02/03/2024
Nausea and vomiting, commonly known as morning sickness, are very common during the first trimester of pregnancy, affecting about 70-80% of pregnant women.
In China and Japan, ginger is renowned as a well-known herb often recommended for headaches, nausea, digestive issues, and common colds. Ginger and its constituents exhibit a wide range of pharmacological properties, such as: antiemetic, cardiotonic, anti-hepatotoxic, antithrombotic, antibacterial, antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-intlammatory.
Ginger is well documented to have beneficial effects on nausea and vomiting. The antiemetic mechanism is unclear, but some ginger constituents like gingerols and gingerols analogues, shogaols, may be involved, affecting the gastrointestinal tract by enhancing motility. Ginger lessens gastrointestinal signals to central chemoreceptors, decreasing nausea sensation.
Unfortunately, no definitive causal links have been established, and numerous treatments have been suggested based on empirical evidence.
This is a relevant study were ginger extract was used to relief morning sickness:
In a randomized, controlled trial, 120 pregnant women under 20 weeks with daily morning sickness, with no relief from dietary changes, participated. The study aimed to assess ginger extract's impact on morning sickness symptoms (nausea, vomiting, retching).
Participants were given 125 mg of ginger extract (equivalent to 1.5 g of dried ginger) or placebo, four times daily for four days. After day one, the ginger group showed significantly lower nausea scores, sustained throughout. Vomiting showed no notable difference between ginger and placebo.
Follow-up on pregnancies revealed typical birth weight, gestational age, Apgar scores, and congenital abnormality rates compared to the general population.
Studies suggest that low-dose, short- term use of ginger may be considered as an alternative for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
Many women find relief from these symptoms by consuming ginger in various forms such as ginger tea, ginger ale, ginger candies, or even raw ginger.
However, if nausea and vomiting are severe and persistent, it's essential to seek medical attention to prevent dehydration and other complications.
Study: J. G. Dib, R. A. El-Saddik, Ginger for Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy, J Pharm Pract Res 2004; 34: 305-7.
