Cinnamon and ginger

Cinnamon and ginger are two different plant parts — bark and root — often combined in tea or supplements for warmth and digestion. No trial has tested the two together; each has a separate research base, mostly in people with an existing condition, at doses higher than a home recipe typically uses.

Two plants, two separate bodies of research

Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of a Cinnamomum tree. Ginger is the underground stem (rhizome) of Zingiber officinale, a different plant family entirely. Cinnamon's human trials center on blood sugar and insulin markers in people with type 2 diabetes or PCOS; ginger's trials are more scattered — nausea, knee osteoarthritis pain, muscle soreness, menstrual pain, and a separate line of research on metabolic markers — with mixed results even within each use. See cinnamon benefits: what the research does and doesn't show and ginger benefits: what the research does and doesn't show for the trials themselves.

Making ginger root and cinnamon tea

A typical ginger-and-cinnamon tea recipe simmers a few slices of fresh ginger root and a cinnamon stick or a pinch of ground cinnamon in water for 10–15 minutes. That's a food preparation, not a dosed supplement: the trials above used specific milligram or gram amounts of standardized or concentrated forms, and a home-brewed tea delivers a smaller, less consistent amount of either plant's studied compounds. Nothing in the research below was tested as a tea.

Why they're combined

Cinnamon and ginger are commonly paired in both food and supplements because each has its own separate research touching on metabolic markers or digestion — not because the combination itself has been studied. We haven't found a trial testing cinnamon and ginger together, at any dose, for any outcome.

A reason to check with a doctor before combining

Ginger has documented antiplatelet activity — it can affect how readily blood clots — which is why it's flagged for anyone on a blood thinner or scheduled for surgery (see who should not take ginger). Separately, a 2026 systematic review of 41 trials found ginger supplementation associated with lower average fasting blood sugar, insulin and HbA1c compared with placebo, in a data set weighted toward people who already had a metabolic condition. Cinnamon research points in a similar direction in people with type 2 diabetes or PCOS. Taking both together, if you're also on medication for blood sugar or blood clotting, is a reason to talk to a doctor about the combination rather than checking each ingredient on its own.

Questions people ask

How do you make ginger root and cinnamon tea?

Simmer sliced fresh ginger and a cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon in water for 10–15 minutes, then strain. That's a recipe, not a tested dose — see above for why the trials on each ingredient don't tell you what a cup of tea does.

Can you take cinnamon and ginger together?

We haven't found a documented interaction between the two, but we also haven't found a trial testing the combination directly. If you take medication for blood sugar or a blood thinner, mention both supplements to a doctor first.

What are the benefits of ginger and cinnamon tea?

No trial has tested this combination or this preparation. Each ingredient's own, separately mixed research is summarized above; neither has been studied as a tea specifically.

Related reading: cinnamon dosage, how much ginger should you take a day, and how to choose a good cinnamon.