Condition
Morning Sickness
Morning sickness is the nausea, sometimes with vomiting, that many people feel in early pregnancy, tied to rising hormones like hCG and estrogen that affect the digestive system. Ginger has the best evidence among supplements, and across nine studies with 216 participants, nausea symptoms improved. Those studies were only moderate in size, so the picture is encouraging but rests on a fairly small group of people.
Sources: PMID 11275030
- Supplements studied
- 2
- Graded outcomes
- 3
- Trials
- 4
- People studied
- 281
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea Symptoms Moderate Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 9 studies | 216 people | ||
| Pregnancy Nausea (NVP) Meta-analysis (12 RCTs, n=1278): Ginger significantly improved nausea vs placebo (MD 1.20, 95% CI 0.56-1.84, p=0.0002, I²=0%). Subgroup analysis favored <1500mg/day. Another meta-analysis (13 studies, n=1174): OR 7.475 for general NVP symptom improvement. More effective than vitamin B6. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | ||||
| Hyperemesis Gravidarum Meta-analysis (10 RCTs): Pooled OR 0.41 (95% CI 0.22-0.79, p=0.008) indicating significant reduction in nausea and vomiting symptoms. Compared to placebo, vitamin B6, and metoclopramide. Various forms tested including capsules, powders, and biscuits. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms | Improves (the measure goes down) | 7 studies | 65 people | |||
Studies that measured irritable bowel syndrome symptoms | ||||||
Key findings
- Nausea SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
- Pregnancy Nausea (NVP)Improves (the measure goes up)
- Hyperemesis GravidarumImproves (the measure goes down)
The Morning Sickness (Pregnancy Nausea) protocol
2 primary supplements · 1 supporting supplement
- Ginger250 mg four times daily (1 g total)
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)10–25 mg three times daily
Studies cited
16 studies from PubMed
- Efficacy of Peppermint oil in diarrhea predominant IBS - a double blind randomized placebo - controlled study
- Peppermint oil (Mintoil) in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective double blind placebo-controlled randomized trial
- Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with peppermint oil. A double-blind study with a placebo
- Enteric-coated peppermint-oil capsules in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective, randomized trial
- Treating irritable bowel syndrome with peppermint oil
- Enteric-coated, pH-dependent peppermint oil capsules for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome in children
- The effect of enteric-coated, delayed-release peppermint oil on irritable bowel syndrome
- Anti-emetic effect of ginger powder versus placebo as an add-on therapy in children and young adults receiving high emetogenic chemotherapy
- Ginger treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum
- A randomized controlled trial of ginger to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy
- The efficacy of ginger for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting: a meta-analysis
- The efficacy of ginger in prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting after major gynecologic surgery
- Effectiveness of ginger for prevention of nausea and vomiting after gynecological laparoscopy
- Effect of a ginger extract on pregnancy-induced nausea: a randomised controlled trial
- Ginger for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial
- Ginger syrup as an antiemetic in early pregnancy