Green Tea & Ginger Benefits

Green tea, or Camellia sinensis, has been used for years for its medicinal benefits. Many of the health benefits are due to the plentiful antioxidants that are naturally present in green tea. However, if you have a medical condition or are on any medications, discuss drinking green tea or taking green tea supplements with your doctor. For example, those who take beta blockers or blood thinning medications should not use green tea. And taking aspirin with green tea can stop platelets from clotting. The herb ginger also has a wide spectrum of therapeutic health benefits. However, in some people it can cause heartburn. Additionally, if you have a medical condition or are on any medications, check with your doctor first. Ginger can intensify medications such as blood thinners, insulin, beta blockers and barbiturates. It might also stimulate uterine contractions, so pregnant women should check with a doctor before using ginger.

Nausea

• Ginger is commonly used to help reduce nausea. People who suffer from motion sickness might benefit from taking ginger supplements or drinking ginger tea prior to travel. Pregnant women may also use it to alleviate morning sickness. Cancer patients might benefit from using ginger to reduce nausea that is caused by chemotherapy.

Inflammation

• Ginger might help to relieve inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis. It also has pain-relieving properties and can help with various aches and pains. Ginger works in this way by inhibiting the production of cytokines, which encourage inflammation. Ginger can also stimulate blood circulation, which relieves joint pain.

Antioxidants

• The antioxidants in green tea have many health benefits. These include lowering harmful cholesterol. Antioxidants might encourage the excretion of cholesterol and block it from being absorbed. Antioxidants may also help prevent atherosclerosis. In general, antioxidants help destroy free radicals, which damage healthy cells.

Cancer

• According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, green tea has been linked to lower incidences of cancer. Specifically, the polyphenols---or antioxidants---found naturally in green tea might help thwart the growth of cancerous cells and kill the cancer cells that are already present. This is true for many types of cancer, including ovarian, pancreatic, colorectal, bladder and breast cancer.

Other Benefits

• Ginger might also aid in digestion, prevent blood clots by increasing blood circulation and enhance a poor appetite, and it might also aid in alleviating colds, allergies and the flu. Green tea might also help to control blood sugar, aid in digestion, reduce inflammation for conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease and help to protect the liver.