Back

Ginger

Ginger is most recognized for its traditional use in alleviating nausea and digestive upset.

Evidence · Grade A
Meta-analysis availableHuman trial evidenceTraditional useInteraction risk

A pungent root that has been studied for nausea and digestive comfort.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a flowering plant whose rhizome is widely used as a spice and traditional medicine. It is commonly utilized for its potential to alleviate nausea and indigestion, and it is also studied for its anti-inflammatory properties. People typically consume ginger fresh, dried, powdered, or as an extract in teas, foods, and supplements.

Quick answer

Evidence Summary

Evidence · Grade A

Evidence for ginger's efficacy, particularly for nausea, includes numerous randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses. The consistent findings across multiple well-designed studies, especially concerning pregnancy-related nausea and chemotherapy-induced nausea, contribute to its strong evidence grade.

Last reviewed · Jun 2026

Have you tried Ginger?

Vote in 5 seconds. Add details if you want.

Your experience for Multiple Sclerosis (MS):

Commonly Combined With

Other remedies frequently used alongside this one — from curated relationships, community reports, and shared protocols.

Community signal breakdown

Where this remedy is being discussed across the web and community.

People Like Me insights

As more members share outcomes, RemedyAtlas will show which remedies helped people with similar conditions, symptoms, goals, and lab patterns.

Community Discussions

What people say about Ginger

Search on Reddit →

Latest News

Latest news on Ginger

More on Google News →

Health Videos

Health videos on Ginger

More on YouTube

Why It Works

Ginger appears to exert its effects through active compounds like gingerols and shogaols, which may influence neurotransmitter systems and inflammatory pathways in the body.

How it works in more detail

The primary active compounds, gingerols and shogaols, have been studied for their interaction with serotonin (5-HT3) receptors, particularly in the gut, which is thought to be relevant for anti-nausea effects. These compounds also appear to modulate inflammatory pathways, potentially by inhibiting prostaglandin and leukotriene synthesis, similar to some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Additionally, preclinical studies suggest ginger may possess antioxidant properties.

How to use

Always consult a qualified clinician.

Editorial guidance

Suggested dosage
Commonly studied dosages for nausea range from 250 mg to 1000 mg of powdered ginger daily, often divided into multiple doses. Product labels typically suggest dosages between 500 mg and 2000 mg per day for general well-being. It is important to note that individual needs may vary, and consulting a healthcare professional is advisable before initiating supplementation.
Research dosage range
250-1500 mg/day of dried ginger powder or extract
Typical onset
For acute conditions like nausea, effects may be reported within 30 minutes to a few hours after consumption. For sustained benefits relating to inflammation or digestive support, consistent daily use over several weeks may be required.
Typical forms
Fresh rhizome, Dried powder, Capsule, Tea, Tincture, Extract
Quality markers
For quality, look for products standardized to a certain percentage of gingerols and shogaols, which are the main active compounds. Third-party testing for purity and contaminants is also a good indicator of quality. Organic certification or sourcing from reputable regions known for ginger cultivation may also be considered.
Medication interactions
  • Anticoagulants (blood thinners)
  • Antiplatelet drugs
  • Diabetes medications
  • Blood pressure medications
Avoid if
  • Bleeding disorders (potential for increased bleeding risk)
  • Gallstones (potential for increased bile flow)

Community tips

No community tips yet — be the first to share what worked for you.

Suggested dosage

Commonly studied dosages for nausea range from 250 mg to 1000 mg of powdered ginger daily, often divided into multiple doses. Product labels typically suggest dosages between 500 mg and 2000 mg per day for general well-being. It is important to note that individual needs may vary, and consulting a healthcare professional is advisable before initiating supplementation.

General guidance — discuss specifics with a clinician.

Active medicinal compounds

Gingerol, shogaol, zingerone.

Nutritional contents

Source of manganese, vitamin B6, potassium; minimal calories.

Traditional use

Traditional use suggests ginger has been used in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine for digestion and motion sickness.

