Ginger root: a modest anti-nausea capsule, a trace of minerals in the kitchen

Ginger has one use with a sizeable but mostly low-quality body of trials behind it, and it comes in a capsule. An umbrella review of 18 systematic reviews found that ginger supplements, usually 450 to 1,950 mg a day, reduced the severity and frequency of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy compared with placebo, more clearly for nausea than for vomiting. Most of those reviews rated low or critically low for quality. The Cochrane review of 41 trials in 5,449 pregnant women read the same field more cautiously and called the evidence for ginger limited and inconsistent. The answer is fuzzy because the trials differ so much in dose and product that the Cochrane authors could not pool them. A 2026 network meta-analysis of 24 trials with 3,017 women put ginger among options that might help, though not among the top-ranked options, with low to moderate certainty.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Raw ginger root has 0.226 mg copper, 43 mg magnesium and 0.16 mg vitamin B6 per 3.5 oz (100 g), but a teaspoon weighs only 2 g. — — Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: copper 0.226 mg (25% DV), magnesium 43 mg (10% DV), vitamin B6 0.16 mg (9% DV); 1 tsp = 2 g

What a real portion looks like

• US survey data record pickled ginger at 30 g when the amount is not specified, and 240 g for a full cup. — — Evidence E source
  Quantity not specified = 30 g; 1 cup = 240 g

What cooking and storage change

• For root vegetables boiled in a little water and drained, USDA tables keep about 95% of copper, magnesium and vitamin B6. — — Evidence E source
  Retained: copper 95%, magnesium 95%, vitamin B6 95%, vitamin C 70%, folate 70%

What it does to your health

• In a trial of 103 adults starting chemotherapy, standardized ginger root powder cut delayed nausea at cycle 2 from 75% to 53% on top of usual antiemetics. — chemotherapy-naive adults on moderately to highly emetogenic chemotherapy, two Australian hospitals, 4 capsules a day (84 mg gingerols and shogaols) for 5 days per cycle, cycles 1 to 3 (n = 103) Evidence B source
  Delayed nausea 53% vs 75% (cycle 2), 49% vs 79% (cycle 3); no effect on acute or anticipatory nausea
• In 51 healthy young adults, 1.2 g of ginger root powder a day for 14 days shifted some gut bacteria and eased indigestion but did not change gut diversity, bowel function or mood. — healthy adults aged 18 to 30, 71% female, 1.2 g/day ginger (84 mg/day gingerols and shogaols) or cellulose placebo for 14 days (n = 51) Evidence B source
  Greater rise in Actinobacteria (P = 0.033); indigestion improved (P = 0.015); no change in alpha or beta diversity
• In 32 recreational runners, 1.425 g of ginger root a day for 5 days likely softened the rise in soreness after downhill running but did not help run performance. — 10 women and 22 men, experienced distance runners, 5 days of supplement with a 40-minute downhill run on day 3 (n = 32) Evidence B source
  Soreness while jogging Cohen's d -0.69 (90% CL -1.50 to 0.12) immediately post-run; no meaningful effect on 1.5-mile run

Safety, limits and interactions

• An umbrella review of 18 systematic reviews found that 450 to 1950 mg of ginger a day reduced nausea and vomiting of pregnancy versus placebo, more clearly for nausea than vomiting. — pregnant women with nausea and vomiting, trials pooled in 18 systematic reviews (8 with meta-analysis) up to December 2024 (n = 18 reviews) Evidence A source
  Lower severity and occurrence of nausea and vomiting versus placebo; no higher rate of spontaneous abortion, heartburn or drowsiness
• A US agency review graded as low strength the evidence that 7 days of ginger did not change the effect of a single warfarin dose. — adults taking cardiovascular drugs; underlying pharmacokinetic trial with 7-day ginger pretreatment and one 25 mg warfarin dose Evidence B source
  No clinically significant interaction; strength of evidence low

Who this works differently for

• A 2026 network meta-analysis of 24 trials (3,017 pregnant women) listed ginger among options that might reduce nausea and vomiting, with low-to-moderate certainty. — pregnant women with nausea and vomiting, 24 placebo-controlled randomized trials to May 2024 (n = 3017) Evidence A source
  Ginger among interventions that might be effective; ranking uncertain, adverse events sparsely reported

What is still unknown

• The Cochrane review of 41 trials in 5,449 pregnant women judged the evidence for ginger limited and inconsistent, and found little data on fetal outcomes. — women up to 20 weeks of pregnancy with nausea, vomiting or retching, 41 randomized trials (n = 5449) Evidence A source
  No pooled estimate for ginger; evidence limited and not consistent, three recent trials favor ginger over placebo

