Supplement analysis backed by scientific evidence · PT

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Moderate evidenceGut health

Ginger

Ginger has solid evidence for nausea — pregnancy-related, postoperative and to a lesser degree motion sickness — and weak, overhyped evidence for joint pain and inflammation. It is one of the few herbal supplements with a defensible primary indication.

What the science says

  • Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy Moderate evidence

    A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (1,278 pregnant women) found ginger significantly improved nausea symptoms versus placebo, though it did not consistently reduce vomiting episodes. Doses of 1,000-1,500 mg/day for 4 days to 3 weeks were used, with no increase in miscarriage or adverse pregnancy outcomes across the pooled data.

  • Postoperative nausea and vomiting Moderate evidence

    A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs found perioperative ginger reduced the incidence and severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting compared with placebo, with typical doses of 1 g given before surgery. Trial quality is mixed and effect sizes vary by surgery type and anaesthetic protocol.

  • Knee osteoarthritis pain Limited evidence

    A 2020 PRISMA meta-analysis of RCTs found ginger produced a statistically significant but small reduction in knee osteoarthritis pain and disability that did not reach the threshold for a clinically important difference, and dropouts due to GI side effects were higher than with placebo. Treat "ginger for inflammation" claims sceptically.

  • Motion sickness Limited evidence

    Results are genuinely mixed: some crossover studies show ginger delays the onset of motion-sickness symptoms, while controlled provocation studies have found it no better than placebo and clearly inferior to scopolamine or dimenhydrinate. Not a substitute for standard antiemetics on a rough crossing.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseNausea: 1,000-1,500 mg/day of dried ginger root powder in 2-4 divided doses. Postoperative nausea: 1 g taken about 1 hour before surgery. Osteoarthritis trials used 500-1,000 mg/day of standardized extract for 3-12 weeks. Doses above 1,500 mg/day increase GI side effects without clear added benefit.
SafetyMost common effects are heartburn, belching with a ginger aftertaste, and diarrhoea, all dose-related. Ginger inhibits thromboxane synthesis and may modestly increase bleeding risk — caution with warfarin, DOACs and antiplatelet drugs, and stop before surgery if using high doses. It may lower blood glucose and blood pressure slightly. Doses up to 1,500 mg/day are considered acceptable in pregnancy by most obstetric guidelines, including ACOG, which lists ginger as a first-line non-pharmacological option for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy; higher doses are not well studied. Avoid large doses in people with gallstones, since ginger increases bile flow.

Scientific references

Where to buy

Nutricost, Ginger Root Extract, 240 Capsules (550 mg per Capsule)

View on iHerb

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