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Ginger
Ginger — what the European monograph actually supports, what it is not for, the form and how long it is meant to be used, side effects, and the 2 medicine interactions documented for it.
This is a reference page, not a diagnosis and not a prescription. Herbal products are real pharmacology: they have effects, side effects and interactions with medicines. Tell your doctor and your pharmacist everything you take, including teas and supplements, and never stop or change a prescribed medicine because of anything you read here.
What it is
Zingiber officinale Roscoe — rhizome (Zingiberis rhizoma)
Local names across the region this site serves: ingver (ET) · inkivääri (FI) · имбирь (RU).
Grouped here under Digestion, bloating and the bowel. Regulatory position: EU herbal monograph — traditional use.
What the evidence supports
The registered indication: Prevention of nausea and vomiting in motion sickness, and mild digestive complaints such as bloating.
Ginger has the most usable evidence on this page for one specific job: nausea. Systematic reviews of randomised trials support it for motion sickness and for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy, and obstetric guidance in several countries lists it among the non-drug options tried before medicines. It is much less convincing after surgery or during chemotherapy, where the trials disagree. There is an honest tension worth naming: the EU traditional-use registration itself is not for use in pregnancy, as monograph indications generally are not, while the clinical evidence for pregnancy nausea is among the better evidence ginger has. That is a statement about what the product licence covers, not a finding of harm — and the sensible route is through a midwife or doctor rather than around them.
B — Traditional use, trials point the same way Registered on long-standing use, and independent reviews of human trials point in the same direction without settling the question.
What it is not for
Severe vomiting in pregnancy (hyperemesis) with weight loss or dehydration, which is a medical problem requiring treatment. Persistent nausea outside pregnancy also needs a cause found.
Form, strength and how long
Fresh rhizome, dried powder, capsules of dried rhizome, crystallised ginger, teas and syrups. Content of the active gingerols and shogaols differs sharply between fresh and dried material.
Duration. Symptomatic use. Motion-sickness use is by the journey; digestive use is short-term.
No gram figure appears on this page on purpose. The plant part, the extraction solvent and the drug-to-extract ratio together define a preparation, and a number taken from one does not describe another. The reasoning is set out on the hub; the amount that applies to you is the one printed on the pack you are holding, and a pharmacist will read it with you.
Side effects
Heartburn is the common one, along with mouth and throat irritation from strong preparations. Higher intakes can loosen stools.
Who should avoid it
Culinary amounts are food. Discuss supplement amounts in pregnancy with a midwife. Not established for young children.
Interactions with medicines
| Medicine or substance | What is described |
|---|---|
| Anticoagulants and antiplatelets (warfarin, DOACs, aspirin, clopidogrel) | Ginger appears on bleeding-risk lists. Controlled studies of culinary and typical supplement amounts have generally not shown a clinically important effect on clotting, but with warfarin the practical rule holds: keep intake steady rather than swinging between none and a lot, and tell whoever monitors your INR. |
| Diabetes medicines and insulin | Some trials report modest reductions in fasting glucose with ginger supplements. Worth knowing if you are on glucose-lowering medicines and testing at home. |
The reverse view — start from the medicine rather than the plant — is in the medicine, food and alcohol interactions reference, and summarised for every herb on this site.
As a food
This one is also in the kitchen, so the nutrition figures are worth having next to the pharmacology: see the food data page for calories and nutrients per 100 g and per portion. Culinary amounts and medicinal preparations are different exposures, and the difference is usually the whole safety story.
Sources: European Medicines Agency — Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), European Union herbal monographs · NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health — herb fact sheets · checked 2026-09-06
Frequently asked questions
What is ginger used for?
Prevention of nausea and vomiting in motion sickness, and mild digestive complaints such as bloating. Ginger has the most usable evidence on this page for one specific job: nausea. Systematic reviews of randomised trials support it for motion sickness and for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy, and obstetric guidance in several countries lists it among the non-drug options tried before medicines. It is much less convincing after surgery or during chemotherapy, where the trials disagree. There is an honest tension worth naming: the EU traditional-use registration itself is not for use in pregnancy, as monograph indications generally are not, while the clinical evidence for pregnancy nausea is among the better evidence ginger has. That is a statement about what the product licence covers, not a finding of harm — and the sensible route is through a midwife or doctor rather than around them.
Does ginger work?
Graded B here: Registered on long-standing use, and independent reviews of human trials point in the same direction without settling the question. Severe vomiting in pregnancy (hyperemesis) with weight loss or dehydration, which is a medical problem requiring treatment. Persistent nausea outside pregnancy also needs a cause found.
How much ginger should I take?
This reference does not print gram figures, because they do not transfer between preparations of different extract strength. What can be said honestly is the form and the duration: Fresh rhizome, dried powder, capsules of dried rhizome, crystallised ginger, teas and syrups. Content of the active gingerols and shogaols differs sharply between fresh and dried material. Symptomatic use. Motion-sickness use is by the journey; digestive use is short-term.
What are the side effects of ginger?
Heartburn is the common one, along with mouth and throat irritation from strong preparations. Higher intakes can loosen stools.
Does ginger interact with medicines?
Yes — documented for Anticoagulants, warfarin, Diabetes medicines. Each one is described on this page, with a link to the medicine-side reference where one exists.
Others in digestion, bloating and the bowel
Peppermint
Symptomatic relief of minor spasms of the gastrointestinal tract, flatulence and abdominal pain, especially in irritable bowel syndrome, for gastro-resistant oil capsules; the leaf is registered for mild digestive complaints.
Caraway
Mild spasmodic gastrointestinal complaints including bloating and flatulence.
Fennel
Mild spasmodic gastrointestinal complaints including bloating and flatulence; and as an expectorant in cough associated with a cold.
Turmeric
Relief of digestive disturbances such as a feeling of fullness and flatulence.
Liquorice
Digestive complaints including burning sensation and dyspepsia; and as an expectorant in cough associated with a cold.
Milk thistle
Relief of digestive complaints, including a feeling of fullness and indigestion.
Keep the whole list in one place
TempoLife logs supplements alongside food, sleep and how you actually felt — so the answer to "what are you taking?" is a screen, not a guess.