Ginger Drink: Complete Guide to Benefits and How to Choose [2025]

Ginger drinks are everywhere. From hipster bars to supermarkets, from Instagram feeds to health coaches: everyone seems to be talking about ginger drinks. But what truly makes a ginger drink healthy? What types are there? And how do you choose the right one for your body – without falling into the sugar trap?

In this complete guide, we examine everything: the proven health benefits of ginger, the different types of ginger drinks available on the Belgian market, and what to look for when buying a ginger drink that truly delivers on its promises. Spoiler: not everything that says "organic" and "ginger" on the label is automatically healthy.

Read on? Then you’ll soon know exactly what you’re drinking – and why that’s important.

Health benefits of ginger drink

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine, from Asian cuisines to Peruvian folk medicine. But over the past decade, modern science has confirmed many of those ancient claims. These are the main benefits of a daily ginger drink.

1. Digestion and bloating

Ginger stimulates the production of digestive enzymes and speeds up gastric emptying. If you suffer from bloating after meals, cramps, or slow digestion, ginger can make a noticeable difference. Research published in the journal Food Science & Nutrition showed that gingerols – the active compounds in ginger – improve gut motility.

A concentrated ginger drink before or after meals is one of the simplest ways to benefit from this. Much more effective than the small amount of ginger you find in a soup or curry.

2. Anti-inflammatory effect

Chronic inflammation is a silent enemy linked to cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and even certain forms of cancer. Ginger contains powerful anti-inflammatory compounds, with gingerol and shogaol as leaders. When you combine ginger with turmeric – another powerful anti-inflammatory – the two enhance each other's effects through the principle of synergy.

That's also why the best ginger drinks don't just contain ginger but combine cleverly chosen superfoods.

3. Immunity and resistance

Ginger has proven antimicrobial and antiviral properties. During the autumn and winter months, many people reach for a ginger drink as a natural boost for the immune system. In combination with vitamin C (think fresh lemon) and black pepper – which increases the absorption of curcumin from turmeric by up to 2,000% – you get a true immune cocktail.

4. Counteracting nausea

From morning sickness during pregnancy to motion sickness and nausea after chemotherapy: ginger is one of the best-researched natural remedies for nausea. Multiple meta-analyses confirm that ginger can be as effective as certain anti-nausea medications, without the side effects.

A ginger drink without added sugars is ideal here, as sugar can actually worsen nausea.

5. Natural energy without the crash

Unlike coffee or energy drinks, ginger provides a gentle, sustained energy boost. Ginger improves blood circulation, allowing oxygen and nutrients to reach your cells faster. Add cayenne pepper – which activates thermogenesis – and you have a natural alternative to your third cup of coffee.

Want to know how ginger can also help with losing weight-fat-burning-belgium"? That effect is closely related to this energy boost and thermogenic effect.

Types of ginger drinks: what exists?

The market for ginger drinks has exploded in recent years. But not every ginger drink is the same. These are the main categories.

Ginger shots

Small bottles (30-60 ml) with a high concentration of ginger. Popular as a "daily ritual," but most commercial shots contain apple juice or agave syrup as a filler. Pay attention to the label: sometimes there's more sugar than ginger.

Ginger concentrates and elixirs

These are concentrated ginger drinks that you dilute with water, sparkling water, or tea. The big advantage? You control the strength, and one bottle lasts for weeks. The best concentrates combine ginger with other functional ingredients such as turmeric, lemon, and pepper.

This is the category where you find the most value for money – provided you choose a product without added sugars. A 520 ml bottle easily yields 30 to 40 servings.

Ready-to-drink ginger beverages

Think of bottles of ginger-lemon water or ginger-kombucha in the supermarket. Convenient, but often heavily diluted. The amount of ginger per serving is usually minimal, and sugar or flavorings do the heavy lifting for taste.

