Safety of Ginger in Pregnancy
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Lynn
Posted on: November 11, 2003

I just happened on your site and have a question, I had heard that ginger root is not good for women who are expecting, is this so? That this particular herb may cause contraction?

There is good evidence that ginger root is effective against nausea during pregnancy. Several placebo-controlled studies bear this out, without any serious negative effects. But the safety of ginger taken during pregnancy has never been studied scientifically, so it is not possible to say for sure that ginger is absolutely safe. There has been a suggestion that ginger can cause contractions and even abortion, but we have never seen any data that support this. When you consider that ginger root tea has been used by generations of pregnant women, and the fact that ginger is widely used in food in many cultures of the world, it is hard to reconcile these observations with any potential danger that ginger may present to the fetus. Indeed, even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has rated it as safe, and so have numerous other authorities on herbs.

There are always a few people who are allergic to ginger and if you notice any allergic reactions after taking ginger, definitely stop.

For more information about ginger and its safety during pregnancy, please see the following article in the Sept. 2002 issue of "Canadian Family Physician":

http://www.cfpc.ca/cfp/2002/Sep/vol48-sep-clinical-1.asp

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