The root of the ginger plant, or Zingiber officinale, is commonly used throughout the world as a spice and in medicinal herbal remedies. Ginger mainly grows in Mexico, China and India. Ginger has many potential medicinal uses, but it’s most commonly recommended for treating nausea and vomiting. Consult your doctor before taking ginger root for motion sickness to discuss the potential health risks and drug interactions, as well as the dosage that’s right for you.
History
For thousands of years, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have administered ginger root to treat a wide variety of gastrointestinal complaints, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Ginger was used to treat gas, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomachaches. Herbalists also recommended ginger root for helping to treat toothaches, bleeding, rheumatism, cholera, coughs and colds, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In the 1980s, modern use of ginger began for nausea, indigestion and motion sickness.
Benefits
Today, you might take ginger to relieve nausea related to motion sickness, morning sickness during pregnancy and surgery. You might also take ginger to improve your appetite and ease symptoms related to drug withdrawal, as well as to treat rheumatoid arthritis, spasms, colic, diarrhea, gas and indigestion, notes the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Ginger is sometimes recommended for treating osteoarthritis, vertigo, atherosclerosis, allergies, migraines, back pain and high cholesterol. You might take 500 mg of dried ginger powder about 30 to 60 minutes before traveling to prevent motion sickness and take additional 500 mg doses every two to four hours during travel, says the University of Michigan Health System.
Function
Ginger contains volatile oils, as well as aromatic and pungent constituents. Ginger root’s pungent constituents, called gingerols and shogaols, are responsible for combating nausea and vomiting, says the University of Michigan Health System. These constituents work by stimulating gastric secretions like saliva and bile, as well as improving peristalsis and relaxing gastrointestinal contractions, explains the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Scientific Evidence
A 1993 in-vitro study published in the journal Anaesthesia found that ginger has antiemetic effects, meaning that it prevents and treats nausea and vomiting. A study published in the journal Acta Oto-Laryngologica in 1988 concluded that ginger helped to treat seasickness, says the University of Michigan Health System. The study discovered that ginger acted directly on the stomach to treat nausea, instead of on the inner ear and brain like many drugs for treating nausea, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Two 1999 double-blind studies published in Healthnotes Review of Complementary Integrative Medicine found that ginger was equally effective as dimenhydrinate in treating motion sickness and that ginger could treat motion sickness in children.
Warnings
Ginger has the potential to cause side effects, such as heartburn or acid reflux in some people. You shouldn’t use ginger for long periods of time during pregnancy or close to labor and delivery time. Ginger might promote the effects of “blood-thinning” drugs like anticoagulants and antiplatelets, causing your risk of bleeding to increase. Talk to your doctor before taking ginger if you take insulin and other medications for diabetes, aspirin, Coumadin, heparin, Plavix, Ticlid or Trental.
