Ginger tea is mildly acidic, with a pH that typically falls between 5 and 7 depending on how strong you brew it. That puts it closer to neutral than most popular beverages, and well below the acidity of coffee, orange juice, or even most herbal teas made from citrus or hibiscus.
What Makes Ginger Tea Acidic
Ginger root contains two main organic acids: oxalic acid and tartaric acid. These are the same types of acids found in many fruits and vegetables, and they account for most of ginger’s mild tartness. The total organic acid content in dried ginger ranges from about 37 to 91 milligrams per gram of dry weight, depending on the variety. When you steep ginger in hot water, only a fraction of those acids dissolve into your cup, which is why ginger tea lands on the gentler end of the acidity scale.
For comparison, black coffee sits around pH 4.5 to 5, green tea around 7 to 10 (slightly alkaline), and orange juice around 3.5. A plain cup of ginger tea brewed from fresh slices is significantly less acidic than coffee and far less acidic than fruit juices. Stronger brews, like simmering a large knob of ginger for 20 minutes, will pull more acids into the water and push the pH slightly lower, but even a concentrated ginger tea rarely dips below pH 5.
How Brewing Strength Affects Acidity
The amount of ginger you use and how long you steep it directly control the acidity of your cup. A few thin slices steeped for five minutes produce a light, nearly neutral tea. Grating the ginger or using more root increases the surface area exposed to water, extracting more organic acids and volatile compounds. Boiling ginger for 10 to 15 minutes creates the strongest, most acidic version.
Adding lemon, honey, or apple cider vinegar (common additions) will change the pH more than the ginger itself. A squeeze of lemon can drop the pH to around 3 or 4, making the lemon the dominant acid source rather than the ginger. If you’re concerned about acidity, what you add to your ginger tea matters more than the ginger.
Ginger Tea and Acid Reflux
Many people searching about ginger tea’s acidity are really asking whether it will make heartburn or acid reflux worse. The answer is somewhat counterintuitive: despite being mildly acidic itself, ginger may actually help reduce acid reflux symptoms rather than trigger them. Ginger’s anti-inflammatory compounds can lower the production of stomach acid and reduce inflammation in the esophagus. It also appears to speed up gastric emptying, the process of moving food out of the stomach and into the rest of the digestive tract. Once food clears the stomach, less acid is produced and there’s less chance of it flowing back up.
That said, ginger is not a standalone treatment for GERD or chronic reflux. A 2023 research review found that ginger may help reduce acid production, but scientists haven’t specifically studied its effects on acid reflux in controlled clinical trials. For mild, occasional heartburn, sipping a small cup of ginger tea is unlikely to cause problems and may provide some relief. For persistent reflux, it works best alongside other treatments rather than as a replacement.
When Ginger Tea Can Irritate Your Stomach
The FDA classifies ginger as “Generally Recognized as Safe,” and side effects from normal consumption are rare. In a study of 27 healthy volunteers who consumed between 100 milligrams and 2 grams of ginger in a single dose, the only notable side effect was minor stomach upset. Heartburn, belching, and general digestive discomfort can occur, but these tend to show up at higher doses rather than from a typical cup of tea.
Interestingly, more ginger doesn’t always mean better results. In a study of 45 people with irritable bowel syndrome, those taking 1 gram of ginger daily saw a 26% decrease in symptoms, while those taking 2 grams saw only a 12% decrease. The sweet spot for digestive benefits appears to be moderate amounts, around 1 to 1.5 grams per day split across servings. For tea, that translates to roughly one to two cups made with a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger.
If you find that ginger tea bothers your stomach, try brewing it lighter, using less root, or steeping for a shorter time. Drinking it with food rather than on an empty stomach can also reduce the chance of irritation.
How Ginger Tea Compares to Other Drinks
- Coffee: pH 4.5 to 5, notably more acidic than ginger tea and a common reflux trigger.
- Black tea: pH 4.9 to 5.5, slightly more acidic than most ginger tea preparations.
- Green tea: pH 7 to 10, less acidic (slightly alkaline).
- Orange juice: pH 3.3 to 4.2, far more acidic than ginger tea.
- Chamomile tea: pH 6 to 7, similar to or slightly less acidic than ginger tea.
- Plain water: pH 7, neutral.
Ginger tea sits comfortably in the mild range. For people avoiding highly acidic drinks due to reflux, tooth enamel concerns, or general sensitivity, it’s one of the gentler options available, especially when brewed at moderate strength without citrus additions.