Ginger
HerbalAlso called · 7 names▾▴
ginger root, ginger rhizome, gingerroot, Zingiber officinale, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberis rhizoma, Zingibar officinale
Herbal supplement (nausea and vomiting)
Herbs and supplements are not FDA-approved before sale. About these sources
- Tea
- Capsule/tablet
- Liquid extract
- Food / spice
- Powder
- Other
Research strength: 3 / 5
MotherToBaby says ginger used in moderate food amounts is not known to cause pregnancy problems, and ACOG's patient FAQ lists ginger among options for nausea. Viljoen et al. reviewed 12 trials with 1,278 pregnant women and found less nausea, but not a significant drop in vomiting; reviewers noted low-quality evidence. Heitmann et al.'s Norwegian cohort included 68,522 pregnancies and 1,020 ginger users and found no rise in major birth defects or several outcomes overall, but it did not report separate first-trimester outcome estimates. EMA prefers avoiding medicinal use during pregnancy as a precaution, while UK COT says ordinary culinary use is not considered a health concern and supplement evidence remains limited. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-14
Sources
- MotherToBaby: GingerTeratology service
- ACOG: Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of PregnancyProfessional society
- Viljoen et al. 2014 review: Ginger for pregnancy-associated nausea and vomitingUS government
- Heitmann et al. 2013: Pregnancy ginger cohortUS government
- EMA: Assessment report on Zingiber officinaleEU agencyEuropean guidance
- EMA: European Union herbal monograph on gingerEU agencyEuropean guidance
- UK COT: Ginger statementUK government
Research strength: 3 / 5
MotherToBaby reports no increased preterm-delivery chance in a second-trimester study, but the underlying cohort abstract reports overall outcomes only, not a separate second-trimester estimate. The 68,522-pregnancy Norwegian cohort found no rise in preterm birth, stillbirth, low birth weight, or low newborn scores overall. EMA's assessment report notes vaginal bleeding after week 17 was more common among ginger users (7.8% versus 5.8%); the link was not significant for bleeding beyond spotting. The study authors said chance, the underlying illness, or ginger could explain the signal, and product and dose were not recorded. EMA advises avoiding medicinal use as a precaution, while UK COT says ordinary food use is not considered a health concern and supplement evidence remains limited. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-14
Sources
- MotherToBaby: GingerTeratology service
- Heitmann et al. 2013: Pregnancy ginger cohortUS government
- EMA: Assessment report on Zingiber officinaleEU agencyEuropean guidance
- EMA: European Union herbal monograph on gingerEU agencyEuropean guidance
- UK COT: Ginger statementUK government
- Viljoen et al. 2014 review: Ginger for pregnancy-associated nausea and vomitingUS government
Research strength: 3 / 5
MotherToBaby and the Norwegian cohort provide no separate third-trimester estimate; the cohort found no rise in preterm birth, stillbirth, low birth weight, or low newborn scores overall. EMA's assessment report notes vaginal bleeding after week 17 in 7.8% of ginger users versus 5.8% of controls, but no significant association when bleeding beyond spotting was considered. The authors said chance, the underlying condition, or ginger could explain this, and the products and doses were not recorded. ACOG lists ginger among options for pregnancy nausea, but a 2014 review found vomiting results were not significant and the evidence was low quality. EMA prefers avoiding medicinal use during pregnancy as a precaution, while UK COT says culinary use is not considered a health concern and supplement data remain limited. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-14
Sources
- MotherToBaby: GingerTeratology service
- Heitmann et al. 2013: Pregnancy ginger cohortUS government
- EMA: Assessment report on Zingiber officinaleEU agencyEuropean guidance
- EMA: European Union herbal monograph on gingerEU agencyEuropean guidance
- ACOG: Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of PregnancyProfessional society
- Viljoen et al. 2014 review: Ginger for pregnancy-associated nausea and vomitingUS government
- UK COT: Ginger statementUK government
Ginger — Breastfeeding
Research strength: 2 / 5
MotherToBaby says moderate food use is not known to cause problems during breastfeeding, but supplement effects on nursing infants remain unknown. LactMed also reports very limited data and no published infant milk-level information. A 2016 trial of 63 mothers found higher milk volume on day 3 with ginger, but not day 7; infant outcomes were not reported. Two Thai studies published in 2025 and 2026 report improved milk flow during the first 36 to 48 hours after birth; only their abstracts were verified, and they do not establish infant effects. EMA does not recommend medicinal use during lactation because data are insufficient. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-14
