During the month of Ramadan, herbal teas will be very beneficial. In the morning, you can drink green tea, or make an infusion of savory or ginger.
When breaking the fast, after eating your date and drinking your water, you should have an herbal tea of thyme, oregano, or chamomile.
After the meal, drink a digestive herbal tea such as sage, verbena, or mint tea, which reduces bloating and intestinal fermentation.
When you have eaten a heavy meal, lemon will be excellent combined with chamomile and ginger.
As for sugar in herbal teas, it would be better to avoid it, as it can diminish the benefits of the active compounds. However, if a person is too used to sugar and cannot drink an unsweetened herbal tea, they can add a small teaspoon of honey to their tea.
What the science says: coffee, tea and sugar, fasting, medicinal plants
Here is what published research says about the remedies mentioned above, for illustration only — studies deal with material causes, while healing belongs to Allah.
Coffee, tea and sugar
An umbrella review in the BMJ concludes that moderate coffee consumption (3-4 cups) is generally associated with favorable effects, except during pregnancy (BMJ, 2017) (Annu Rev Nutr, 2017); conversely, sugary drinks clearly increase the risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome (Diabetes Care, 2010). Precaution: coffee and tea block iron absorption — keep them away from iron-rich meals; avoid caffeine after 3 p.m. if you have sleep issues.
Fasting
Fasting, prescribed and then recommended by the Sunnah (Monday-Thursday, the "white days"), is now studied under the name intermittent fasting: a meta-analysis in the BMJ shows favorable effects on weight and cardiometabolic risk factors (BMJ, 2025), with an impact on appetite (Nutrients, 2023) and body composition (Diabetes Obes Metab, 2024). Precaution: people on insulin for diabetes, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and those who are frail should adapt their fasting with their doctor — Islam permits, and sometimes requires, not fasting in case of illness.
Medicinal plants: using them properly
Moringa, for example, has shown an effect on blood sugar according to a meta-analysis (Molecules, 2021), and its safety has been reviewed (Phytother Res, 2015); more generally, plants act — and therefore interact: the review of plants against anxiety (Pharmacol Res, 2022) or against painful periods (J Int Med Res, 2020) confirms this. Precaution: respect the doses, avoid mixing many plants together, check compatibility with your treatments, pregnancy or breastfeeding; buy quality plants from a controlled source.
