Ginger for Nausea: Why It’s Been Used for Generations and Still Works Today
Ginger isn't just a kitchen spice. It's one of the oldest and most studied herbal remedies on the planet, with a track record that spans traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic practice, ancient Greek healers, and medieval European apothecaries. They trusted ginger to calm an unsettled stomach and for good reason.
A Root with Deep Roots
The story of ginger (Zingiber officinale) as a digestive aid goes back about 5,000 years. Ancient Chinese physicians used it to warm the stomach and ease nausea, and in India, it was a staple of Ayurvedic medicine for digestive complaints. Going beyond digestion, sailors in the 1800s reportedly chewed ginger to stave off seasickness on long voyages.¹
What's striking is how consistently ginger appears across cultures and continents, mostly independent of one another, all arriving at the same conclusion—when your stomach feels off, ginger helps. That's not coincidence. That's compounding generational evidence.
The Science Behind the Soothing
What makes ginger work as a traditional remedy for nausea? The answer lies in two naturally occurring compounds: gingerols and shogaols. These bioactive components are responsible for ginger's signature warmth and its stomach-settling power.²
Research suggests these compounds offer natural nausea relief by:
- Helping to regulate muscle contractions of the gastrointestinal tract, which can become uncoordinated when nausea strikes
- Interacting with serotonin receptors in the gut, which play a key role in triggering the nausea response
- Having an anti-inflammatory effect, which may contribute to overall digestive comfort³
Multiple clinical studies have explored ginger's effect on nausea related to pregnancy, chemotherapy, post-surgical recovery, and motion sickness. While research is ongoing and has had mixed results across various causes of nausea, many results consistently support what traditional healers observed long ago, that ginger tends to have a meaningful, measurable calming effect on the stomach.⁴
How to Use Ginger for Nausea Whether you choose a ginger tea or a ginger chew, make sure ginger root is an ingredient. While the bubbles in ginger ale may seem to settle mild stomach upset, there’s usually little to no ginger in most ginger-flavored drinks. For best results with ginger tea or chews, consume it 30–60 minutes before a potentially nausea-triggering situation, like getting in a car or boarding a plane, or as soon as you feel symptoms if nausea comes on unexpectedly. |
Beyond Tea: The Case for Ginger Chews
When most people think of ginger for nausea, they picture a steaming mug of ginger tea. And yes, tea is wonderful—but it's not always practical when you're on a road trip, boarding a plane, sitting in a work meeting, or out running errands when queasiness hits.
That's where ginger chews come in. Chewing delivers the active compounds in ginger directly and efficiently, and because chews are portable, pre-dosed, and discreet, they fit into real life in a way that tea simply can't. You don't need hot water, a mug, or five minutes to steep. Just take a moment and chew.
Advanced Herbals® Ginger Chew from the makers of Dramamine® deliver a clinically tested dose of ginger† in a convenient soft chew. With a great-tasting lemon-honey-ginger flavor, they offer a non-medicated option to help support against nausea whenever it strikes—safe for frequent use and easy to take on the go.
For the Whole Family: Gentle Nausea Relief for Kids
One of the things that makes ginger so enduring is how well-tolerated it tends to be across age groups. Parents who reach for natural, non-medicated options for themselves often want the same for their kids—especially for common complaints like car sickness or general stomach upset.
Advanced Herbals® Kids Gummies offer a non-medicated, non-drowsy ginger option in a fun, kid-approved flavor. Perfect for parents seeking a gentle first step before turning to stronger remedies.
Why Ginger Still Wins Today
Ginger remains a go-to for nausea relief because it is non-medicated and non-drowsy. It allows you to tackle nausea without the fog that can sometimes accompany stronger, medicated remedies.
There's sometimes an assumption that herbal remedies are the soft options—something you try before moving on to "real" medicine. Ginger challenges that assumption. Its long history of use, combined with a growing body of scientific research, places it in a different category than many trendy wellness supplements.
Whether you are prepping for a spontaneous road trip with friends or simply maintaining your daily rhythm while balancing your and your family’s needs, incorporating ginger into your wellness toolkit is a smart, time-tested strategy.
The Bottom Line Ginger has earned its reputation across generations for a reason. Whether you're sipping it, cooking with it, or keeping Advanced Herbals® Ginger Chews in your bag for life on the go, you're tapping into one of nature's most time-tested tools for digestive comfort—and one that modern science continues to support. |
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement or remedy, especially during pregnancy or when treating children.
1 Bode, A.M. & Dong, Z. (2011). "The Amazing and Mighty Ginger." In Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects (2nd ed.). CRC Press/Taylor & Francis. Available via NCBI Bookshelf: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/
2 Semwal, R.B., et al. (2015). Gingerols and shogaols: Important nutraceutical principles from ginger. Phytochemistry, 117, 554–568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2015.07.012
3 Nikkhah Bodagh, M., Maleki, I., & Hekmatdoost, A. (2018). Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic review of clinical trials. Food Science & Nutrition, 7(1), 96–108. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.807
4 Viljoen, E., et al. (2014). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting. Nutrition Journal, 13, 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-13-20 — See also: Marx, W., et al. (2017). Ginger—Mechanism of action in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 57(1), 141–146. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2013.865590