Herbal & Flower Teas
Ginger & Garlic Decoction
traditionally used to warm the stomach, dispel wind-cold, and support the body during cold-type flu
In short: Ginger & Garlic Decoction is a herbal & flower tea that traditionally used to warm the stomach, dispel wind-cold, and support the body during cold-type flu. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, digestive wellness. Total time about 20 min. Key ingredients: ginger, garlic.
Why people make this drink
When flu season peaks and you feel that familiar chill — slightly achy, blocked nose, loss of appetite, no fever but that washed-out heavy feeling — a hot bowl of ginger-garlic water is one of the oldest home remedies in the Chinese tradition. Ginger and garlic are found in virtually every culture’s cooking precisely because they are warming and invigorating. Here they are simmered together into a simple decoction that is easy to make, inexpensive, and surprisingly effective for that early, cold-type stage of a respiratory illness. Drink it warm, rest afterwards, and let the warmth do its work.
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
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
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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