Ginger for treating nausea and vomiting: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2024 Mar;75(2):122-133. doi: 10.1080/09637486.2023.2284647. Epub 2023 Dec 10.

Abstract

Ginger may be a potential remedy for nausea and vomiting. This review aimed to assess the reporting and methodological quality, and integrate the evidence in this field. A total of fifteen meta-analyses were analysed and met the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2009 guidelines, providing a relatively complete statement. However, methodological quality, assessed using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews-2 checklist, was deemed critically low to low. Our review's findings support ginger's effectiveness in managing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. It also reduces postoperative nausea and vomiting severity, decreasing the need for rescue antiemetics. Furthermore, ginger shows promise in alleviating pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting symptoms. The pooled evidence suggests ginger as a safe botanical option for managing nausea and vomiting, but it is important to improve the scientific quality of published meta-analyses in the future.

Keywords: Ginger; meta-analysis; nausea; vomiting.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antiemetics* / adverse effects
  • Antiemetics* / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Nausea / chemically induced
  • Nausea / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms*
  • Pregnancy
  • Vomiting / chemically induced
  • Vomiting / drug therapy
  • Zingiber officinale*

Substances

  • Antiemetics