Effects of ginger capsules on pregnancy, nausea, and vomiting.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of ginger in nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. DESIGN: This was a single blind clinical trial study. SETTING: The study was conducted in a selected prenatal care clinic of Isfahan City hospitals. SUBJECTS: The subjects included 67 pregnant women who complained of nausea and vomiting from Isfahan city hospitals participated in the study. INTERVENTION: The participants were randomly assigned to two groups, an experimental group and a control group. The groups were matched according to the age, gestational age, parity, occupational status, and educational level of the participants. The experimental group received ginger 250 mg capsules for 4 days, and the control group received placebo with the same prescription form. OUTCOME MEASURES: Effects of treatment of nausea were evaluated twice daily for 4 days by a before-and-after treatment questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean ages of the experimental and control groups were 24.1 +/- 4.8 and 23.3 +/- 5 years, respectively. The mean gestational age was 13 +/- 3 weeks, and the mean parity was 1.6 +/- 0.8. The ginger users demonstrated a higher rate of improvement than the placebo users did (85% versus 56%; p < 0.01). The decrease in vomiting times among ginger users was also significantly greater than among the women who received the placebo (50% versus 9%; p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: A daily total of 1000 mg of ginger in a capsule preparation can be suggested by care providers as a means of decreasing pregnancy nausea and vomiting in women who tend to herbal medicines. CONCLUSION: Ginger is an effective herbal remedy for decreasing nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.