Ginger
Summary
Ginger is best studied for nausea. In 12 pregnancy trials (1,278 women) it eased nausea but not vomiting versus placebo. In a 2024 trial with chemotherapy, standardised ginger improved nausea-related quality of life. In knee osteoarthritis, pain fell modestly, but more people stopped ginger because of side effects.
Key facts
- Less nausea than placebo across 12 trials; vomiting episodes did not change significantly[2]
- A 103-person trial found better nausea-related quality of life and less delayed nausea with standardised ginger[4]
- Small pain and disability improvements; withdrawals from side effects were twice as common[3]
- Stomach discomfort, heartburn, diarrhoea, mouth and throat irritation[1]
- 3 graded human outcomes on this page
- October 11, 2026
How it works
ProposedHow ginger eases nausea has not been established; extracts are standardised to gingerols and shogaols, the pungent compounds thought to be active.[4]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome
| Outcome | Grade | Effect | Strongest evidence | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea | Grade B | Improved | Meta-analysis of 12 trials · n = 1,278 · 2014 | 2 rows |
| Joint pain | Grade B | Improved | Meta-analysis of 5 trials · n = 593 · 2015 | 1 row |
Every graded row
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea in pregnancy | Improved | Grade B | Meta-analysis · n = 1,278 · 2014 Pregnant women with nausea and vomiting in 12 trials Form: Oral ginger (capsules, syrup, powder) · Dose: Varied; subgroups favoured under 1,500 mg/day · Duration: Varied across trials Nausea improved versus placebo (MD 1.20); vomiting episodes did not fall significantly (p=0.06). No increased risk of miscarriage, heartburn or drowsiness was found. | 24642205 (opens PubMed)Source [2] |
| Osteoarthritis pain and disability | Improved | Grade B | Meta-analysis · n = 593 · 2015 Adults with osteoarthritis in 5 placebo-controlled trials Form: Oral ginger extract · Dose: Varied across trials · Duration: Varied across trials Pain (SMD −0.30) and disability (SMD −0.22) fell modestly; people on ginger were 2.3 times as likely to stop because of adverse events. | 25300574 (opens PubMed)Source [3] |
| Chemotherapy-induced nausea | Improved | Grade C | RCT · n = 103 · 2024 Chemotherapy-naive adults on moderately to highly emetogenic chemotherapy (Australia) Form: Standardised ginger root powder · Dose: 4 capsules/day (84 mg gingerols/shogaols) for 5 days per cycle · Duration: 3 chemotherapy cycles Nausea-related quality of life, delayed nausea and fatigue improved versus placebo; delayed vomiting at cycle 3 was 2% vs 23%. | 37699474 (opens PubMed)Source [4] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dried ginger root powder | Varies | No head-to-head human absorption data in the sources cited here. | Stomach discomfort and heartburn are the usual complaints.[1] | Most pregnancy trials |
| Extract standardised to gingerols/shogaols | Varies | No head-to-head human absorption data in the sources cited here. | No separate tolerance data beyond the trials cited here. | Chemotherapy nausea trial (84 mg active gingerols/shogaols per day) |
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from a standardised extract supplying 84 mg of gingerols and shogaols per day (chemotherapy nausea) to about 1,500 mg of ginger per day in pregnancy trials, where doses below 1,500 mg looked better for nausea.[2][4]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
None found in our sources.
Who should be careful
- Pregnancy
- NCCIH says ginger may be safe for pregnancy nausea but advises talking with your provider first.[1]
- Breastfeeding
- Little is known about safety while breastfeeding.[1]
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
Frequently asked questions
Does ginger help morning sickness?
Across 12 trials it reduced nausea more than placebo, but not vomiting; NCCIH advises checking with your provider in pregnancy.[2][1]
Does ginger help chemotherapy nausea?
A 103-person trial found less delayed nausea alongside standard anti-sickness drugs; NCCIH calls the overall evidence uncertain.[4][1]
Does ginger help arthritis pain?
Pain fell slightly in pooled trials, but more people stopped ginger because of side effects.[3]
What are the side effects?
Stomach discomfort, heartburn, diarrhoea and mouth or throat irritation.[1]
Sources
- [1]Ginger. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2025. fact-sheet
- [2]A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting.. Nutr J, 2014. meta-analysis
- [3]Efficacy and safety of ginger in osteoarthritis patients: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.. Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 2015. meta-analysis
- [4]Effect of a Standardized Ginger Root Powder Regimen on Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial.. J Acad Nutr Diet, 2024. RCT
What changed
- First draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities (title, journal and year taken from the PubMed record) and each evidence row written from its PubMed abstract; self-reviewed in a separate adversarial pass.