Omnia SanaCommon names in 20 European languages →
The complete database record: 1 documented constituent, 5 pharmacological actions, 13 traditional / indicated uses, with 16 cited sources.
Botanical Description
Rhizomatous perennial herb with narrow, lance-shaped leaves arising in two ranks from slender, reed-like pseudostems. Pale yellow-green flowers with purple markings are borne in a dense, cone-like spike on a separate short stalk arising directly from the rhizome, though ginger rarely flowers in cultivation. The branching, knobbly rhizome has a pale yellow interior and a characteristic pungent, spicy aroma.[1]
Habitat & Distribution
Believed native to tropical Southeast Asia; cultivated extensively throughout the tropics and subtropics (India, China, Nigeria, the Caribbean) in warm, humid conditions on well-drained, fertile soil.
Harvesting
The rhizome is dug 8-10 months after planting, once the leaves have died back, for mature ('old') ginger with the fullest pungency, or earlier for milder young ('green') ginger; cleaned and used fresh or dried and ground.
Key Constituents
The pungent phenolic constituents of the rhizome (notably 6-gingerol, which dehydrates to 6-shogaol on drying) responsible for ginger's antiemetic and anti-inflammatory activity; a standardized regimen of 84 mg/day gingerols/shogaols was effective against chemotherapy-induced nausea.
Pharmacological Actions
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from analgesic action
inferred from digestive action
more plants for cardiovascular / heart health →detailed sources →
inferred from analgesic action
inferred from digestive action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from antispasmodic action
inferred from antispasmodic action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Meta-analyses report that ginger relieves nausea in pregnancy compared with placebo, with no significant effect on vomiting episodes. The EU herbal monograph covers prevention of nausea and vomiting in motion sickness.
Traditional Use & History
Ginger rhizome has one of the longest and most widespread medicinal histories of any spice, used across Chinese, Ayurvedic and Western herbal traditions as a warming digestive carminative, an antiemetic for nausea and motion sickness, and an anti-inflammatory remedy for joint pain; this traditional reputation is now supported by an extensive clinical evidence base, particularly for nausea (including pregnancy and chemotherapy-related) and osteoarthritis.[1]
Preparations
Dried rhizome powder or standardised extract, taken as capsules for nausea or joint-pain studies.
Dosage
Clinical trials for nausea commonly use around 1-1.5 g of dried rhizome powder daily, in divided doses (up to 1 g/day in pregnancy); osteoarthritis studies commonly use similar or somewhat higher doses. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Ginger is widely considered safe at culinary and conventional supplemental doses. At high doses (>5 g/day), ginger may cause heartburn, acid reflux, mouth irritation, and mild gastrointestinal discomfort. Ginger may modestly inhibit platelet aggregation and enhance the effects of anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin) - clinical significance at dietary amounts is low, but caution is warranted with high-dose supplementation alongside blood-thinning medications (Shalansky et al., 2007). May lower blood sugar - monitor closely if combining with antidiabetic medications.
Pregnancy: Ginger is among the most studied herbal remedies for pregnancy nausea. At doses up to 1 g/day, it is generally considered safe and effective for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP), based on multiple RCTs. The EMA monograph supports its use for NVP. Avoid doses >1.5 g/day during pregnancy due to theoretical concern about anticoagulant activity. Breastfeeding: generally considered safe at food amounts; limited data for medicinal doses (European Medicines Agency, 2012a).
Duke (2002) rates ginger as a triple-plus herb (+++) with strong clinical support (score 3) for antiemetic activity, including motion sickness, morning sickness, and postoperative nausea, and score 2 evidence for dyspepsia, diarrhea, and inflammation. Typical doses are 2-4 g dry rhizome per day or 500-1000 mg fresh root three times daily; Commission E approves ginger for dyspepsia and motion sickness. Ginger has antiplatelet properties and should be used with caution alongside anticoagulant medications (Duke, 2002).
