, consider sipping the ginger tea within 30 minutes before or after meals.
Optional variations
Iced ginger tea
- Let the ginger tea infusion/decoction cool at room temperature, then transition to an airtight glass container (such as a mason jar) and refrigerate to make iced ginger tea (with or without optional add-in’s like honey, lemon, etc.).
Lemon ginger tea
- Squeeze some fresh lemon juice into your ginger tea, with or without some raw honey.
- I recommend 1/4 lemon per 8 to 12 ounces of tea!
Turmeric ginger tea
- Add an equal amount of fresh washed, peeled, chopped turmeric root into the ginger tea infusion/decoction to make turmeric ginger tea. Enjoy hot or iced, with or without honey and/or fresh lemon.
Chai tea
- In addition to the fresh ginger, add some chai spices such as a few pieces of cinnamon bark, a few cloves, a star anise, and a few cardamom pods.
- Sweeten with raw honey, real maple syrup, agave nectar, or a few drops of stevia leaf / monk fruit extract.
- Cut with a splash of milk or unsweetened milk sub of choice.
- Enjoy hot or iced.
Sweetened ginger tea
- Sweeten your ginger tea with raw honey, real maple syrup, agave nectar, or a few drops of stevia leaf / monk fruit extract.
Recipe
Fresh Ginger Tea
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the water until it’s very hot, but not boiling.
- Steep the ginger in very hot (but not boiling) water for ~10 to 15 minutes.
- Strain and sip ~8 ounces of tea at a time, with optional add-in’s, into a temperature-safe tea mug.
- Combine the fresh ginger root and cold water in the stove pot.
- Turn stove burner onto low heat and simmer the fresh ginger root for ~10-15 minutes or longer. The longer you simmer the ginger, the stronger and more potent your tea will be.
- Strain and sip ~8 ounces of tea at a time, into a temperature-safe tea mug.
- Optional: add the add-in's for variations if desired.
Next steps
For folks with gut issues
If you’re suffering from digestive issues and you’d like more support and guidance on how to heal your gut, consider joining us in the Holistic Gut Repair Roadmap online membership program or apply for 1-1 support!
For RDNs and nutritionists
If you’re a registered dietitian, nutritionist, or other healthcare professional and you’d like to learn more about how to integrate herbs into your clinical practice, make sure to check out the following:
10 Best Dietitian-Vetted Online Herb Stores (free downloadable PDF)
