Condition
Motion Sickness
Motion sickness happens when the brain gets conflicting signals about movement from the eyes, the inner ear, and the body, leading to nausea, dizziness, sweating, and sometimes vomiting. Among supplements, ginger has the strongest support, and a trial in naval cadets found seasickness eased a few hours after ginger, with earlier studies showing similar benefits in induced motion sickness. Even so, the evidence is only moderate, results varied with how sickness was triggered and the ginger preparation, and research on other options such as vitamin B6 or peppermint is limited.
Sources: PMID 10793599
- Supplements studied
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 3
- Trials
- 1
- People studied
- 28
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motion Sickness/Seasickness RCT (n=80 naval cadets): Single dose of ginger associated with statistically significant reduction in seasickness at 4 hours (p<0.05). Multiple early studies showed efficacy for experimentally-induced motion sickness. Results vary by induction method and ginger preparation. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | ||||
| Gastric Emptying Rate Small Increase | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 4 studies | 28 people | ||
| Motion Sickness Symptoms No effect | NoneNo effect | 28 people | ||||
Key findings
- Motion Sickness/SeasicknessImproves (the measure goes down)
- Gastric Emptying RateImproves (the measure goes up)
- Motion Sickness Symptoms
The Motion Sickness Prevention and Treatment protocol
2 primary supplements · 4 supporting supplements
- Ginger250–500 mg dried ginger or ginger extract 30 minutes before travel; may repeat every 4 hours
- Vitamin B625–50 mg before travel or twice daily
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- Grade B
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Studies cited
38 studies from PubMed
- Ginger for treating nausea and vomiting: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
- Effect of ginger in the treatment of nausea and vomiting compared with vitamin B6 and placebo during pregnancy: a meta-analysis
- Effects of Ginger Intake on Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials
- Efficacy of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) in Ameliorating Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting and Chemotherapy-Related Outcomes: A Systematic Review Update and Meta-Analysis
- Does the Oral Administration of Ginger Reduce Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting?: A Meta-analysis of 10 Randomized Controlled Trials
- The effectiveness and safety of ginger for pregnancy-induced nausea and vomiting: a systematic review
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting
- Effects of ginger for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a meta-analysis
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a systematic literature review
- Efficacy of ginger for nausea and vomiting: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials
- Effects of ginger on motion sickness susceptibility and gastric function
- Acute effects of dietary ginger on quadriceps muscle pain during moderate-intensity cycling exercise
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reduces muscle pain caused by eccentric exercise
- Ginger consumption enhances the thermic effect of food and promotes feelings of satiety without affecting metabolic and hormonal parameters in overweight men: a pilot study
- Effect of ginger on lower esophageal sphincter pressure
- Effects of ginger on gastric emptying and motility in healthy humans
- Ginger syrup as an antiemetic in early pregnancy
- Ginger for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial
- Effect of a ginger extract on pregnancy-induced nausea: a randomised controlled trial
- Effectiveness of ginger for prevention of nausea and vomiting after gynecological laparoscopy
- The efficacy of ginger in prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting after major gynecologic surgery
- The efficacy of ginger for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting: a meta-analysis
- Vertigo-reducing effect of ginger root. A controlled clinical study
- A randomized controlled trial of ginger to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy
- Ginger treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum
- Comparing analgesic effects of a topical herbal mixed medicine with salicylate in patients with knee osteoarthritis
- A randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study of ginger extracts and ibuprofen in osteoarthritis
- Effectiveness and safety of steamed ginger extract on mild osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
- Anti-emetic effect of ginger powder versus placebo as an add-on therapy in children and young adults receiving high emetogenic chemotherapy
- Effect of ginger on gastric motility and symptoms of functional dyspepsia
- Zingiber officinale Improves Cognitive Function of the Middle-Aged Healthy Women
- Phase II study of the effects of ginger root extract on eicosanoids in colon mucosa in people at normal risk for colorectal cancer
- Investigation of the effect of ginger on the lipid levels. A double blind controlled clinical trial
- Ginger extract reduces delayed gastric emptying and nosocomial pneumonia in adult respiratory distress syndrome patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit
- Effect of treatment with ginger on the severity of premenstrual syndrome symptoms
- Comparison of effects of ginger, mefenamic acid, and ibuprofen on pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea
- The effect of oral supplementation of ginger on glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus - A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Beneficial Effects of Ginger Extract on Eye Fatigue and Shoulder Stiffness: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Parallel Study.