Ginger

Zingiber officinale · Ginger Root · Ginger Extract

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy^{1, 2} Postoperative nausea³ Chemotherapy-induced nausea⁴ Knee osteoarthritis pain² Dysmenorrhea² Functional dyspepsia⁵ Glycemic control in diabetes^6–9 Blood pressure¹⁰	Bleeding disorders¹¹ Anticoagulant therapy¹¹ Gallstones¹¹ Upcoming surgery¹¹

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is the rhizome of a plant native to warm parts of Asia, used as food and for health purposes¹². Its pungent constituents act on the gastrointestinal tract and on inflammatory signaling, which drives use for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, after surgery, and during chemotherapy.^{2, 13} Use also extends to osteoarthritis pain, menstrual cramps, functional dyspepsia, and glycemic and blood pressure support in type 2 diabetes, with migraine a further use where trials are few^{2, 13}.

Human research is substantial. An umbrella review graded the evidence highest for nausea in pregnancy and for osteoarthritis pain, with weaker confidence for glycemic control². For chemotherapy-induced nausea, a meta-analysis found benefit when capsules were added to standard antiemetics⁴. Products listing ginger are common and include capsules, teas, liquids, and powders; see Form comparison.

The main caution is bleeding. Ginger inhibits platelet aggregation, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) cites case reports of overanticoagulation and fatal bleeding in patients on blood thinners¹¹. MSKCC advises stopping supplements two weeks before surgery, and Health Canada labels ask pregnant or breastfeeding patients not to use it^{11, 14}.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

81 sources, 73 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources