Ginger

Ginger has been used for stomach upset, motion sickness, nausea, and vomiting.Some herbal/diet supplement products have been found to contain possibly harmful impurities/additives. Check with your pharmacist for more details about the particular brand you use.The FDA has not reviewed this product for safety or effectiveness. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.

Take this product by mouth as directed. Follow all directions on the product package. If you are uncertain about any of the information, consult your doctor or pharmacist.If your condition persists or worsens, or if you think you may have a serious medical problem, seek immediate medical attention.

Burning feeling in mouth/throat, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or heartburn may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.Tell your doctor immediately if any of these very unlikely but serious side effects occur: unusual bleeding/bruising, unusual drowsiness, irregular heartbeat.A very serious allergic reaction to this product is rare. However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.In the US -Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

Refer to storage information printed on the package. If you have any questions about storage, ask your pharmacist. Keep all medications and herbal products away from children and pets.Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Reviewed on 4/16/2014 References

When considering the use of herbal supplements, seek the advice of your doctor. You may also consider consulting a practitioner who is trained in the use of herbal/health supplements.

If you choose to use ginger, use it as directed on the package or as directed by your doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider. Do not use more of this product than is recommended on the label.

Do not use different formulations of ginger (such as tablets, liquids, and others) at the same time, unless specifically directed to do so by a health care professional. Using different formulations together increases the risk of an overdose.

Call your doctor if the condition you are treating with ginger does not improve, or if it gets worse while using this product.

Ginger can affect blood-clotting and may increase your risk of bleeding.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers ginger to be a safe food supplement (“generally recognized as safe”). Large doses carry the potential for adverse reactions. Mild GI effects (eg, heartburn, diarrhea, mouth irritation) have been reported. Case reports of arrhythmia and immunoglobulin E (IgE) allergic reaction are documented.

Toxicologic information regarding use in humans is lacking.

The ginger rhizome is a widely used culinary spice. The relative safety of ginger and the availability of randomized clinical trials in humans render data from animal trials largely irrelevant.

Cancer

Antitumor activity of ginger and its constituents has been demonstrated in several in vitro and animal experiments. Apoptotic cell death and antiproliferative effects caused by gingerol, paradol, shogaol, essential oil of ginger, and dried homogenized ginger have been demonstrated in mice and human cell lines. 7 , 8 , 11 , 12 No human trials with the use of ginger in cancer have been published. 8 , 12

Nausea

Human clinical trials have examined ginger's antiemetic effects related to motion sickness, postoperative and pregnancy–related nausea, and other causes. The mechanism of action by which ginger might exert effects is still unclear. Animal studies have described enhanced GI transport, anti-5-hydroxytryptamine, and possible CNS antiemetic effects. 13 Human experiments to determine the mechanism of action show varying results regarding gastric motility and corpus motor response. 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18

Chemotherapy-related nausea

A trend toward effectiveness has been demonstrated in a limited number of trials in chemotherapy-related nausea, 7 whereas others have found no effect with the addition of ginger to standard antiemetic regimens. 19 , 20 , 21 A case report describes a reduction in disequilibrium and nausea associated with abrupt discontinuation or intermittent noncompliance with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (1 g of ginger given 3 times daily). 22

Motion sickness

Results from the limited published studies are equivocal, with 3 of 7 trials reporting ginger root effective as a preventative or in treatment. The remaining 4 trials found no benefit over the comparator/placebo. Doses ranged from 250 mg to 2 g in 1 trial, 18 with no greater effectiveness for 2 g over the 1 g dose. 7 , 20

Postoperative nausea

Results from published trials and meta-analyses are equivocal. Limitations of meta-analyses include the lack of comparators, the heterogenous study populations, and surgical procedures. 21 , 23 In a meta-analysis of 5 randomized clinical trials investigating the efficacy of ginger in postoperative nausea, 1 g of ginger was more effective than placebo (relative risk, 0.69; confidence interval, 0.54 to 0.89). 23 Other reviews and meta-analyses (some including trials excluded by others) did not find ginger useful in the postoperative setting; the numbers needed for effect range from 11 to 25. 7

Pregnancy-related nausea

In a Cochrane meta-analysis, only 1 trial using ginger met inclusion criteria. 24 , 25 The majority of women in this crossover trial (n = 70) preferred using ginger to placebo. 25 A 2005 review of 6 quality trials found ginger to be superior to placebo in 4 trials and comparable with vitamin B6 in 2 trials. 7 , 20 , 26 Little information on fetal outcomes has been published in relation to clinical trials investigating the use of ginger in pregnancy. 24

Inhibition of platelet aggregation

Studies from animal models are inconclusive, but experiments with different ginger extracts have suggested an antiaggregation effect. 7 Results in human experiments are equally inconclusive. Ginger has demonstrated an inhibitory effect as well as no effect on platelet aggregation at recommended daily doses (less than 5 g). 9 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32

Osteoarthritis

Trials exploring the anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects of ginger have provided mixed results, with the majority of trials showing a trend toward pain relief greater than placebo but less than traditional anti-inflammatory drugs. 7 , 20 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 Several trials have methodological flaws, including sponsorship by ginger-manufacturing companies. 7 , 35 Mechanisms of action have been proposed and include inhibition of prostaglandin and leukotriene synthesis. 5 , 34 , 35

Other uses

Other actions of ginger and its constituents include cardiotonic/toxic effects, 1 , 7 , 20 , 37 effects on the CNS, 7 , 10 enhanced testosterone production, 7 , 12 and inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. 7 , 28 However, human studies are lacking.

Ginger has been used in clinical trials in doses of 250 mg to 1 g, repeated 3 to 4 times daily. 20

LactMed Record Number

877

Last Revision Date

20170502

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