The bottom line

Outside pregnancy the trials are single and small, all with powdered or encapsulated root. In 103 adults starting chemotherapy, a standardized ginger powder on top of usual anti-sickness drugs lowered delayed nausea at the second cycle from 75% to 53%, and it did nothing for nausea in the first hours after treatment. In 51 healthy young adults, 1.2 g a day for 14 days eased indigestion and nudged a few gut bacteria, with no change in gut diversity, bowel habit or mood. In 32 runners, 1.425 g a day for 5 days likely softened soreness after a downhill run, though the interval crossed zero (Cohen's d -0.69, 90% limits -1.50 to 0.12), and running times did not improve. As a food, ginger root is a seasoning. Per 100 g the raw root has 0.226 mg copper, 43 mg magnesium and 0.16 mg vitamin B6, but a teaspoon weighs 2 g. Pickled ginger is logged in US surveys at 30 g a serving. USDA factors for root vegetables boiled in a little water keep about 95% of those three nutrients, a group figure never measured on ginger itself. On interactions, a US agency review found low-strength evidence that 7 days of ginger did not change the effect of one 25 mg warfarin dose, based on a single small trial that says nothing about people on warfarin long term. In pregnancy the umbrella review reported no higher rate of miscarriage, heartburn or drowsiness with ginger, and the Cochrane authors found little data on outcomes for the baby. If you are pregnant or on a blood thinner, a supplement dose is worth raising with whoever prescribes for you.

Sources

1. gnrt-r4-07 · food composition data
   Ginger root, raw (FDC 169231, SR Legacy, Vegetables and Vegetable Products): copper 0.226 mg per 100 g = 25% DV; magnesium 43 mg = 10% DV; vitamin B6 0.16 mg = 9% DV; portion 1 tsp = 2 g
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 2019, FDC 169231 (Ginger root, raw) · checked 2026-09-29
2. gnrt-r4-09 · food portion data
   FNDDS 75503085 Ginger root, pickled (fdc 2710082) | Quantity not specified | 30 g || 1 cup | 240 g
   FNDDS 2021-2023, USDA, code 75503085 (Ginger root, pickled) · checked 2026-09-29
3. gnrt-r4-08 · retention factor data
   USDA-RETN-R6:3454 VEG,ROOTS,ETC,BLD,DRAIND,LITTLE WTR, group Vegetables and Vegetable Products: copper_mg 95% retained, magnesium_mg 95%, vitamin_b6_mg 95%, vitamin_c_mg 70%, folate_total_ug 70%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007, code 3454 · checked 2026-09-29
4. gnrt-r4-03 · randomized controlled trial
   There was a clinically meaningful lower incidence of delayed nausea and vomiting in the ginger group at Cycle 2 (53% vs 75%; P = 0.020 and 4% vs 27%; P = 0.001, respectively) and Cycle 3 (49% vs 79%; P = 0.002 and 2% vs 23%; P = 0.001, respectively).
   J Acad Nutr Diet, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29
5. gnrt-r4-04 · randomized controlled trial
   An improvement in indigestion symptoms was observed with ginger supplementation (U: 196.0; z: -2.4; P = 0.015). No differences between ginger and placebo groups were found for alpha and beta diversity or other secondary outcomes.
   J Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
6. gnrt-r4-05 · randomized controlled trial
   Soreness while jogging likely increased to a lesser degree with ginger root from baseline to immediately postrun (Cohen's d = -0.69; 90% confidence limit [CL] [-1.50, 0.12])
   J Diet Suppl, 2020 · checked 2026-09-29
7. gnrt-r4-01 · umbrella review
   Taking ginger supplements (usually between 450 and 1950 mg daily) significantly decreases the severity and occurrence of nausea and vomiting compared to a placebo. This benefit is more noticeable for nausea than for vomiting, where the results are less consistent.
   Phytother Res, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
8. gnrt-r4-06 · agency systematic review
   Evidence of low strength demonstrated no clinically significant interactions between 7-day pretreatment with ginger and a single 25 mg dose of warfarin.
   AHRQ, Dietary Supplements in Adults Taking Cardiovascular Drugs, 2012 · checked 2026-09-29
9. gnrt-r4-10 · network meta-analysis
   This study indicates that both pharmacological (vitamin B6, metoclopramide, dimenhydrinate) and non-pharmacological (ginger, quince, acupressure, acupuncture) interventions might be effective in reducing symptoms of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
   Nutrients, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
10. gnrt-r4-02 · Cochrane review
    The use of ginger products may be helpful to women, but the evidence of effectiveness was limited and not consistent, though three recent studies support ginger over placebo.
    Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29