Ginger and Nausea

Hands down, ginger’s most well researched and popular medicinal use is for nausea. Ginger is believed to help alleviate nausea by increasing the tone, motility, and emptying rate of the stomach. Ginger has been shown to have beneficial effects on nausea during pregnancy, chemotherapy-induced nausea, motion sickness, and post-surgery nausea. For pregnancy related nausea, one systematic review of the research suggested that up to 1,500 mg a day in divided doses appear to be most beneficial.² For most other causes of nausea, ginger is probably best taken as a prophylactic. Doses ranging from 500 to 2,000 mg divided per day have been used with the onset of use starting as early as 5 days before chemotherapy treatment and continuing for several days after, and up to one hour prior to surgery or travel and continuing on every 1-4 hours for motion sickness.³

Ginger and Digestion

In addition to relieving nausea, ginger also shines as a general digestive tonic. Health Canada’s ginger monograph lists relief of digestive upsets, lack of appetite, digestive spasms, and indigestion among ginger’s benefits. Ginger also appears to have a positive effect on gut microbiota, acting as a prebiotic, improving microbial community richness, and lowering the pH of the colon, which promotes the proliferation of beneficial bacteria.^{4 5} These microbiome benefits may reach beyond the digestive tract and may contribute to many of ginger’s anti-inflammatory effects.

Ginger and Pain

Ginger has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, leading researchers to explore the ways it may improve pain conditions. Several studies have examined its effect on menstrual cramps (aka dysmenorrhea) and have found that ginger is effective for reducing pain and nausea and is as effective as NSAIDs.^{6 7 8} Other lines of research have investigated ginger for osteoarthritic pain and found doses of 500 to 1,000 mg a day for three to twelve weeks to be safe and effective.^{9 10 11} In a few small studies, ginger taken up to 2 weeks prior to prolonged running or eccentric exercise (when the muscle lengthens, e.g. when you straighten your arm to lower the weight down in a dumbbell curl) reduced pain and improved post-exercise recovery.^{12 13 14} And finally, migraine sufferers may also benefit from ginger’s pain- and nausea-reducing effects.^15 16

Ginger and Blood Sugar

Blood sugar balance is a critical piece of overall health and finding ways to support it are of the utmost importance. While blood sugar balance starts with how you eat, ginger may be one way to add some additional support. Numerous studies have found ginger to improve markers of blood sugar regulation such as hemoglobin A1C (HbA_1C)—a test that provides a snapshot of your average glucose levels over the past 6 weeks—and fasting glucose, and to improve oxidative stress markers and reduce inflammation.^{17 18 19 20 21 22 23}

Ginger’s Other Possible Benefits

Through its mechanisms of action, ginger could potentially have a positive effect on numerous other aspects of human health. For instance, very preliminary research suggests ginger may inhibit proliferation and growth of cancer tumors.^{24 25 26} Some of ginger’s bioactive compounds appear to be capable of crossing the blood-brain-barrier, prompting some to suggest ginger may be protective against neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis.^{27 28 29 30} In animal studies, ginger appears to support healthy testosterone levels and male fertility.^{31 32 33 34} While more research is needed to confirm these possible benefits, ginger may be a valuable addition whenever extra antioxidant or anti-inflammatory support is needed.

Using Ginger Supplements

While you could certainly eat fresh ginger every day or drink ginger tea, nearly all the research has used ginger supplements in a powdered or extracted form, which may give supplements an edge therapeutically and certainly convenience-wise. Both as food and as supplements ginger is exceedingly safe, with the most common adverse events being mild heartburn, indigestion, and nausea, and usually only with higher doses. Most studies have used 1,000 to 4,000 mg a day in divided doses.³⁵

Ginger Essential Oil

The power of ginger can also be harnessed for topical use through ginger essential oil (EO). Ginger EO has many of the same properties as fresh or extracted ginger, such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and digestive tonic. Ginger EO is best added to lotion or a carrier oil to avoid skin irritation and can be used to massage achy joints, rubbed over the belly for digestive complaints (always in a clockwise direction, lower right side to upper right side to upper left side, etc.), to warm cold hands and feet, or over the chest for respiratory ailments. Ginger EO can be inhaled or used in a diffuser to sharpen the senses, aid in memory, and decrease brain and nervous exhaustion and it has a reputation as an aphrodisiac. Ginger EO should not be used during pregnancy or on babies.³⁶  

References

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