Does ginger help with inflammation and nausea?

For nausea caused by chemotherapy, ginger has the strongest body of evidence behind it. A double-blind study with cancer patients found clearly less vomiting in later chemotherapy rounds: 4% of the ginger group experienced delayed vomiting in the second cycle, compared with 27% in the control group. A review of 15 studies supports this picture, but warns that the quality of most underlying studies is low. A separate review of 23 studies found no significant effect on the total number of nausea episodes, but did find less acute vomiting at a dose of up to 1 gram per day for at least four days.

For postoperative nausea and pregnancy-related nausea, the research also points in a positive direction, though the evidence is thinner. The review of 15 studies found less nausea after surgery and less use of additional anti-nausea medication. For pregnancy-related nausea, multiple review studies support a relieving effect. An important caveat: with prolonged use during pregnancy, possible toxicity has not been fully ruled out. Always consult your midwife or doctor before using ginger as a supplement during pregnancy.

For inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, psoriasis and lupus, the picture is positive but still early. Laboratory and animal research shows that active compounds in ginger inhibit pro-inflammatory signalling pathways. In humans, results are promising but limited. In that context, ginger may be considered as a complement to conventional treatment, not as a replacement for it.

Short-term use of ginger is considered safe in the studies examined. In the study in chemotherapy patients, no serious side effects were reported. With long-term use, and certainly during pregnancy, that is less certain.