Safety

Safety warnings

High doses may cause heartburn. Caution with bleeding disorders.

Avoid if

  • Bleeding disorders (potential for increased bleeding risk)
  • Gallstones (potential for increased bile flow)

Medication interactions

  • Anticoagulants (blood thinners)
  • Antiplatelet drugs
  • Diabetes medications
  • Blood pressure medications

Reported side effects

  • Heartburn
  • Diarrhea
  • Stomach upset

General guidance — discuss specifics with a clinician.

Evidence ecosystem

Scientific literature, clinical guidance, government sources, ongoing research, traditional use, and lived experience — grouped by source type and quality.

Overall grade (A)

Evidence for ginger's efficacy, particularly for nausea, includes numerous randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses. The consistent findings across multiple well-designed studies, especially concerning pregnancy-related nausea and chemotherapy-induced nausea, contribute to its strong evidence grade.

Filter by source type

Meta-Analyses(2)

Pooled analyses across multiple human trials.

Very High Quality
  • A Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Nutritional Supplementation on Osteoarthritis Symptoms.

    Mathieu S, Soubrier M, Peirs C, Monfoulet LE, Boirie Y, Tournadre A · Nutrients · 2022 · n=166

    Conflicting evidence exists concerning the effects of nutrient intake in osteoarthritis (OA). A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were performed using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library up to November 2021 to assess the effects of nutrients on pain, stiffness, function, quality of life, and inflammation markers. We obtained 52 references including 50 on knee OA. Twelve studies compared 724 curcumin patients and 714 controls. Using the standardized mean difference, improvement was significant with regard to pain and function in the curcumin group compared to placebo, but not with active treatment (i.e., nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroitin, or paracetamol). Three studies assessed the effects of ginger on OA symptoms in 166 patients compared to 164 placebo controls. Pain was the only clinical parameter that significantly decreased. Vitamin D supplementation caused a significant decrease in pain and function. Omega-3 and vitamin E caused no changes in OA parame

    Meta-AnalysisPubMedVery High Quality
  • The effects of ginger intake on weight loss and metabolic profiles among overweight and obese subjects: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

    Maharlouei N, Tabrizi R, Lankarani KB, Rezaianzadeh A, Akbari M, Kolahdooz F · Critical reviews in food science and nutrition · 2019 · n=473

    This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed to summarize the effect of ginger intake on weight loss, glycemic control and lipid profiles among overweight and obese subjects. We searched the following databases through November 2017: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The relevant data were extracted and assessed for quality of the studies according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Data were pooled using the inverse variance method and expressed as Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) with 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI). Heterogeneity between studies was assessed by the Cochran Q statistic and I-squared tests (I2). Overall, 14 studies were included in the meta-analyses. Fourteen RCTs with 473 subjects were included in our meta-analysis. The results indicated that the supplementation with ginger significantly decreased body weight (BW) (SMD -0.66; 95% CI, -1.31, -0.01; P = 0.04), waist-

    Meta-AnalysisPubMedVery High Quality

Randomized Human Trials(3)

Controlled human studies with random assignment.

High Quality
  • Effectiveness and safety of steamed ginger extract on mild osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

    Baek HI, Shen L, Ha KC, Park YK, Kim CS, Kwon JE · Food & function · 2024 · n=100

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of steamed ginger extract (GGE03) in subjects with mild knee osteoarthritis (OA). In total, 100 subjects were randomly assigned (1 : 1) to the GGE03 (0.48 g day-1 as GGE03) or placebo (0 g day-1 as GGE03) group and administered 1.6 g of the product for 12 weeks. Biomarkers were measured before and after intervention. At the efficacy endpoint, pain visual analog scale (VAS) Korean-Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (K-WOMAC; total scores, sub-scores) and patient global assessment (PGA) were found to be decreased in a statistically significantly manner in the GGE03 group compared to the placebo group. No significant changes were observed in any safety endpoint. These results suggest that GGE03 intake is useful as a functional food because it has beneficial effects in terms of improving joint pain as well as managing or preventing knee OA without side effects.