Sources
- MotherToBaby: GingerTeratology service
- LactMed: GingerUS government
- EMA: European Union herbal monograph on gingerEU agencyEuropean guidance
- UK COT: Ginger statementUK government
- Paritakul et al. 2016: Ginger and breast milk volume trialUS government
- Jirasinlapasat et al. 2025: Steamed ginger and early milk flow
- Poomirat et al. 2026: Steamed ginger and early milk flow
Pregnancy
MotherToBaby reports that ginger has not been found to increase miscarriage in humans and that several studies did not find more birth defects. Heitmann et al. (2013) studied 68,522 Norwegian pregnancies, including 1,020 ginger users; the abstract reports no increased risk of congenital malformations, stillbirth/perinatal death, preterm birth, low birth weight, or low Apgar score overall. The EMA assessment report notes that 466 ginger users reported first-trimester exposure, but it does not give trimester-specific outcome estimates. It reports vaginal bleeding after week 17 in 7.8% of ginger users versus 5.8% of controls (adjusted OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-1.7, p=0.02); the association was not significant for bleeding beyond spotting. The study authors said chance, the underlying ailment, or ginger could explain the result, and product and dose details were unavailable. Choi et al. (2015; 159 exposed, 306 controls) reported a marginal stillbirth signal (OR 7.8, 95% CI 0.9-70.3) and called for confirmation. Trabace et al. (2015) interviewed 600 mothers and reported shorter gestational age and smaller newborn head circumference among ginger users, but its abstract gives neither the ginger-user count nor effect sizes. EMA and UK COT describe embryo resorption or embryonic loss in rodent studies; study results varied by preparation and were difficult to interpret, and animal findings do not establish harm in humans. For nausea, Viljoen et al. (2014) reviewed 12 randomized trials with 1,278 pregnant women and found reduced nausea but no statistically significant reduction in vomiting. Tiani et al. (2024) found low-quality, heterogeneous reviews with substantial overlap. Tahergorabi et al. (2026) assessed 18 prior reviews, reported low methodological quality and less consistent vomiting results, and searched only through 30 December 2024; it is review appraisal, not new 2025-2026 primary pregnancy evidence.
Breastfeeding
MotherToBaby says moderate food use is not known to cause breastfeeding problems, but there is too little information on supplements to know their effects on nursing infants. LactMed's 15 June 2026 revision says relevant published infant-level information was not found and describes very limited data in nursing mothers or infants. Paritakul et al. (2016) analyzed 63 mothers in a randomized trial: day-3 milk volume was 191.0 versus 135.0 mL/day (p<0.01) with ginger versus placebo, while the day-7 difference was not significant (80.0 versus 112.1 mL, p=0.24); infant outcomes were not reported. Jirasinlapasat et al. (2025; 99 enrolled) and Poomirat et al. (2026; 66 enrolled) reported higher early milk-flow scores after steamed ginger extract, mainly within 36 to 48 hours after delivery. Only publisher-indexed abstracts were available for these two trials in this audit; the publisher PDFs and full text were not verified, and the abstracts do not establish infant effects. EMA does not recommend medicinal use during lactation because data are insufficient. UK COT says the lactation studies focus on milk production and volume rather than infant outcomes, so effects of exposure have not been fully investigated.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is the rhizome, or underground stem, used as a food spice and in herbal products. MotherToBaby lists tea, capsules, syrups, lozenges, and other supplement forms; the EMA monograph covers powdered rhizome and tinctures. UK COT notes that ginger products vary in concentration, so culinary use and concentrated or medicinal products are not interchangeable.
What was tested
Pregnancy trials mainly measure nausea and vomiting over short periods; observational studies examine pregnancy outcomes, and rodent studies examine embryo and fetal development. The largest cohort does not publish trimester-specific outcome estimates, and some observational reports lack product or dose details. Breastfeeding trials mainly measure milk volume or flow shortly after delivery. LactMed reports no relevant published infant-level data, and the 2025 and 2026 JMAT papers were available here only as indexed abstracts.
