Ginger
Zingiber officinale — also: Adrak, Sunth
Among the best-supported botanicals for nausea, with multiple positive human trials.
Central to Ayurveda and Chinese medicine for digestion, nausea, and 'warming' the body; long used in European folk remedies.
Reduces nausea (pregnancy, motion, post-operative, chemotherapy-related) and supports digestion.
Gingerols/shogaols act on the gut and serotonin (5-HT3) pathways involved in nausea.
- Reliable nausea relief
- Digestive comfort
Multiple randomized trials support anti-nausea effects across several causes.
- Best dose varies by use
- High-dose safety in pregnancy less certain
- Heartburn at high doses
- Mild bleeding interaction
- Those on blood thinners at high doses without advice
Mild heartburn, mouth/GI irritation at high doses.
May modestly increase bleeding risk at high doses with anticoagulants; possible additive effects with diabetes/BP drugs.
Generally considered acceptable in pregnancy at culinary/low doses; discuss higher doses with a clinician.
Grows from fresh rhizome in warm conditions; store fresh root refrigerated or frozen.
- Multiple randomized trials and meta-analyses support ginger for nausea of pregnancy, motion, post-operative, and chemotherapy-related causes.
- Typical effective doses cluster around 1–1.5 g/day of dried ginger across studies.
- Digestive and anti-inflammatory claims beyond nausea are weaker and less consistent.
Anti-nausea trials are among the more robust botanical datasets, though heterogeneity in formulation and outcome measures remains.
Larger head-to-head trials against standard antiemetics would clarify where ginger fits in clinical practice.
The dependable one for queasiness. Strong evidence, low risk — still mind blood thinners.