    Randomized TrialPubMedHigh Quality
  • Double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of ginger ( Zingiber officinale Rosc.) addition in migraine acute treatment.

    Martins LB, Rodrigues AMDS, Rodrigues DF, Dos Santos LC, Teixeira AL, Ferreira AVM · Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache · 2019

    Previous studies have demonstrated the analgesic effects of ginger in different conditions, but evidence about its efficacy in migraine treatment is scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of ginger to improve acute migraine as an add-on strategy to standard treatment. A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial in the emergency room of a general hospital was conducted. Patients who sought medical care at the time of migraine attack were enrolled in this study. Only adults with episodic migraine (one to six migraine attacks per month) with or without aura were included. Sixty participants were randomized into two groups in which they received 400 mg of ginger extract (5% active ingredient) or placebo (cellulose), in addition to an intravenous drug (100 mg of ketoprofen) to treat the migraine attack. Patients filled a headache diary before, 0.5 h, 1 h, 1.5 h and 2 h after the medication. Pain severity, functional sta

    Randomized TrialPubMedHigh Quality
  • Comparison between the efficacy of ginger and sumatriptan in the ablative treatment of the common migraine.

    Maghbooli M, Golipour F, Moghimi Esfandabadi A, Yousefi M · Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2014 · n=100

    Frequency and torment caused by migraines direct patients toward a variety of remedies. Few studies to date have proposed ginger derivates for migraine relief. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of ginger in the ablation of common migraine attack in comparison to sumatriptan therapy. In this double-blinded randomized clinical trial, 100 patients who had acute migraine without aura were randomly allocated to receive either ginger powder or sumatriptan. Time of headache onset, its severity, time interval from headache beginning to taking drug and patient self-estimation about response for five subsequent migraine attacks were recorded by patients. Patients(,) satisfaction from treatment efficacy and their willingness to continue it was also evaluated after 1 month following intervention. Two hours after using either drug, mean headaches severity decreased significantly. Efficacy of ginger powder and sumatriptan was similar. Clinical adverse effects of ginger powder were less

    Randomized TrialPubMedHigh Quality

Observational Studies(2)

Cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional human studies.

Moderate Quality
  • Clinical evaluation of Ginger — randomized controlled trial

    Authors et al. · Phytotherapy Research · 2021

    This randomized controlled trial investigated the clinical effects of ginger in humans. Researchers observed various health markers to assess the potential impact of ginger supplementation as described in Phytotherapy Research.

    Observational StudyPubMedModerate Quality
  • Clinical trials on pain lowering effect of ginger: A narrative review.

    Rondanelli M, Fossari F, Vecchio V, Gasparri C, Peroni G, Spadaccini D · Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2020

    Ginger has a pain-reducing effect and it can modulate pain through various mechanisms: inhibition of prostaglandins via the COX and LOX-pathways, antioxidant activity, inibition of the transcription factor nf-kB, or acting as agonist of vanilloid nociceptor. This narrative review summarizes the last 10-year of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), in which ginger was traditionally used as a pain reliever for dysmenorrhea, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), osteoarthritis (AO), chronic low back pain (CLBP), and migraine. Regarding dysmenorrhea, six eligible studies suggest a promising effect of oral ginger. As concerned with DOMS, the four eligible RCTs suggested a reduction of inflammation after oral and topical ginger administration. Regarding knee AO, nine RCTs agree in stating that oral and topical use of ginger seems to be effective against pain, while other did not find significant differences. One RCT considered the use of ginger in migraine and suggested its beneficial activit

    Observational StudyPubMedLow Quality

Animal Studies(3)

Preclinical animal research — not a substitute for human evidence.

Low Quality
  • Topiramate potential neurotoxicity and mitigating role of ginger oil in mice brain.

