Christmas Spiced Anti-Inflammatory Tea

Ingredients:

½ – 1 L of water
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
5 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into pieces
4-5 cloves
2 star anais
2 whole cardamoms
½ squeezed lemon or to taste

Method:

Boil water, turn off the heat. Add all the spices to the water.
Leave for 5-10 minutes, add lemon to taste and then serve.
Enjoy!

Tip: Make a larger batch and sip the tea throughout the day or store in the fridge and drink it cold. You can adjust the amount of spices in the tea yourself. For stronger tea, add more of the spices and steep longer. To retain the flavor and potency of the cloves and cardamom – buy them whole and store in an airtight container.
– If you want the tea to be sweeter, you can add a tablespoon of honey.
– Enjoy the tea together with the Christmas spiced carrot cake. See the recipe here.

Health benefits

Both lemon and ginger contain plant compounds that support the digestive system and can be used to aid digestion. They can also help relieve a stuffy nose, help fight the flu, and reduce nausea. Lemon is a good source of vitamin C and one lemon provides approx. 50% recommended daily intake.

Anti-inflammatory spices

Cloves
Cloves contain antioxidants and include several compounds linked to anti-inflammatory properties. Cloves contain a specific natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound called eugenol that has been shown to reduce the inflammatory response in the body and act as an antioxidant that protects cells from free radical damage. Cloves are also a rich source of manganese which is an important mineral for maintaining brain function and building strong bones.

Cardamom
Cardamom is nutrient dense, 100 g provides approx. 22% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of essential nutrients. It contains i.a. a lot of iron, magnesium and zinc but also vitamin C and B vitamins.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon has been used for centuries for both its medicinal properties and its taste. Choose Ceylon cinnamon instead of Cassia cinnamon (regular cinnamon). Ceylon cinnamon has been identified as superior in beneficial active composition. Cinnamon is known for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It has the ability to increase insulin sensitivity and therefore reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.