Ginger tea

The classic variant: fresh or dried ginger steeped in hot water. Certainly healthy if you use fresh ginger root, but less concentrated than a true ginger drink. Perfect as an evening ritual, less suitable if you want to harness the full power of ginger.

Ginger syrups

Often intended as a cocktail mixer or topping. Tasty, but these are primarily flavor enhancers – not health drinks. The sugar content is usually similar to regular syrup.

How to choose the best ginger drink?

With so many options on the market, it's easy to make the wrong choice. These are the five criteria you really need to pay attention to.

1. Sugar content: the most important criterion

This is the biggest pitfall with ginger drinks. Many products that present themselves as "healthy" and "natural" contain shocking amounts of sugar. Cane sugar, agave syrup, honey, grape sugar – no matter how nice the name sounds, sugar is sugar. And too much sugar undermines precisely the health benefits for which you drink ginger.

Always check the nutritional values per 100 ml on the label. Anything above 5 g of sugar per 100 ml is a red flag for a product that claims to be healthy.

2. Organic certification

An organic-certified ginger drink guarantees that the ingredients are grown without synthetic pesticides or artificial fertilizers. In Belgium, you recognize this by the European organic logo (the green leaf) and the Certisys quality mark. Organic is a good starting point, but beware: organic does not automatically mean sugar-free. More on that later in this article.

3. Quality and diversity of ingredients

A ginger drink with just ginger and water is fine, but you miss out on the synergy effects. Science is clear: ginger + turmeric + black pepper + citrus fruits work together and amplify each other's effects. The more thoughtfully formulated, the more you get out of every sip.

Did you know that ginger can also have a positive effect on your ginger blood sugar levels? Another reason to choose sugar-free.

4. Production method: artisanal vs. industrial

Artisanal production in small batches retains more of the active compounds than industrial mass production. In industrially processed ginger drinks, ingredients are often heated to high temperatures, causing some of the gingerols and curcumin to be lost. Ask yourself: is this product made in an artisanal workshop or in a factory?

5. Origin of ingredients

Not all ginger is created equal. Peruvian ginger is known for an exceptionally high gingerol content – higher than the Chinese ginger found in most commercial products. The same goes for turmeric: Peruvian turmeric has a higher curcumin content than most commonly used varieties.

A transparent brand tells you exactly where each ingredient comes from.

The hidden sugar in ginger drinks: the truth behind the label

This is the part of the article where it gets uncomfortable for many brands. Because there's a big problem in the world of ginger drinks, and it's called: hidden sugar.

Let's take a concrete example. GIMBER, a well-known ginger concentrate on the Belgian market, is organic-certified and widely sold. But look at the label: 34 grams of sugar per 100 ml. For comparison: Coca-Cola contains about 10.6 g of sugar per 100 ml. GIMBER therefore contains more than three times as much sugar as Coca-Cola.

Yes, GIMBER is organic. Yes, it contains real ginger. But organic doesn't mean sugar-free. The sugar content comes from cane sugar and lemon – both "natural" sources, but your body doesn't distinguish between sugar from cane sugar and sugar from a Mars bar. Sugar is sugar, whether it's organic or not.

This is not an attack on GIMBER as a brand – it's a call to read labels. If you choose a ginger drink for your health, and you pour in 34 grams of sugar per 100 ml, you're working against yourself.

Why is this so important?

• Sugar fuels inflammation – precisely the problem you want to solve with ginger
• Sugar disrupts your blood sugar levels – causing your energy levels to fluctuate instead of remaining stable
• Sugar contributes to weight gain – while many people drink ginger to lose weight
• Sugar undermines your gut flora – while ginger actually supports it

The lesson? Organic is a good start, but always check the sugar content. A truly healthy ginger drink has 0 g of added sugar.

Comparison of ginger drinks in Belgium

To help you choose, we've put the three most common options side by side: GIMBER, INTI, and homemade ginger drink.

