Nourilo

Herbal & Flower Teas

Fresh Ginger and Garlic Tea

traditionally used to warm the body, dispel cold, and support the immune system during flu season

In short: Fresh Ginger and Garlic Tea is a herbal & flower tea that traditionally used to warm the body, dispel cold, and support the immune system during flu season. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, children's wellness, immune support. Total time about 15 min. Key ingredients: garlic, rock sugar.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
5 min
Cook
10 min
Total
15 min
Makes
600 ml
Respiratory & Lung WellnessChildren's WellnessImmune Support
Fresh Ginger and Garlic Tea

Why people make this tea

During flu season, Nourilo regularly re-shares this recipe because almost every household already has the two key ingredients: fresh ginger and garlic. Both are among the most well-researched culinary herbs in the world — garlic contains allicin, which has demonstrated antimicrobial and antiviral properties in laboratory research, while ginger contains gingerols and shogaols that are associated with anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting effects. In traditional Chinese food therapy, this combination is used specifically to “scatter wind-cold” — to warm and open the body’s defences when you feel a chill coming on, or to support the whole family proactively during a flu outbreak. It takes just 10 minutes to make and tastes pleasantly warming with the rock sugar.

Nourilo notes that during particularly severe flu seasons, when cases are rising rapidly, this kind of proactive approach — alongside good sleep, balanced nutrition, regular exercise, and good hygiene — is the most sensible strategy.

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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