3 Healing Ginger Drinks to Fight Viruses, Relieve Joint Pain, and Ease Digestive Issues

Outsmart health hassles with warm sips packed with revitalizing ginger. Learn more about how the root can help fight viruses, relieve pain in your joints, and soothe GI troubles — then try three deliciously healing ginger drinks.

Fights Viruses

A cozy ginger-spiked sip can shore up immune defenses within three hours, say experts from the American Medical Association, plus cut your recovery time in half if you do get sick. Credit goes to antiviral compounds that increase the activity of virus fighting immune cells by 33 percent.

Relieves Joint Pain

Just one teaspoon of ginger daily helped relieve chronic aches and stiffness in 63 percent of sufferers after a week, according to a study in the Journal of Arthritis. The spice’s powerful gingerols suppress the production of enzymes responsible for pain triggering inflammation. Getting a dose in the form of any one of these healing ginger drinks will help nix joint pain.

Eases GI Upset

Warm, spicy ginger can relieve indigestion and reduce the likelihood of future stomach ughs. That’s the word from Taiwanese researchers, who found that ginger boosts digestive enzyme output and triggers muscle contractions that speed the passage of food through the GI tract. The payoff: Study subjects who took ginger capsules digested their food 30 percent faster than those given a placebo.

Apple-Ginger Warmer

• ½ cup apple juice
• ¼ cup mango nectar
• 2 slices peeled ginger
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

In mug, microwave ingredients until hot, about 1–2 minutes. Makes 1 serving.

Bonus: Apple cider vinegar curbs blood sugar spikes by 34 percent.

Ginger-Hibiscus Soother

• 1 hibiscus tea bag
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 slices peeled ginger
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 slice lemon
• 4 fresh raspberries

In microwave-safe mug, mix first 5 ingredients with 1 cup water; microwave until hot, about 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh raspberries. Makes 1 serving.

Bonus: Polyphenols in hibiscus tea speed detoxification by 65 percent.

Ginger-Chai Latte Lift

• ½ cup almond milk
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon chai spice
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

In microwave-safe mug, whisk together all ingredients; microwave until hot, about 1–2 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with more chai spice and garnish with star anise pod. Makes 1 serving.

Bonus: The vitamin E in almond milk sharpens eyesight.

A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, First For Women.