Ginger is used in a variety of south Asian and Southeast Asian dishes for its unique flavor with many reported health benefits. There has been a number of clinical trials testing ginger for reducing nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy and motion sickness.
A common adverse event of certain prescription drugs including antibiotics are nausea and vomiting.
A recent clinical trial over a two year period tested ginger for reducing nausea and vomiting from antibiotics used during the treatment of tuberculosis.
This double blind randomized placebo controlled clinical trial enrolled 69 human subjects into the study.
Here are some details about how the patients took the ginger supplement during the study:
- 500 mg of ginger (Zintoma®) or thirty minutes before taking the anti-TB medications for 4 weeks
- Each capsule contained 250 mg of powdered ginger root
The active ingredients of ginger are:
- akaloids (e.g. gentianine and gentialutine)
- glycosides (e.g. amaropanin and anaroswerin)
- volatile oils (e.g. bisabolene, zingiberene, gingerols, and zingiberole)
- The main anti-nausea compounds have been identified as the gingerols and shogaols
Here are some of the main results from the study:
- 90% of the patients taking placebo experienced nausea
- 70% of the patients taking 500 mg of ginger experienced nausea
- 37% of the patients taking placebo experienced liver toxicity from the antibiotic drugs
- 17% of the patients taking 500 mg of ginger experienced liver toxicity from the antibiotic drugs
Take away message: This clinical trial suggests that ginger could be a natural approach to reducing nausea and vomiting from antibiotics being used to treat tuberculosis. Another interesting part of the study is evidence suggesting that these ginger may reduce the toxicity associate with these antibiotics. This study is small and will require further research, however, the results are consistent with other studies evaluating the anti-nausea properties of ginger.
Phytotherapy Research. 2016 June; Volume 30 (Issue 6): Pages 1003-9
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Clinical Trials, Digestion, Nausea, Plant Medicine