How pregnancy guidance distinguishes culinary ginger from medicinal supplements
- Source A says
- EMA's medicinal monograph prefers avoiding use during pregnancy as a precaution. MotherToBaby says herbal supplements are generally not suggested during pregnancy unless directed by a provider. (EMA: European Union herbal monograph on ginger, MotherToBaby: Ginger)
- Source B says
- NCCIH says ginger supplements may be considered with provider consultation, and ACOG's patient FAQ lists ginger capsules, candies, real-ginger ale, and fresh-ginger tea among nausea options. (NCCIH: Ginger, ACOG: Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy)
- Why they differ
- The sources address different forms, doses, and questions. EMA's monograph covers medicinal products and uses a precaution because pregnancy data are limited. MotherToBaby's reassurance applies to moderate food use. ACOG lists nausea options but does not provide a ginger-specific risk assessment, and UK COT limits its food-use conclusion to traditional culinary amounts.
- Other sources
- UK COT says traditional culinary use is not considered a health concern, while supplement exposure is difficult to assess because products vary. Its statement found no basis to change current NHS advice about ginger foods and drinks. (UK Committee on Toxicity (COT): Ginger statement)
- What the evidence shows overall
- The evidence supports separating food amounts from medicinal supplements. MotherToBaby and UK COT do not identify a concern with ordinary culinary use. For supplements, human data and product details are limited, and EMA advises precaution. ACOG's nausea options do not settle supplement risk. The after-week-17 bleeding finding is an uncertain signal from one cohort, not established causation; the result was not significant for bleeding beyond spotting.
- ACOG's patient FAQ says ginger can help settle the stomach and lists capsules, candies, ginger ale made with real ginger, and tea made from fresh-grated ginger. (ACOG)
- MotherToBaby advises discussing supplements with a healthcare provider and says herbal supplements are generally not suggested during pregnancy or breastfeeding unless directed by a provider. (MotherToBaby)
- UK COT reports no basis to change NHS advice to try foods or drinks containing ginger for morning sickness; it also reports NHS advice to check with a pharmacist before taking ginger supplements. (UK Committee on Toxicity (COT))
General research, not specific to pregnancy.
MotherToBaby notes that ginger may interact with blood pressure or blood-clotting medicines and that high doses can lower blood sugar. LactMed and NCCIH describe occasional stomach-related effects, and LactMed notes a possible interaction with warfarin.
- MotherToBaby says ginger may affect blood pressure or blood-clotting medicines and that high doses can lower blood sugar. (MotherToBaby: Ginger)
- LactMed and NCCIH list occasional effects such as heartburn, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, and mouth or throat irritation; LactMed notes that ginger can increase bleeding risk when taken with warfarin. (LactMed: Ginger, NCCIH: Ginger)
- MotherToBaby: GingerTeratology serviceSecondary
- LactMed: GingerUS governmentSecondaryPage dated 2026-06-15Independent check
- NCCIH: GingerUS governmentSecondaryIndependent check
- ACOG: Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of PregnancyProfessional societySecondaryIndependent check
- EMA: European Union herbal monograph on gingerEU agencySecondaryPage dated 2025-05-07Independent checkEuropean guidance
- EMA: Assessment report on Zingiber officinaleEU agencySecondaryPage dated 2025-05-07Independent checkEuropean guidance
- UK Committee on Toxicity (COT): Ginger statementUK governmentSecondaryPage dated 2025-05-22Independent check
- Viljoen et al. 2014: Ginger for pregnancy-associated nausea and vomitingUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Heitmann et al. 2013: Pregnancy ginger cohortUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Choi et al. 2015: Fetal and neonatal outcomes after dried gingerUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Trabace et al. 2015: Herbal remedies and pregnancy outcomesUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Tiani et al. 2024: Ginger pregnancy evidence scan and umbrella reviewUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Tahergorabi et al. 2026: Ginger pregnancy umbrella reviewUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Paritakul et al. 2016: Ginger and breast milk volume trialUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Jirasinlapasat et al. 2025: Steamed ginger and early milk flowPrimaryIndependent check
- Poomirat et al. 2026: Steamed ginger and early milk flowPrimaryIndependent check
Last reviewed 2026-10-14
Independent check 2026-10-14
Not yet clinician-reviewed
Ask your provider about your situation.
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