Does ginger help motion sickness?
Verdict: Probably
Probably, a little — and it appears to work on your stomach rather than your inner ear. In an open-sea trial, 1 g of powdered ginger reduced vomiting and cold sweats in naval cadets compared with placebo.
What it's claimed to do
The most-recommended natural remedy for travel sickness, sold as capsules, chews, teas and crystallized root — and the active ingredient in the products marketed as non-drowsy naturals.
- YesTested for motion sickness and it held up.
- Probablythis remedyReal trial support, but modest or from a single study.
- MixedTrials disagree — some found an effect, better-designed ones did not.
- UntestedNo one has tested this for motion sickness. It may still be sensible.
- NoTested for motion sickness and it did not beat a placebo.
Levels describe the state of the published research on motion sickness specifically — not on nausea in general, and not how well something worked for any individual. “Untested” means no trial has looked; it is not the same as a remedy having been tested and failed.
What the research actually says
Ginger has better evidence behind it than any other remedy you can swallow without a prescription, which is not the same as saying the evidence is strong. Grøntved and colleagues ran the trial that made its reputation: 80 Danish naval cadets unaccustomed to sailing, randomized to 1 g of powdered ginger root or placebo, on the open sea rather than in a laboratory. The ginger group had less vomiting and fewer cold sweats, statistically significant four hours after dosing. Lien and colleagues later showed a plausible mechanism, finding that ginger pretreatment reduced the nausea of circular vection, delayed its onset and shortened recovery, alongside less of the disordered gastric rhythm that accompanies motion sickness. That mechanism is also the limitation, and it is the part most articles omit: ginger acts on the stomach, not on the vestibular system. Earlier work found it did not change susceptibility to motion sickness itself. In practice that means ginger is better at taking the edge off queasiness than at stopping the sickness from starting — which fits what most people report when they try it.
The studies, in full
Acta Oto-Laryngologica 105(1-2):45-9 · PMID 3277342
Participants: 80 naval cadets, double-blind randomized placebo trial at sea
Cadets given 1 g of powdered ginger root reported less vomiting and fewer cold sweats than the placebo group, with the difference reaching statistical significance (p < 0.05) four hours after dosing.
Read the source →Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 284(3):G481-9 · PMID 12576305
Participants: 13 volunteers with a history of motion sickness
Ginger pretreatment (1,000 and 2,000 mg) reduced the nausea of circular vection, delayed its onset, shortened recovery, and reduced tachygastria and plasma vasopressin — evidence the effect is gastric rather than vestibular.
Read the source →Safety & what to watch for
- Ginger is a pharmacologically active substance, not just a food. If you take anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs, are pregnant, have a bleeding disorder, or are due for surgery, check with a doctor or pharmacist before taking it in supplement doses.
- Supplement doses are not the same as the ginger in a biscuit or a bottle of ginger ale. Most commercial ginger ale contains little or no real ginger, and the trial doses were around 1 g of the powdered root.
- The commonest side effects are heartburn, burping and mild stomach discomfort — more likely at higher doses and on an empty stomach.
- Supplements are not regulated with the same rigor as medicines, so the amount of ginger in a capsule can differ from the amount on the label.
- Doses above are what the published trials used. They are reported here as facts about the research, not as a recommendation for you — that is a conversation for a pharmacist or doctor who knows your history.
If you want to try it
- If you want to try it, take it before you travel rather than after symptoms start — both trials dosed in advance.
- Expect it to reduce queasiness rather than prevent sickness outright. If your problem is full-blown vomiting on a rough crossing, ginger alone is unlikely to be enough.
- It pairs well with the free fixes on this page, and unlike medication it does not cause drowsiness — which is the main reason people choose it.
- For children, pregnancy, or if you take any regular medication, ask a pharmacist first rather than assuming a plant product is automatically safe.
Looking for something drug-free?
Try Dizzout Free
We make a free, drug-free app that plays calibrated sound through headphones you already own. We hold it to the same standard as everything on this page: it is not a medication, it will not suit everyone, and if a forward view and slow breathing are enough for you, use those first.
Frequently asked questions
How much ginger did the studies actually use?+
The open-sea trial used a single 1 g dose of powdered ginger root; the vection study used 1,000 and 2,000 mg. Those are the amounts the research tested. What is appropriate for you depends on your health and any medicines you take, so ask a pharmacist rather than scaling from a study.
Does ginger ale help motion sickness?+
Probably not in the way people think. Most mass-market ginger ale contains little or no actual ginger, and what it mainly delivers is sugar and carbonation. If you want the effect the trials found, that came from the powdered root.
Is ginger as good as Dramamine?+
They are different things. Antihistamine tablets act on the vestibular system and have stronger evidence for preventing motion sickness; ginger acts on the stomach and does not cause drowsiness. We compare them side by side on our Dramamine versus ginger page.
Can I take ginger and motion sickness tablets together?+
That is a question for a pharmacist, not a website. It depends on which tablets and on what else you take — ginger can interact with anticoagulants in particular.
Check another remedy
Sources
Explore more
When it isn't motion sickness. Severe or lasting dizziness, a spinning sensation at rest, hearing loss, ringing in one ear, double vision, a bad headache, chest pain, fainting, or vomiting you cannot stop are not motion sickness. Seek medical care rather than a travel remedy.
Dizzout is not a medical provider and nothing here is medical advice. These pages summarize published research so you can weigh it — they cannot account for your health, your medicines or your pregnancy. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement or medication, especially if you take other drugs, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are buying for a child. Evidence summaries reflect the published literature as of July 2026 and describe findings in groups of people, which cannot predict your individual response. Product and brand names are trademarks of their respective owners; Dizzout is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.