Ginger in pregnancy and breastfeeding

What NCCIH says about safety

Ginger has been used safely in many research studies where it was taken orally (by mouth) as a dietary supplement. Ginger products may also be safe for topical use. Ginger can have side effects such as abdominal discomfort, heartburn, diarrhea, and mouth and throat irritation when taken orally. If you take any type of medicine, talk with your health care provider before using ginger or any other herbal products; some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways. The use of ginger dietary supplements during pregnancy may be safe. As with all herbal supplements, if you’re considering using ginger while pregnant, consult your health care provider. Little is known about whether it’s safe to use ginger while breastfeeding.

Quoted in full from NCCIH so nothing is lost in summarising. Where they say “little is known”, that means the studies do not exist — not that the herb is known to be safe, and not that it is known to be harmful.

How much is actually known

There have been many studies on the use of ginger for health purposes in people, but some of them have not been of high quality.

What the research has found

Ginger has been studied for several types of nausea and vomiting. Most of the studies tested dietary supplements rather than foods. Research shows that ginger may be helpful for nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy. Most studies of ginger for motion sickness haven’t shown it to be helpful. It’s uncertain whether ginger is a helpful addition to standard treatments for nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy and whether it’s helpful for nausea and vomiting after surgery. Research suggests that ginger dietary supplements might be helpful for reducing the severity of menstrual cramps. Ginger dietary supplements might be helpful for symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, but much of the research has been of poor quality. Ginger used topically (applied to the skin) has not been shown to be helpful for knee osteoarthritis symptoms.

Before you take this

Dose and form change the answer completely. A culinary amount of a spice, a cup of tea, and a concentrated supplement extract are three different things, and most research is done on the last of them.

Supplements are also not regulated like medicines, so strength and purity vary between products. Bring the actual bottle to your midwife, doctor or pharmacist — that conversation is worth more than any page, including this one.