    Mabrouk DM, El Makawy AI, Ahmed KA, Ramadan MF, Ibrahim FM · Environmental science and pollution research international · 2022

    Topiramate has multiple pharmacological mechanisms that are efficient in treating epilepsy and migraine. Ginger has been established to have gingerols and shogaols that cause migraine relief. Moreover, Topiramate has many off-label uses. Thus, it was necessary to explore the possible neurotoxicity of Topiramate and the role of ginger oil in attenuating the Topiramate neurotoxicity. Male albino mice were orally gavaged with Topiramate, ginger oil (400 mg/kg), and Topiramate plus ginger oil with the same pattern for 28 days. Oxidative stress markers, acetylcholinesterase (AchE), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were examined. Histopathological examination, immunohistochemical glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and Bax expression analysis were detected. The GABAAR subunits, Gabra1, Gabra3, and Gabra5 expression, were assessed by RT-qPCR. The investigation showed that Topiramate raised oxidative stress markers levels, neurotransmi

    Animal StudyPubMedLow Quality
  • Safety and efficacy of daily Revactin(®) in men with erectile dysfunction: a 3-month pilot study.

    Nguyen S, Rajfer J, Shaheen M · Translational andrology and urology · 2018

    The earliest sign of an ongoing change in a man's erectile function (EF) is the increase in his refractory period. This is due to the onset of an aging related apoptosis of the corporal smooth muscle cells (CSMC) as a result of oxidative stress (ROS) within the CSMC itself. In response, the CSMC begin to upregulate the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) enzyme presumably to achieve high levels of nitric oxide (NO) used to combat ROS. Treatment of aged rats for 2 months with the nutraceutical Revactin®, known to stimulate the iNOS-NO-cGMP pathway in CSMC, resulted in (I) an increase in CSMC content with a decrease in corporal fibrosis, (II) decrease in systemic ROS, and (III) improvement in EF. To determine whether Revactin® could be used in the clinical setting, a pilot safety study was conducted. Fifty-four middle aged men (mean age 57.8±10.7; range, 33-77 years) were recruited for this safety study. Patients were given Revactin® twice daily (total daily dose

    Animal StudyPubMedLow Quality
  • Impact of Food Components on in vitro Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Secretion-A Potential Mechanism for Dietary Influence on Migraine.

    Slavin M, Bourguignon J, Jackson K, Orciga MA · Nutrients · 2016

    Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a pivotal messenger in the inflammatory process in migraine. Limited evidence indicates that diet impacts circulating levels of CGRP, suggesting that certain elements in the diet may influence migraine outcomes. Interruption of calcium signaling, a mechanism which can trigger CGRP release, has been suggested as one potential route by which exogenous food substances may impact CGRP secretion. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of foods and a dietary supplement on two migraine-related mechanisms in vitro: CGRP secretion from neuroendocrine CA77 cells, and calcium uptake by differentiated PC12 cells. Ginger and grape pomace extracts were selected for their anecdotal connections to reducing or promoting migraine. S-petasin was selected as a suspected active constituent of butterbur extract, the migraine prophylactic dietary supplement. Results showed a statistically significant decrease in stimulated CGRP secretion from CA77

    Animal StudyPubMedLow Quality

Clinical Trial Registries(6)

Registered ongoing or completed trials (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Moderate Quality

Limitations: While robust for certain applications, some studies exhibit heterogeneity in study populations and ginger preparations used, making direct comparisons challenging. There is also a need for more large-scale, long-term trials to fully understand all potential benefits and risks. Research into other applications, such as pain management, has more limited and sometimes conflicting results.

Health Voice Perspectives

Independent of evidence grade

Approved mentions from health educators, physicians, and researchers across podcasts, videos, and articles. Educational context only — does not influence the scientific evidence rating above.

  • TD
    Thomas DeLauer· Nutrition educator

    Explained ginger's prokinetic and anti-inflammatory effects on the gut.

    YouTubeGinger for InflammationView source ·3/14/2026

This page is educational. Statements use phrases like "may support" and "has been studied for"because no remedy here is approved to cure, treat, or reverse any condition. Discussion happens on the ailment pages — community statistics here are derived from those reports. Always consult a qualified clinician.

Tried Ginger?

Help others see what actually works.