Ginger Tea

A nice cup of freshly brewed ginger tea.

If you suffer from digestive problems like SIBO or IBS, you really must learn how to make ginger tea, one of the kindest drinks ever invented to help calm, warm and comfort your tummy.

Ginger is a first class anti-inflammatory, so it helps to soothe irritated tissues in the intestines and throughout the body. Ginger also has warming and stimulating properties. Ginger tea is well known to aid a sluggish digestive system, and also is effective for reducing nausea due to pregnancy, motion sickness and other causes.

Nothing could be easier than making ginger tea from freshly grated ginger root. Simply use one teaspoon of ginger root (grated or minced) per cup of water, and follow either of the two methods outlined below. A thumb-sized chunk makes 2-3 cups.

A thumb-sized chunk makes about 3 cups of tea.

It's probably a good idea to peel off the ginger skin before grating. If you don't have time, at least scrub the piece you are using to remove traces of outer contaminants. Peeling is essential if you are using conventionally grown ginger, but even organic ginger root should be scrubbed clean. Always discard moldy bits first.

Use a box grater for speed, and don't mind those fibers.

   
*Remember to use approximately one teaspoon grated ginger per cup of water.* That's basically all you need to memorize, and you've got this recipe dialed in.

Quick Method: Place grated ginger in a mug, mason jar or teapot. Pour boiling water on top. Steep 5-10 minutes, strain and drink. The longer it steeps, the stronger the tea.  

Slow Method: Place grated, minced or thinly sliced ginger in a pan, add water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Depending upon how long it steeps or simmers, you often can get a second batch of tea out of previously used, once-steeped ginger root. I've also been known to add this soggy ginger to soups, smoothies and marinades, for a little extra zing. And because waste not, want not.

Enjoy ginger tea plain, or with a squeeze of lemon. If desired, you can also sweeten it with a SIBO-safe sweetener, such as stevia, Lakanto or a touch of raw honey (a touch means 1/2 teaspoon). Just be careful on the honey--not the best choice during a flare, or during early stages of the SexySibo diet, due to high content of fermentable fructose. That being said, honey-lemon-ginger is an outrageously satisfying drink and perfect for colds and sore throats, too.

Note: It might seem more convenient to brew ginger tea using pre-made tea bags, but besides this beverage neither tasting as spicy nor having equal medicinal value as fresh ginger root tea, consider this.

A 2010 study reported that powdered ginger may be "naturally contaminated' with several mycotoxins, aflatoxins and something called ochratoxin A. (I never heard of that one before, either.)

Researchers steeped tea bags containing powdered ginger in hot or boiling water, and analyzed the resulting tea for contaminants. They found that up to 40% of the toxins present in the powdered ginger migrated into the tea, especially the aflatoxins and ochratoxin A. The most toxins ended up in the tea made with boiling vs lukewarm water, contradicting my intuitive feeling that because boiling water kills germs, tea made with boiling water must be safer.

I'm not suggesting that all powdered ginger and ginger tea bags are contaminated with toxins, but after reading that study, I'm sticking with fresh. Fresh ginger is by no means immune to contamination, but when you start with an actual root, you can see what you're working with. I prefer organically grown ginger that is firm to the touch, with a taut skin. Store it loose or in a paper bag in the refrigerator. Ginger that appears soft or moldy, with brown or blue spots, should be discarded.


REFERENCE

Iha MH and Trucksess MW.
Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in tea prepared from naturally contaminated powdered ginger.
Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess. 2010 Aug;27(8):1142-7.