Does ginger ease period pain?
In one trial, about as much as two common painkillers. Students with period pain who took ginger had pain relief similar to those who took ibuprofen or mefenamic acid. There was no placebo group, so the trial can't show how much was the ginger itself.
What the studies found
“Ginger was as effective as mefenamic acid and ibuprofen in relieving pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea.”
The details
- What the trials used
- 250 mg of ginger root powder four times a day for the first 3 days of the period. These are the doses studied, not advice on what to take.
- Who was studied
- University students aged 18 and over with period pain that has no other cause (primary dysmenorrhea).
Before you try it
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How we checked this
This answer comes from one finding on our site, and that finding has been re-checked: each linked study was confirmed on PubMed and read against the finding’s grade, direction and study count. We then read every abstract ourselves on 7 November 2026 and wrote the answer from them, then checked it against recent reviews; the quotes above are copied word for word. If the finding changes, this answer is hidden until it is checked again. How we grade.