Ginger Tea Benefits: What the Evidence Shows

The three potential benefits of ginger tea are hydration, comfort during menstrual cramps, and support during migraine, although evidence for the tea itself is limited. For a personalized drink idea, try the ai detox recipe generator.

What are the 3 potential benefits of ginger tea?

Ginger tea provides water, so it can contribute to hydration. The other potential benefits come from studies of ginger powder or capsules, not ginger tea; those studies cannot establish how much benefit, if any, a cup provides.

How can ginger tea support hydration?

1. Hydration

How it may work: The water in ginger tea contributes to your fluid intake. Hydration helps the body carry out normal functions, including the work of the kidneys. The ginger itself is not needed for water to have this benefit.

How to use it: Drink ginger tea as part of your usual fluid intake, hot or chilled. Its flavor may make water more appealing if you find plain water difficult to drink. An unsweetened preparation lets you enjoy the flavor without adding sugar.

Strength of evidence: This is the most straightforward benefit on the list: ginger tea contains water. There is no need to assume that ginger tea is more effective than plain water or that it can compensate for an underlying cause of dehydration.

Your fluid needs vary with factors such as activity, weather, health, and medications. If a clinician has advised you to limit fluids, follow that advice rather than adding extra ginger tea.

Can ginger tea help with menstrual cramps?

2. Menstrual cramp comfort

How it may work: Ginger contains compounds such as gingerols that have been studied for their effects on inflammation and pain. That makes an effect on cramps plausible, but it does not establish the mechanism or demonstrate that a brewed cup delivers an effective amount.

How to use it: If you enjoy ginger tea, you can drink it during your period as a source of fluid and comfort. Treat it as an optional addition to your usual care, not as a substitute for treatment recommended by a clinician. There is no established ginger tea dose for menstrual pain based on the studies listed here.

Strength of evidence: A 2018 randomized crossover trial compared ginger capsules with Novafen in young adults with primary menstrual pain. Pain scores decreased in both groups, but the trial did not include a placebo group or test ginger tea, so it cannot show how a cup compares with a medicine or with no treatment.

A small 2019 clinical trial also studied ginger alongside other spices for menstrual pain. Its small size and comparison design limit what it can tell us about the effect of ginger alone. Neither trial establishes a recipe or steeping time for pain relief.

Can ginger tea help during a migraine?

3. Migraine support

How it may work: Ginger contains compounds being investigated for their effects on pain and inflammation. Researchers have studied ginger powder during migraine attacks, but how those findings might apply to ginger tea is unknown.

How to use it: A cup of ginger tea can be a way to drink fluid during a migraine if you tolerate it. Do not rely on it to stop an attack or replace a prescribed migraine medicine. If the smell or flavor makes you feel worse, there is no reason to force it.

Strength of evidence: In a 2014 randomized trial, participants with acute migraine without aura received either ginger powder or sumatriptan. Headache severity decreased in both groups, and the reported outcomes were similar. The study did not test ginger tea and did not include a placebo group, so it does not establish that ginger tea works like sumatriptan.

One trial is not enough to establish a tea recipe or predict who might benefit. Discuss recurring, changing, or disruptive headaches with a healthcare professional rather than trying to manage them with ginger tea alone.

What does ginger tea not do?

Ginger tea does not “flush toxins” or cleanse the blood. The liver and kidneys do most of the body’s detoxification; the lungs and gut also help eliminate waste, while sweat removes only trace amounts. Drinking ginger tea can support hydration, but it does not replace those organs’ normal work.

Ginger tea is not a proven cure for menstrual pain, migraine, or another medical condition. A result from a measured ginger capsule or powder cannot simply be transferred to a homemade drink: the ginger used and the amount extracted into the water can differ.

Ginger is often used for nausea, but the studies cited on this page did not test nausea or establish whether ginger tea helps it. Persistent or severe symptoms deserve medical attention rather than repeated attempts to treat them with a drink.

How should you drink ginger tea?

A simple ginger tea method

This method starts with a refrigerated ginger infusion, which you can drink cold or warm after straining. It makes a flavored drink, not a measured dose equivalent to the ginger preparations in the studies.

Ingredients

• 1 liter water (about 4¼ US cups)
• 1 inch fresh ginger (about 2.5 cm or approximately 10 g), thinly sliced

Method

1. Wash the ginger and slice it thinly.
2. Add the ginger and water to a clean covered container.
3. Refrigerate for 2–4 hours to develop the flavor, then strain out the ginger.
4. Serve chilled, or gently warm a portion if you prefer hot ginger tea.

Keep the infusion refrigerated and drink it within 24 hours for the best flavor. Discard it after 2–3 days, or sooner if it becomes cloudy, slimy, or sour-smelling. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than a few hours.

How much should you drink?

There is no proven amount of ginger tea for relieving cramps or migraine. Start with a serving you enjoy and see whether it agrees with you; making it stronger does not guarantee a better effect. The recipe above is a flavor guide, not a treatment dose.

Plain ginger tea does not need sweetener. If you add sugar or honey, those additions contribute calories. The amount of ginger compounds in the finished tea can vary with the ginger and preparation, even when you follow the same basic method.

Who should be careful with ginger tea?

Ginger can cause heartburn or stomach upset for some people. Stop drinking it if it makes you uncomfortable, and seek medical advice if symptoms persist or are severe.

If you take a blood thinner or an antiplatelet medicine, ask your clinician about regular ginger use, particularly before using concentrated ginger products. If you are pregnant, ask your prenatal clinician about persistent nausea or pain and before using ginger as a remedy. Ask a child’s healthcare professional before using ginger tea to address a child’s symptoms.

Seek urgent care for a sudden, exceptionally severe headache, a headache with new weakness or confusion, or severe pain during pregnancy. See a clinician for new or worsening menstrual pain, unusually heavy bleeding, recurring disruptive headaches, or vomiting that makes it difficult to keep fluids down.

Sources

The studies linked in the benefit sections examined ginger preparations rather than this ginger tea recipe:

• The 2018 crossover trial comparing ginger and Novafen for menstrual pain.
• The 2019 small clinical trial of selected spices for menstrual pain.
• The 2014 randomized trial comparing ginger powder and sumatriptan for acute migraine.

Their findings are useful context, but they do not establish the amount of ginger compounds in a homemade cup or prove that ginger tea produces the same effects.