Ginger turmeric shots with lemon, cayenne, and orange. These wellness shots have powerful anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties!
When I think of shots, “healthy” is usually the last thing that comes to mind.
But wellness shots are a recent health trend that’s really taking over. These potent little tonics pack a concentrated dose of vitamins, micronutrients, and antioxidants.
They’re being used for everything from an energy boost, to gut health, and even to fight inflammation depending on the ingredients you use!
Wellness or “booster” shots are a common addition to juice cleanses as a little something extra in between the main juices. They’re on my list of recommendations for juice cleanse beginners because they can help to boost your energy during a cleanse.
But these ginger turmeric shots are specifically made for their anti-inflammatory properties. They’re also great for boosting our immune systems.
Not to mention they taste like little bottles of sunshine (trust me that’s a real flavor).
Turmeric Ginger Shot Benefits
So what makes these wellness shots so healthy?
The main active ingredients are gingerols (from ginger) and curcumin (from turmeric). These plant compounds have powerful medicinal properties with a variety of potential health benefits.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Recent studies have found that chronic inflammation is linked to many major modern diseases, including heart disease and cancer. [1,2]
The curcumin found in turmeric has been shown to have extremely powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Curcumin has actually been shown to be as effective at treating inflammation as some modern prescription drugs. [3]
Ginger is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties. One study found ginger extract helped to significantly reduce pain in patients with osteoarthritis. [4]
Fights infection
Gingerol is a very effective anti-bacterial compound, helping to fight infection by preventing the growth of harmful pathogens. [5]
Turmeric also has immune supporting properties. Curcumin is able to modulate the immune response and even enhance antibody responses, improving our bodies natural defense systems. [6]
But Why SHOTS?
Through juicing, we are able to get a very concentrated dose of gingerol and curcumin that would be difficult to achieve any other way.
Turmeric and ginger are both known for the “spicy” burning sensation they have when eaten. That’s why shots are the perfect method of delivery for this healthy juice.
A glass full of straight ginger or turmeric juice would be pretty unpleasant, but shots mixed with added lemon and orange juice are delicious!
The strong flavors of turmeric and ginger also make them great for flavoring other healthy juices without the need to add lots of high sugar fruits.
I use ginger in this green goddess juice and my easy blender carrot juice recipe!
How To Make
Ginger Turmeric Shots
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the lemons and oranges. Cut the fresh produce to size so that it will fit in your juicer.
Bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil in a small pan. Once the water is boiling, add about 1/4 cup of turmeric root and boil it for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove the turmeric root while reserving the liquid in the pan. Put liquid in the fridge to cool.
Fresh Tip: Heating the turmeric first helps to increase the absorption of its main active ingredient – curcumin.
Using a juicer, juice the turmeric root, ginger root, lemons, and oranges.
Stir in the cayenne pepper, black pepper. Stir in the remaining cooled liquid from boiling the turmeric.
*Optional: To help with absorption, stir in 1/4 tsp of oil if you aren’t taking the shots with food.
How to Increase absorption of turmeric shots
The curcumin in turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory compound, but unfortunately it is poorly absorbed by our bodies.
Luckily, there are a few ways we can substantially increase curcumin’s effectiveness and absorption rate.
- Black Pepper: Black pepper contains a compound called “piperine” which has been shown to increase absorption of curcumin by up to 2000%! [7]
- Heat: Studies found that heating turmeric first can help to increase the absorption of curcumin without degrading it. [8]
- Fat: Curcumin is fat soluble. To get the most out of turmeric shots it’s important to add a small amount of fat like an oil or take them with a meal that has fat in it. [9]
Will turmeric powder work instead of fresh turmeric?
Sometimes fresh turmeric root can be hard to find at local supermarkets.
You can replace the turmeric root in this recipe with about 2 tbsp of turmeric powder or 4 servings of turmeric powder supplements.
If you go this route, I recommend a turmeric powder extract, not just any old turmeric from the spice shelf.
Turmeric on the spice shelf may only be 3% curcumin by weight where as extracts can be up to 95% curcumin!
My favorite turmeric powder is Science Natural’s Turmeric with BioPerine. Bioperine is a natural black pepper extract to further enhance the body’s absorption of curcumin.
Science Natural’s Turmeric is currently on sale for buy one get one free!
Now I’ll be honest, juicing can be a bit of a hassle because most juicers are hard to clean – especially with turmeric because it stains literally everything.
If you don’t have a juicer (or don’t want your hands stained orange for the day), you can still try these potent little health tonics at most cold pressed juice bars.
My favorite wellness shots are from a company called Jus By Julie. They even ship their shots and juice cleanses all over the US.
You can also try their other shots like chlorophyll (great for cleansing) or wheatgrass for a super dose of nutrients!
Ginger Turmeric Shots
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 10 oz (5 shots) 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Ginger turmeric shots with lemon, cayenne, and orange. These wellness shots have powerful anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties!
