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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.

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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.

How to take it

TimingSplit it into 2-4 doses a day; for nausea take a dose about an hour before the trigger rather than after symptoms start.
With food?Take it with food - heartburn and ginger-flavoured belching are the main dose-limiting effects.
Worth knowingFor post-operative nausea the studied protocol is a single 1 g dose about an hour before surgery, taken with the anaesthetist's knowledge.

Interactions

With medications

  • warfarin, DOACs and antiplatelet drugs

    Ginger inhibits thromboxane synthesis and may modestly increase bleeding risk at supplement doses. tell your prescriber, and stop high doses before surgery

  • insulin and other antidiabetic drugs

    Ginger may lower blood glucose slightly and additively. monitor your glucose when starting

  • blood pressure medication

    Possible mild additive blood-pressure lowering. monitor your blood pressure when starting

With other supplements

  • fish oil, garlic and other antiplatelet supplements

    Additive bleeding risk. do not stack them around surgery

Well-established interactions only — this is not a complete list. Always tell your doctor and pharmacist what you take.

Frequently asked questions

Does ginger help with nausea in pregnancy?

Yes, with moderate evidence: a meta-analysis of 12 trials in 1,278 pregnant women found ginger improved nausea at 1,000-1,500 mg/day, though it did not consistently reduce vomiting. Most obstetric guidelines, including ACOG, consider ginger up to 1,500 mg/day acceptable in pregnancy.

Does ginger work for motion sickness?

Results for ginger in motion sickness are genuinely mixed: some studies show delayed symptoms, while controlled studies found it no better than placebo and clearly inferior to scopolamine or dimenhydrinate. The evidence is limited.

Does ginger help arthritis or inflammation?

The evidence is limited: a 2020 meta-analysis found ginger produced only a small reduction in knee osteoarthritis pain that did not reach a clinically important difference. Treat claims about ginger for inflammation sceptically.

How much ginger should I take for nausea?

For nausea, take 1,000-1,500 mg/day of dried ginger root powder in 2-4 divided doses, with food. Doses above 1,500 mg/day increase heartburn and other gut side effects without clear added benefit.

Scientific references

Where to buy

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

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