Ginger as a Food: Fresh, Dried and in Cooking
Ginger as a cooking food, fresh or dried. What research on pregnancy nausea and other uses actually tested, side effects, and the questions to ask if you take blood thinners.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
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The short answer. Ginger is a cooking ingredient with a long traditional use for upset stomachs. Most of the human research tested ginger supplements, not ginger eaten as food. [1] Findings for a capsule do not automatically carry over to fresh root, ginger candy or ginger in a stir-fry.
What ginger is
Ginger is Zingiber officinale Roscoe, a plant in the Zingiberaceae family. [2] The part eaten is the rhizome, an underground stem, used in food and for health purposes. [1] It is eaten fresh, dried and ground. Ginger tea has its own page: Ginger tea. The full herb profile is Ginger.Traditional use
Ginger was traditionally used for conditions such as asthma, flu, indigestion and stomach discomfort. [1] The European Medicines Agency's herbal committee (HMPC) also lists traditional uses for motion sickness, mild cramping stomach complaints with bloating and gas, loss of appetite, minor joint pain and colds, for ginger medicines. [3] These are traditional use only and are not proof of benefit.What research shows
| Use | What the source found | Strength of evidence | Form studied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy | A review of 12 trials with 1,278 pregnant women found ginger improved nausea compared with placebo, but did not significantly reduce vomiting episodes; the authors cite limited, low-quality evidence. [4] NCCIH says ginger may be helpful. [1] | Promising but limited | Oral ginger, mostly supplements |
| Review of reviews, pregnancy | An umbrella review of 18 systematic reviews rated the methods of the reviews as low overall, and found the benefit clearer for nausea than for vomiting. [5] | Promising but limited | Ginger supplements |
| Motion sickness | NCCIH says most studies have not shown ginger to be helpful. [1] The EMA committee lists ginger powder medicine for preventing motion-sickness nausea. [3] | Mixed | Powder and medicines |
| Chemotherapy and after-surgery nausea | NCCIH says it is uncertain whether ginger helps as an addition to standard treatment. [1] | Insufficient evidence | Supplements |
| Menstrual cramps | NCCIH says ginger supplements might reduce severity. [1] | Promising but limited | Supplements |
| Knee osteoarthritis | NCCIH says supplements might help, but much of the research was poor quality. [1] | Promising but limited | Supplements |
| Ginger as an everyday food, any health outcome | Proper evidence not found. We looked in NCCIH, the EMA herbal committee summary and PubMed reviews on ginger. | Not assessable | Cooking amounts |
Limits
Most trials give a measured amount of ginger in a capsule. This page does not give a "right amount" for meals, and the sources we read for food use do not either. A clinician or pharmacist can advise on supplements.Related
Turmeric as a food, Foods for gut health and bloating and Indigestion, functional dyspepsia and nausea.Frequently asked questions
Does ginger help nausea?
For nausea in pregnancy, a review of 12 trials found improvement in nausea but not in vomiting episodes, with limited, low-quality evidence. [4] For motion sickness NCCIH says most studies were not helpful. [1]
Is fresh ginger the same as ginger capsules?
Not necessarily. NCCIH notes most studies tested supplements rather than foods. [1]
Can ginger interact with blood thinners?
One systematic review listed ginger among foods and herbs to be aware of with warfarin. [6] Another source says no interactions were described at the time of its assessment. [3] Ask your prescriber or pharmacist.
What are the side effects of ginger?
Abdominal discomfort, heartburn, diarrhea, and mouth and throat irritation when taken by mouth. [1]
Is ginger safe in pregnancy?
NCCIH says ginger supplements in pregnancy may be safe and to consult your provider. [1] A 2014 review of trials did not find a significant increase in miscarriage compared with placebo. [4]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety and individual considerations
- Side effects. Taken by mouth, ginger can cause abdominal discomfort, heartburn, diarrhea, and mouth and throat irritation. [1]
- Blood thinners and bleeding. A systematic review of foods and herbs reported with warfarin lists ginger among those that clinicians should be aware of for bleeding risk, while concluding most foods and herbs can be taken safely in moderation. [6] By contrast, the EMA committee summary says no interactions with other medicines had been described in the literature at the time of its assessment. [3] The sources differ; ask the prescriber or pharmacist if you take warfarin or another blood thinner. See How interactions work.
- Before surgery. Tell the surgical team about large amounts of ginger and any ginger supplement; see Supplements before surgery.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. NCCIH says ginger supplements during pregnancy may be safe and advises consulting a provider; little is known about breastfeeding. [1] The EMA committee summary says its ginger medicines are not recommended in pregnancy or breastfeeding. [3] Cooking amounts are not addressed in the sources we read.
- Children. The EMA summary says its ginger medicines are not recommended under 18 for the uses listed, because of a lack of data. [3]
- Allergy. The EMA summary lists skin allergic reaction as a possible side effect of its ginger medicines. [3]
- Liver and kidney. Not described for ginger as a food in the sources we read.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Ginger. Read 2026-10-23.
- GBIF Secretariat. Zingiber officinale Roscoe, GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency (EMA), Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Zingiberis rhizoma, herbal medicinal product. Read 2026-10-23.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting. Nutr J 2014. PMID 24642205. Read 2026-10-23.
- Treatment of Nausea and Vomiting With Zingiber officinale in Pregnancy: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews With Meta-Synthesis. Phytother Res 2026. PMID 42322087. Read 2026-10-23.
- Warfarin and food, herbal or dietary supplement interactions: A systematic review. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2021. PMID 32478963. Read 2026-10-23.