Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a perennial plant whose rhizome has been used for centuries in both cooking and traditional medicine. Cultures around the world have relied on ginger to ease nausea, calm the digestive tract, and relieve pain, headaches, and arthritis symptoms. In the West, it has become a common natural remedy for motion sickness and pregnancy-related nausea.

Ginger and Nausea in Pregnancy

Several clinical trials have examined ginger’s effects on nausea during pregnancy:

  • American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Nov 2003)
    Women taking ginger during the first trimester reported less nausea than those who did not take ginger.
    Importantly, the study found no significant increase in birth defects among the 187 women using ginger.
    The authors noted the sample size was too small to completely rule out risk, but ginger has been used in many cultures for generations without clear evidence of harm.

  • Hyperemesis gravidarum (severe nausea/vomiting)
    • European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Jan 1991)
    • European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology (1990; 38:19–24)
    In both studies, 250 mg of ginger four times daily significantly improved symptoms in women with severe pregnancy-related nausea.

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (April 2001)
    Another trial found ginger to be effective for general nausea in pregnancy, supporting the earlier findings.

Post-Surgical Nausea

More than 40% of surgical patients experience nausea in the first 24 hours after an operation. A meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Jan 2006) found:

  • Ginger reduced nausea/vomiting after surgery by over 30% compared to placebo.

  • The effective dose was 1 gram.

  • No significant side-effects were reported, other than mild abdominal discomfort in a few subjects.

Motion Sickness

Two older but well-designed studies support ginger’s use for motion sickness:

  • Lancet (1982; 1:655–657)

  • Acta Oto-Laryngologica (1988; 105:45–49) — randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in naval cadets.

Cadets given 1 gram of powdered ginger experienced less severe seasickness symptoms. Ginger did not reduce the number of cadets who became sick, but it did reduce the severity of their nausea.

Summary

Across multiple decades of research, ginger has consistently shown benefits for:

  • Pregnancy-related nausea

  • Hyperemesis gravidarum

  • Postoperative nausea

  • Motion sickness

Side effects are generally minimal, and ginger has a long history of safe use in traditional medicine.