Depending on what you're feeling when you say you have "stomach pain," ginger might be able to help. Ginger is a common alternative remedy for which there's some scientific evidence of efficacy. It's helpful in treating nausea associated with a variety of causes and conditions, and you can consume it in several forms, including candy.
Ginger
Ginger is a common ingredient in many foods, especially those with an Asian flair and baked goods. Additionally, however, it's traditionally used to treat stomach ailments. The tummy-taming properties of ginger come from a molecule called zingerone, explain Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson in their book "Napoleon's Buttons." Zingerone is closely related to capsaicin in hot peppers and piperine in black peppercorn, and shares the spicy-hot flavor of these molecules.
Stomach Upset
If you have an upset stomach, ginger might be able to help, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center's index on complementary and alternative medicine. Research suggests that ginger helps relieve nausea brought on by pregnancy -- commonly called morning sickness -- as well as the nausea associated with chemotherapy. You can even treat motion sickness with ginger. Any form of ginger that you can taste well enough to feel the heat of the zingerone molecule -- candy included -- is effective.
Stomach Pain
If you have true stomach pain, rather than simply nausea, ginger might not be able to do anything for you. It's not a medicine, and it can't alleviate a stomachache. Ginger's effect is due to the fact that when zingerone binds to pain receptors in your mouth, the signal the receptors send confuses the brain. Your brain then can't process the signal of nausea for a period of time. Some practitioners of alternative medicine suggest using ginger for inflammatory or arthritic pain, but there's no evidence that ginger has any effect on stomach pain.
Recommendations
If you have stomach upset associated with nausea, try ginger to relieve the queasiness. If you're not nauseated, don't rely on ginger to help you. While ginger is a food-grade herb and is generally considered quite safe -- even during pregnancy -- discuss use of ginger candy with your doctor. Ensure that it won't interact with any of your medications and that it's safe for use in your particular case.
References
- "Napoleon's Buttons"; Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson; 2004
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Ginger
