Nourilo

Herbal & Flower Teas

Garlic Ginger Brown Sugar Tea

Traditionally used to warm the body, support circulation, and help ward off colds

In short: Garlic Ginger Brown Sugar Tea is a herbal & flower tea that Traditionally used to warm the body, support circulation, and help ward off colds. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, heart & circulation, immune support. Total time about 13 min. Key ingredients: ginger, brown sugar.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
5 min
Cook
8 min
Total
13 min
Makes
2 cups
Respiratory & Lung WellnessHeart & CirculationImmune Support
Garlic Ginger Brown Sugar Tea

Why people make this tea

When flu season arrives and temperatures drop, this pungent little tea has been a household standby across Cantonese families for generations. Garlic is one of the most potent natural antimicrobial foods known to traditional herbalism, and the red- or purple-skinned variety — along with solo (single-clove) garlic — is said to contain the highest concentration of allicin. Paired with warming ginger and soothing brown sugar, the combination is traditionally used to warm the stomach, move circulation, and help the body mount its defenses against seasonal illness. Nourilo also notes an interesting finding from Korean research: garlic that has sprouted for about five days may have higher antioxidant activity than fresh garlic, and is traditionally associated with heart health support — so sprouted garlic need not be thrown away.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Ginger · Meta-analysis, 23 studies · 2022
    Overall, acute and delayed nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly between ginger and control groups. A subgroup taking 1 g/day or less for over four days had less acute vomiting (OR 0.30).Limitation: Clinical heterogeneity between trials required subgroup analyses, and the authors state that sufficiently large, high-quality RCTs are still needed.PubMed 36501010 · 3 more ginger studies
  • Garlic · Randomized controlled trial, 120 participants · 2016
    Gamma-delta T and NK cells proliferated better and were more activated than with placebo. The number of illnesses did not differ significantly, but cold and flu severity and missed days were lower.Limitation: Cold and flu outcomes were self-reported in daily diaries, and the dose was a concentrated extract that is not comparable to dietary garlic.PubMed 26764332 · 2 more garlic studies

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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