Scientifically Supported Health Benefits of Ginger
1. Nausea — the best-evidenced use
The European Medicines Agency granted ginger rhizome well-established use status in May 2025 for the prevention of nausea and vomiting in motion sickness, at 1–2 g taken one hour before travel [1]. In pregnancy, a meta-analysis of 12 randomised trials in 1,278 women found nausea symptoms significantly improved compared with placebo [2].
2. Post-operative nausea
A meta-analysis of 14 randomised controlled trials in 1,417 patients found ginger reduced nausea severity and cut the need for rescue anti-nausea medication by 29% compared with placebo [3].
3. Menstrual pain
Four randomised controlled trials, pooled, found ginger taken during the first three to four days of the cycle reduced pain on the visual analogue scale, at doses of 750–2,000 mg of ginger powder daily [4].
4. Joint comfort
A meta-analysis of five randomised placebo-controlled trials in 593 people with osteoarthritis found modest but statistically significant reductions in pain and in disability, over three to twelve weeks at 500–1,000 mg daily [5].
5. Inflammation markers
A dose-response meta-analysis of 29 randomised controlled trials found ginger supplementation reduced C-reactive protein, TNF-α and interleukin-6, and raised total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase activity [6].
6. Muscle soreness after exercise
Eleven consecutive days of 2 g of ginger daily — raw or heat-treated — reduced delayed-onset muscle soreness from eccentric exercise by 23–25% compared with placebo. A single 2 g dose had no effect, which is the useful detail: this is a habit, not a remedy [7].
7. Gastric emptying
In a randomised, double-blind crossover trial, ginger accelerated gastric emptying — the stomach's half-emptying time fell from 16.1 to 12.3 minutes [8]. The European Medicines Agency lists mild spasmodic gastrointestinal complaints, including bloating and flatulence, under traditional use [1].
References
- European Medicines Agency. European Union herbal monograph on Zingiber officinale Roscoe, rhizoma. Final, Revision 1, 7 May 2025.
- Viljoen E, Visser J, Koen N, Musekiwa A. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting. Nutr J. 2014;13:20. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-13-20 · PMID 24642205
- Efficacy of ginger in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2021. doi:10.1111/jnu.12691 · PMID 34312974
- Daily JW, Zhang X, Kim DS, Park S. Efficacy of ginger for alleviating the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Pain Med. 2015;16(12):2243–2255. doi:10.1111/pme.12853 · PMID 26177393
- Bartels EM, Folmer VN, Bliddal H, et al. Efficacy and safety of ginger in osteoarthritis patients: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2015;23(1):13–21. doi:10.1016/j.joca.2014.09.024 · PMID 25300574
- Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of ginger supplementation in adults: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Inflammopharmacology. 2025. doi:10.1007/s10787-025-01994-6
- Black CD, Herring MP, Hurley DJ, O'Connor PJ. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reduces muscle pain caused by eccentric exercise. J Pain. 2010;11(9):894–903. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2009.12.013 · PMID 20418184
- Hu ML, Rayner CK, Wu KL, et al. Effect of ginger on gastric motility and symptoms of functional dyspepsia. World J Gastroenterol. 2011;17(1):105–110. doi:10.3748/wjg.v17.i1.105 · PMID 21218090
- Marx W, et al. The effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on platelet aggregation: a systematic literature review. PLoS One. 2015;10(10):e0141119. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0141119
- Impact of thermal processing on the composition of secondary metabolites of ginger rhizome — a review. Foods. 2022;11(21):3484. doi:10.3390/foods11213484 · PMID 36360097
- Formation of 6-, 8- and 10-shogaol in ginger through application of different drying methods. Molecules. 2018;23(7):1646. doi:10.3390/molecules23071646 · PMID 29976903