Criterion	GIMBER	INTI	Homemade
Organic certified	Yes	Yes (Certisys EU)	Depends on ingredients
Sugar per 100 ml	34 g (cane sugar)	0 g added sugar	Variable (often honey/sugar)
Production	Industrial	Artisanal (Meise, Belgium)	Homemade
Ingredients	Ginger, lemon, cane sugar	Peruvian ginger, Peruvian turmeric, Sicilian lemon, Sri Lankan black pepper, cayenne pepper, erythritol	By choice
Superfoods	1 (ginger)	5 (ginger, turmeric, lemon, black pepper, cayenne)	Variable
Origin of ingredients	Not specified	Peru, Sicily, Sri Lanka	Supermarket
Price	~€21-23 / 500 ml	€28.99 / 520 ml	~€5-10 (but limited shelf life)
Sales points	Wide (supermarkets, webshop)	50+ Hygiena sales points + webshop	N/A
Reviews	Good	4.9/5 Trustpilot (12,000+ customers)	N/A
Ambassador	--	Silent Jill (3M+ followers, Belgian Creator of the Year 2025)	--

What stands out in this comparison?

GIMBER and INTI are both organic-certified ginger drinks, but the similarity stops there. The sugar content is the most striking difference: 34 g versus 0 g of added sugar. INTI uses erythritol as a sweetener – a natural sugar alcohol that has no effect on your blood sugar levels and contains zero calories.

Additionally, INTI combines five superfoods in one formula: Peruvian ginger, Peruvian turmeric, Sicilian lemon, Sri Lankan black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Each ingredient is consciously chosen for synergy. The black pepper increases the absorption of curcumin from turmeric, the cayenne pepper activates thermogenesis, and the lemon provides vitamin C.

Homemade is, of course, the cheapest, but you miss the consistency, concentration, and shelf life of a professionally produced ginger drink.

Curious about the full comparison in French? Then check out our complete ginger drink guide (FR).

Frequently asked questions about ginger drinks

How much ginger drink can you consume per day?

Most studies suggest that 1 to 4 grams of ginger per day is safe and effective for adults. For a concentrated ginger drink like INTI, this amounts to 1 to 3 shots per day (10-15 ml per shot, diluted with water or sparkling water). Start with one serving per day and build up. Pregnant women should consult their doctor, although ginger in normal quantities is considered safe for morning sickness.

Is ginger drink better than fresh ginger?

Both have their advantages. Fresh ginger in your kitchen is fantastic, but the concentration of active compounds is much lower than in a well-formulated ginger drink. A concentrated ginger drink delivers significantly more gingerols per serving than a slice of ginger in hot water. Moreover, with a well-composed elixir, you also get the synergistic effects with turmeric, pepper, and lemon for free.

Can you combine ginger drink with medication?

Ginger is generally safe, but there are some exceptions. If you take blood thinners (like warfarin) or diabetes medication, consult your doctor before consuming ginger daily. Ginger can enhance the blood-thinning effect and affect blood sugar levels. For most people, there is no problem.

When is the best time to drink ginger?

There's no "wrong" time, but here are the best options:

• In the morning on an empty stomach: maximum absorption of active compounds and an energetic start to your day
• Before meals: stimulates digestion and reduces bloating
• In the afternoon: as a natural alternative to coffee when energy levels drop
• After exercise: aids recovery thanks to its anti-inflammatory effect

Conclusion: choose consciously, drink better

The world of ginger drinks is vast and not always transparent. Organic is important, but it's only one criterion. The sugar content, the quality of the ingredients, the production method, and the origin together determine whether your ginger drink is truly healthy – or just expensive sugar water with a hint of ginger.

If you're looking for a ginger drink that checks all the boxes – organic, 0g added sugar, artisanally produced in Belgium, five superfoods in one formula – then INTI is worth trying. More than 12,000 customers have gone before you, with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

But above all: read your labels. Ask questions. And don't be fooled by pretty marketing stories. Your body deserves better than hidden sugar.

Ready to taste the difference? Discover INTI, the Belgian organic ginger elixir with 0g added sugar.