Ginger is one of the most effective natural remedies for pregnancy nausea, and clinical evidence supports its safety for both mother and baby. Taking about 1 gram of ginger daily for at least four days makes you roughly five times more likely to see improvement in nausea and vomiting compared to a placebo. That puts it on par with some prescription anti-nausea medications, making it a reasonable first option before reaching for pharmaceuticals.
How Well Ginger Works for Morning Sickness
A meta-analysis published in The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine pooled data from multiple trials and found that 70% of women in ginger groups reported improvement in nausea and vomiting, compared to 50% in placebo groups. The number needed to treat was five, meaning for every five pregnant women who try ginger, one will experience relief she wouldn’t have gotten from a placebo alone.
A separate 2018 network meta-analysis compared ginger against several alternative therapies for pregnancy nausea and found it had the greatest effect on nausea scores, backed by the highest quality evidence of any option reviewed. Its effects were similar to those of metoclopramide, a commonly prescribed anti-nausea drug. A 2022 meta-analysis confirmed that ginger significantly reduces nausea, though its effect on actual vomiting episodes is less consistent.
Ginger vs. Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is the other go-to recommendation for morning sickness, and the two work through different pathways. In a head-to-head trial where 70 women received either 1 gram of ginger or 40 milligrams of vitamin B6 daily for four days, ginger produced a significantly greater reduction in nausea severity. Both options reduced vomiting episodes equally.
Interestingly, combining the two may work better than either alone. Research from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners notes that vitamin B6 and ginger together showed a greater and more consistent effect on nausea. The Society for Obstetric Medicine of Australia and New Zealand recommends a specific combined dose: 600 milligrams of standardized ginger extract with 37.5 milligrams of vitamin B6.
How Ginger Reduces Nausea
Ginger contains active compounds that work on multiple fronts. They calm gastrointestinal inflammation by lowering levels of inflammatory signaling molecules in the gut. They also protect cells in the digestive tract from a type of damage that triggers nausea signals to the brain. Part of this anti-nausea effect involves the serotonin system: nausea and vomiting are partly driven by serotonin receptors in the gut, and ginger’s compounds help regulate that signaling pathway, essentially turning down the volume on the nausea signal before it reaches the brain.
How Much to Take and in What Form
The standard recommendation is up to 1,000 milligrams (1 gram) of standardized ginger extract per day, split into three or four doses of 250 milligrams each. If you prefer fresh ginger, one teaspoon of freshly grated ginger root is roughly equivalent to that full daily dose of extract.
Ginger comes in many forms: capsules, fresh root, dried spice, tea, candies, biscuits, and crystallized pieces. Capsules offer the most consistent dosing, which matters if you want to match what was used in clinical trials. Ginger tea is a popular choice, though the warmth can amplify the smell and actually trigger nausea in some women. Ginger candies and syrups can be convenient but are often high in sugar, making them less ideal for regular daily use. Fresh ginger grated into cold water or added to food gives you control over both the dose and the form.
Safety During Pregnancy
The most reassuring data comes from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, a large-scale study that found no increased risk of stillbirth, perinatal death, preterm birth, or low birth weight in women who consumed ginger during pregnancy compared to those who did not. Clinical studies and reviews have also found no evidence linking ginger to congenital malformations. While spontaneous miscarriages were reported in some ginger studies, they occurred at equal rates in both ginger and placebo groups, meaning ginger itself was not the cause.
The one area where evidence is less clear-cut involves ginger’s mild blood-thinning properties. Ginger can reduce platelet aggregation, which is how blood cells clump together to form clots. The UK’s Committee on Toxicity has noted this as a theoretical concern, particularly around delivery when bleeding risk matters most. However, the clinical significance of this effect at dietary or supplemental doses remains undetermined. No formal recommendation exists to stop ginger before labor or a scheduled cesarean section, but it’s worth being aware of if you’re approaching your due date or have a bleeding disorder.
Possible Side Effects
At recommended doses, ginger is well tolerated by most pregnant women. The most commonly reported side effects are mild digestive complaints: heartburn, burping, and a warm sensation in the stomach. These are more likely if you take ginger on an empty stomach or exceed 1 gram per day. Splitting your dose into smaller amounts throughout the day and taking it with food can minimize these issues. If you already struggle with acid reflux, which is common in later pregnancy, ginger may occasionally make that worse.