Ginger in pregnancy: yes or no?

Pregnancy, you know, is a wonderful time. Our body is "building" another. Everything must have this sole objective: to guard the new life that is forming.

What we eat, or that we in any case introduce into our body, also has consequences on the fetus : food, drugs, herbs, supplements and good company.

For this reason it becomes essential to know which substances can be taken and which are not .

Ginger, for example: it is a powerful remedy against nausea, which is always rhyme with pregnancy. But is ginger allowed in pregnancy ?

Ginger in pregnancy

Pregnancy is marked for many of us by a constant nausea, more or less prolonged in months, and more or less intense, with or without vomiting. Bad things, in short, that risk giving a negative shadow to these beautiful and important months .

Ginger, as we know, has been used for centuries as a main remedy for nausea ; we would therefore have the perfect solution available: it is not a drug, it tastes good (if pregnancy allows it), and it works against nausea.

Unfortunately, there is a but: the first studies carried out on the use of ginger in pregnancy confirmed the decrease in nausea, but a molecule contained in it, 6-gingerol taken in massive doses, showed, in other studies, an effect mutagen, or has induced genetic modifications in fetuses .

Subsequent studies did not confirm this effect on neonates as they demonstrated the effectiveness of ginger in decreasing nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

Therefore the use of ginger in pregnancy cannot be considered completely harmless and the Ministry of Health and AIFA (Italian Medicines Agency) advise against using it during pregnancy .

For further questions, do not hesitate to ask your gynecologist for advice.

Ginger: strengths and weaknesses

Ginger is a plant that lives well in warm climates (China, India, Africa, the Caribbean). Its root has been used for centuries as a spice to flavor foods . But not only: it is a traditional remedy for stomach pain and nausea, it improves digestion and saliva production.

Scientific studies in recent times show positive effects of ginger on nausea due to movement ( car sickness ), chemotherapy or post-anesthesia, but also on headaches and muscle pains. Further studies are needed to confirm the effect of ginger on pain and the improvement of fat metabolism.

Is ginger the panacea, a remedy for all ills ? Perhaps, but the contraindications for use during pregnancy, lactation and diabetes remain.

There are some cases of side effects - excess gas, irritation of the digestive mucous membranes, stomach pain - which increase s and take more than 5 grams a day of ginger.