Recipe: Ginger-Tumeric Tonic

Name: Recipe: Ginger-Tumeric Tonic
Ingredients: 1 quart filtered water; Fresh ginger root about 2" long; Fresh tumeric root about 1" long; Juice of 1/2 large lemon; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (with mother); 1 Tbsp honey

Natural Health

Jan 14

Ginger-Tuneric Tonic, ginger, tumeric, inflammation, anti-oxidant

Do you ever feel like you need a boost? A cup of herbal tea, or, of course, coffee, comes to mind, but I wanted something different and a little out of my usual sphere. This Ginger-Tumeric Tonic is just the thing!

Health Benefits of Ginger

Ginger has an amazing history of health benefits and has been used extensively in traditional medicine for thousands of years.

Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent and can help in inflammation of the joints – arthritis. An old folk remedy for joint swelling is to boil 1 to 2 inches of peeled ginger root in a pot of water, cool and then make a poultice by soaking a rag in the water and wrapping the joint with it.
Ginger is well known for its aid with indigestion, nausea and vomiting. It is a common remedy for the nausea of pregnancy and it is in many motion sickness remedies.
Ginger is also an intestinal motility agent and may be used to aid in constipation.
Ginger has the potential for help with high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disorders.
Ginger is a powerful anti-oxidant and has been used for anti-aging and cancer prevention.
Ginger also has anti-microbial properties.
Ginger has a long list of studies with cancer.
Ginger is an excellent natural remedy for menstrual cramps.

Fresh ginger can be grouped into two wide range categories – volatiles and non-volatiles. Volatiles include sesquiterpene and monoterpenoid hydrocarbons which provide the distinct aroma and taste of ginger. The non-volatile compounds include gingerols, shogaols, paradols, and zingerone.

These chemical components give ginger its powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant capacities.

Animal models showed that ginger significantly lowered induced lipid peroxidation and raised the levels of ani-oxidant enzymes, together with serum glutathione. (source)

What this means is that ginger can ameliorate the creation of free radicals and can increase levels of serum glutathione – the most powerful anti-oxidant in the body.

Best of all, ginger has a wonderful flavor and gives a bit of heat to any recipe!

Health Benefits of Tumeric

Tumeric has been used as a spice and a medicinal herb for thousands of years. It contains curcumin, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant compound.

Many studies have been conducted on the properties of curcumin. Since there are relatively small amounts of curcumin in tumeric, the studies focus in on using curcumin supplements.

Additionally, curcumin is not readily absorbed, but having black pepper (piperin) in the supplement seems to help with absorption.

Curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory and can inhibit inflammation through many mechanisms.
Curcumin blocks NF-kB activation – one of the inflammatory pathways.
Curcumin neutralizes free radicals due to its molecular structure.
Curcumin activates the body’s ability to make glutathione.
Curcumin boosts brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), which protects the brain from neurodegeneration.

Rather than taking expensive supplements, I love the idea of taking these powerful substances on a daily basis, in small amounts.

I recently started to drink about 2 to 3 ounces before my first meal and I find that it definitely aids in digestion. If you drink this tonic, you will not have to take digestive enzymes.

The use of fresh lemon, apple cider vinegar and raw honey also add to the medicinal properties of this tonic.

Let me know how you like it!