This article has been Fact-Checked by Kendall Kennedy MS, RD, RYT
There are plenty of things that supposedly help you lose weight, including ginger water. Is it actually good for weight loss or not?
Ginger is a term used for the root of ginger plants. It’s most commonly used to spice up food. Some people also associate health and weight loss benefits if you add it to your drinks.
Can ginger water help you lose weight?
Giner and thus ginger water can provide some health benefits like for example relieving nausea, relieving pain,..
This shows that ginger may have promising health benefits but it doesn’t mean it will help you lose weight.
There is a small study which shows that an amount of ginger may reduce fasting blood sugar (1). This can be helpful for losing weight.
The benefits of ginger water are mostly focused on reducing sickness. Very indirectly this may also help you lose weight. However, if it helps with this aspect it will likely not come down to many calories.
Ginger water can be great for its health benefits but if you’re looking for a weight loss booster you may have to look somewhere else.
If the extra taste helps you drink more water you should certainly consider implementing ginger water in your daily habits.
Ginger water side effects
Keep in mind that you can also overconsume ginger water. Some people may get side-effects like gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea and heartburn when they consume too much ginger.
In general, you don’t want to consume more than 4 grams of ginger a day.
If you are pregnant or take medication you should consult with your primary care provider before drastically changing your ginger intake.
How much ginger water per day?
The amount of ginger water per day that comes down to depends on the concentration you make it.
How to make ginger water?
A ginger water recipe is not that complicated. You can always change the concentration of ginger to your liking. As mentioned before try not to consume over 4 grams of ginger per day.
- Wash the part of the ginger root you’ll be using.
- Use a zester to grate 1/2 teaspoon of ginger.
- Boil 4 cups of water.
- Add the ginger once the water is boiling.
- Remove the ginger water from the heat and let the ginger steep in the water for about 10 minutes.
- Strain the ginger pieces from the water and discard the ginger.
- Drink ginger water hot or cold.
The taste of ginger might not be for you. If you still want the health benefits you can add healthy things like lemon juice to improve the taste.
When to drink ginger water for weight loss?
What time of the day you decide to drink your ginger water is not that important.
Due to the possibility of it lowering blood sugar, it might be beneficial to consume it together with a meal. This way the meal possibly spikes your blood sugar less.
