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Semaglutide and other GLP-1 weight loss medications can help you eat less because they slow digestion. This slowing of digestion, however, causes common side effects such as nausea and other digestive issues. These side effects are often temporary and can be prevented or at least limited.
If you’ve read our blog article, “Common Side Effects of GLP-1 Weight Loss Medications,” you know the most common GLP-1 side effects people encounter are:
Most of these digestive side effects occur in your first weeks as your body gets used to the new medication.
When nausea is a side effect of a medication, many people first turn to more traditional, non-medicated remedies for nausea rather than taking an additional medication. The good news is there are plenty to try and these remedies can be used alone or in combination with each other.
Everyone’s experience is a little different, so it’s good to know a range of ways you can potentially stop or limit nausea as a GLP-1 side effect. Try methods that you feel comfortable with and see how you feel.
You can find more tips and information in “Foods to Avoid While on GLP-1 Medications” and “How to Stop Nausea from GLP-1 Medications: Tips for Managing Side Effects.”
Ginger is widely recommended as a natural nausea relief option, often used in ginger teas, ginger candies, or ginger-based drinks.1 Because Advanced Herbals® Ginger Chews contain a clinical dose of ginger, the makers of Dramamine® and Advanced Herbals® commissioned a study2to explore whether ginger chews could help reduce GLP-1-related nausea.
Nausea occurs in 15%-50% of patients treated with GLP-1s for diabetes or obesity, which causes some to discontinue therapy. This study evaluated Advanced Herbals® Ginger Chews vs. a placebo to see how effective a ginger dietary supplement could be in decreasing GLP-1-related nausea.
The patients in the study were randomly assigned to eat a ginger chew or placebo to help manage nausea from GLP-1 medications. Participants recorded the severity of their nausea before and after consuming each dose.
While study results concluded that the ginger chew and placebo both numerically reduced nausea severity in GLP-1 treated participants, mild to moderate nausea reduction was reported more often with the ginger chew than the placebo.
For people who already find ginger soothing—or who prefer non-medicated remedies for nausea—Advanced Herbals® Ginger Chews may be one option to try, alongside hydration and dietary adjustments.
Always speak with your doctor before adding supplements while taking GLP-1 medications and contact your healthcare provider if you experience moderate to severe discomfort.
Ginger has been used by families for generations to help settle digestive issues. Other studies have shown that ginger can potentially accelerate muscle contractions of the stomach leading to improved gastric emptying.3
Because GLP-1 drugs slow gastric emptying, ginger may be beneficial to patients who experience nausea as a side effect. This is something we will continue to explore and we encourage you to explore as well. You can read more about this in “Easing GLP-1 Side Effects: Informed Relief for Nausea and Constipation.”
Whether you choose ginger chews, lifestyle adjustments, or a combination of methods, we wish you success and comfort as you continue your GLP-1 treatment.
1 Gorgojo-Martinez, JJ, et al. Clinical Recommendations to Manage Gastrointestinal Adverse Events in Patients Treated with Glp-1 Receptor Agonists: A Multidisciplinary Expert Consensus. J Clin Med. 2022 Dec 24;12(1):145. Accessed online: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9821052/ 2 Balaban MD, David H. et al. Investigation of Ginger vs. Placebo to Decrease Nausea Associated with Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (Glp-1) Therapy [Abstract]. 3 Giacosa A, Morazzoni P, E. Bombardelli E, et al. Can nausea and vomiting be treated with ginger extract? Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2015:19; 1291-6.