Ingredients
- 4 inches Turmeric Root (about 1/4 cup fresh or 2 tbsp powder)
- 4 inches Ginger Root (about 1/4 cup)
- 2 Lemons, peeled
- 2 Oranges, peeled
- 3/4 cup Water
- 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/8 tsp ground Black Pepper (for turmeric absorption)
- 1/4 tsp Oil (*Optional: for turmeric absorption, see recipe notes)
Instructions
- Wash and dry fresh produce. Peel the lemons and oranges.
- Bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil in a small pan. Once boiling, add turmeric root, reduce heat to medium high and simmer for 7-8 minutes. After simmering, remove turmeric root while reserving the liquid in the pan. Put liquid in fridge to cool.
- While liquid cools, juice the turmeric root, ginger root, lemons, and oranges in a juicer. Stir in the cayenne, black pepper, and oil. Stir in the remaining cooled liquid from boiling the turmeric.
- Pour into shot glasses and enjoy! Store the leftover ginger turmeric shots in an air tight container in the fridge. They will last about 2-3 days.
Notes
- The active ingredient in turmeric called “curcumin” is not easily absorbed by our bodies. A compound called “piperine” in black pepper increases the absorption of curcumin by 2000%. Absorption is also increased by heating the turmeric. Curcumin is fat soluble so adding oil or taking the shots with a meal will increase their effectiveness.
- Want to add more of the powerful anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric to your diet? I recommend Science Natural’s Turmeric with BioPerine. Bioperine is a natural black pepper extract to further enhance the body’s absorption of curcumin. Each serving contains 1300mg of activated turmeric! Science Natural’s Turmeric is currently on sale for buy one get one free!
- Category: Juice
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 shot
- Calories: 21
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 3mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0g
Keywords: turmeric shots, ginger shots, wellness shots
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12490959
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21633179
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10404539
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11710709
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3609356/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17211725
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664031/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17767425
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3918227/
Shiv
Where did you get those mini glass containers? I have large sized ones that look similar and would love to have all my bottles look the same (for aesthetic purposes).
★★★★★
Kailey
Hey Shiv, I got these ones from Bed Bath and Beyond. They are little spice jars but they’re the perfect size for these shots!
Duncan
When using the turmeric powder, do you still boil it in water prior to cooling and adding to the mixture?
★★★★★
Kailey
Hey Duncan,
I haven’t tried making this recipe with just the turmeric powder yet, but it would depend on how your turmeric is processed. If it’s specifically turmeric that is meant to be taken as a supplement then it is most likely already made bioavailable so there would be no need to boil it.
If it is just some turmeric found in the spice section of your market then you might want to boil it first. You would need to use less water though, try maybe a 1/4 cup of water. The boiling step isn’t necessary, it just makes it so our bodies can absorb the curcumin in the turmeric slightly better. The most important thing you can do to increase this absorption rate however is adding the black pepper for the piperine.
Cheers!
Danielle
How often do you recommend taking these? Daily? I have been looking for a good recipe for these shots and I am excited to give this one a try! Thanks!
Kailey
Hey Danielle, I like to take one shot each day. The recipe usually makes me about 5 shots but the shots will only last 2-3 days in the fridge before oxidation, as with any kind of homemade juices. If you’d like to take them daily then I recommend doubling or tripling the recipe and then freezing it!
Danielle
Thanks so much! I cannot wait to jump in and try it. I wasn’t feeling well the other day while traveling for work and stopped by my favorite place in the area. They were selling these (also in an adorable bottle!!- which makes it all so much better!) and they were selling a similar one. It was 1. Delish and 2. Got me thinking about how I could easily create the recipe at home. Thanks so much- glad I came across your work!
Kailey
Let me know how you like them Danielle! They have a bit more ginger/turmeric kick than the ones I get at my local shop but that’s how you know you are getting all that anti-inflammatory goodness!
John
Hi Kailey,
Should the ginger and turmeric be peeled first?
Also I am wondering if boiling the turmeric for 10 minutes will reduce the liquid too much? Should it be brought to boil and then simmer or reduce flame?
Thank you for posting this!!
Kailey
Hey John,
If you are using a juicer there is no need to peel the ginger or turmeric. Yes that should say simmer for 10 minutes after you bring it to a boil, thanks!
Enjoy the recipe!
John
Thanks much and here we go!
Jen R.
This is exactly what I need! I don’t have a juicer— would blending the ingredients in a nutribullet and then straining work? Thanks!
Kailey
Yes you can definitely blend and strain Jen! I recommend peeling the turmeric and ginger if you are blending though. You’ll also want a very fine mesh to properly strain the juice. I use a nut milk bag.
Jeanine Wagner
How much liquid should be left after boiling. I didn’t have any liquid left
Kailey
I usually have about 1/3 a cup left. I include the step of keeping the liquid mainly because it would be a shame to dump it since there is some good stuff from the turmeric in there, but the liquid isn’t crucial to the recipe.
Viviana
I love this and would most likely make a big batch to freeze and have for the winter. How long can I keep frozen? Do you just leave it out to de thaw? How long is it good after de thawing?
Thank you!
-Viviana
Kailey
Hey Viviana,
You can definitely make big batches and freeze it. Once thawed it will last about the same as any normal cold-pressed juice which is 2-3 days. To maximize freshness while thawed, store in an airtight glass container and fill as full as possible with juice.