Herb-Drug Interactions
Harvest Readiness
[3]
[3]
External Identifiers
References & Sources
- Crichton, M., Marshall, S., Isenring, E., Lohning, A., McCarthy, A.L., Molassiotis, A. and others (2023) 'Effect of a Standardized Ginger Root Powder Regimen on Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial', Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 124(3), pp. 313--330. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2023.09.003 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2023.09.003 - Mathieu, S., Soubrier, M., Peirs, C., Monfoulet, L.E., Boirie, Y. and Tournadre, A (2022) 'A Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Nutritional Supplementation on Osteoarthritis Symptoms', Nutrients, 14(8). doi:10.3390/nu14081607 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14081607 - Fern, Ken 'Zingiber officinale (Useful Tropical Plants)'. Available at: https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Zingiber+officinale Traditional / reference
https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Zingiber+officinale - Ali, B.H., Blunden, G., Tanira, M.O. and Nemmar, A (2008) 'Some phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): a review of recent research', 46(2), pp. 409--420. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2007.09.085 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2007.09.085 - European Medicines Agency (2012) 'European Union herbal monograph on Zingiber officinale Roscoe, rhizoma (Zingiberis rhizoma)'. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-zingiber-officinale-roscoe-rhizoma_en.pdf Traditional / reference
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-zingiber-officinale-roscoe-rhizoma_en.pdf - Huang, F.Y., Deng, T., Meng, L.X. and Ma, X.L (2019) 'Dietary ginger as a traditional therapy for blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis', Medicine (Baltimore), 98(13). doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000015054 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000015054 - Mashhadi, N.S., Ghiasvand, R., Askari, G., Hariri, M., Darvishi, L. and Mofid, M.R (2013) 'Anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of ginger in health and physical activity: a review', pp. S36--S42. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3665023/ Traditional / reference
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3665023/ - Shalansky, S., Lynd, L., Richardson, K., Ingaszewski, A. and Kerr, C (2007) 'Risk of warfarin-related bleeding events and supratherapeutic international normalized ratios associated with complementary and alternative medicine', 27(9), pp. 1237--1247. doi:10.1592/phco.27.9.1237 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1592/phco.27.9.1237 - Viljoen, E., Visser, J., Koen, N. and Musekiwa, A (2014) 'A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting', 13(1), pp. 20. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-13-20 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-13-20 - Xu, Y., Yang, Q. and Wang, X (2020) 'Efficacy of herbal medicine (cinnamon/fennel/ginger) for primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials', Journal of International Medical Research, 48(6). doi:10.1177/0300060520936179 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1177/0300060520936179 - Zhang, Y., Gui, Y., Adams, R., Farragher, J., Itsiopoulos, C., Bow, K. and others (2025) 'Comparative Effectiveness of Nutritional Supplements in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Network Meta-Analysis', Nutrients, 17(15). doi:10.3390/nu17152547 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17152547 - Hu, Y., Amoah, A.N., Zhang, H., Fu, R., Qiu, Y., Cao, Y. and others (2020) 'Effect of ginger in the treatment of nausea and vomiting compared with vitamin B6 and placebo during pregnancy: a meta-analysis', Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, 35(1), pp. 187--196. doi:10.1080/14767058.2020.1712714 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1080/14767058.2020.1712714 - Marx, W., McCarthy, A.L., Ried, K. et al (2017) 'Can ginger ameliorate chemotherapy-induced nausea? Protocol of a randomized double blind, placebo-controlled trial', pp. 65. doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1571-z Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-017-1571-z - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (n.d.) 'Zingiber officinale Roscoe'. Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:http://ipni.org:names:798372-1 Traditional / reference
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:http://ipni.org:names:798372-1 - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition - Jiang, X., Williams, K.M., Liauw, W.S., Ammit, A.J., Roufogalis, B.D., Duke, C.C., Day, R.O. and McLachlan, A.J (2005) 'Effect of ginkgo and ginger on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of warfarin in healthy subjects', British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 59(4), pp. 425-432. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2125.2005.02322.x Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2005.02322.x
Selected studies & references
All 16 studies in the Knowledge Finder →
This profile is assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database, which we curate by hand. How this site is built.