Does ginger ale help motion sickness?
Ginger ale: untested. No trial has tested ginger ale for motion sickness. The ginger evidence comes from about 1 g of powdered root taken as a measured dose, and a lab analysis of one ginger drink found no trace of ginger root protein at all.
By Dizzout Editorial·Evidence last checked 4 October 2026·How we review
Verdict: Untested
Key facts
- The claim being tested: A glass of ginger ale is a familiar thing to sip when you feel queasy on a trip.
- One study is summarised on this page, with its participant count and finding.
- On the remedies hub it sits under things you swallow.
- Something with better evidence for the same job: Ginger.
What it's claimed to do
A glass of ginger ale is a familiar thing to sip when you feel queasy on a trip. The reasoning is simple: ginger has some trial support for seasickness, so a drink named after it should help too.
- YesTested for motion sickness and it held up.
- ProbablyReal trial support, but modest or from a single study.
- MixedTrials disagree: some found an effect, better-designed ones did not.
- Untestedthis remedyNo 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
We looked for a trial of ginger ale, or of any ginger soft drink, for motion sickness and did not find one. What exists is evidence for ginger itself. In an open-sea trial, 80 naval cadets given 1 g of powdered ginger root had less vomiting and fewer cold sweats than cadets given a placebo. That was a single measured dose of the root. A soft drink is a different product, and no study we found measured how much ginger a typical glass delivers. One laboratory analysis shows why that matters. Researchers tested a ginger drink sold as made with ginger root extract. They found proteins from the grape and apple juice it contained, but not even a trace of ginger root protein. Tasters could still pick up a ginger extract by its bite, so some ginger was there, but only as a minor component. That is one drink, not every brand, and it does not prove ginger ale is useless. It does mean the result for ginger root cannot be carried over to a can of soda. If ginger ale seems to settle you, it may be the cold drink, the sugar, or simply having something to sip. None of those has been tested for motion sickness either.
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. This tested a measured dose of the root, not ginger ale. (Grøntved, Brask, Kambskard & Hentzer, 1988)
Read the source →Safety & what to watch for
- Untested means untested. Do not make ginger ale the plan for a crossing or a long drive you are worried about.
- Regular ginger ale is a sweetened soft drink. That matters if you have diabetes, or if a child is getting several cans over a long trip.
- Carbonated drinks add swallowed air, which Cleveland Clinic lists as a cause of burping. If that makes you feel worse, sip slowly or let it go flat.
- Ginger beer gets the same answer: it has not been tested for motion sickness either.
If you want to try it
- If you like it, sip it slowly. Just do not count on it to stop the sickness.
- If you want the ginger the trial used, that was a single 1 g dose of powdered root. Our ginger verdict has the details, and a pharmacist can tell you whether it suits you.
- Pair it with the measures that have evidence: a view of the road or the horizon ahead, and slow, controlled breathing.
Something with better evidence: Does ginger help motion sickness. Verdict: probably.
Frequently asked questions
Does ginger ale help with car sickness or seasickness?
No trial has tested it for either. The seasickness evidence is for about 1 g of powdered ginger root, which is a different thing from a soft drink.
Is ginger beer better than ginger ale for motion sickness?
Neither has been tested for motion sickness, and no study we found measured how much ginger either drink delivers. If ginger is the goal, the trial used powdered root.
Why do people drink ginger ale when they feel sick?
Ginger has some evidence for nausea at sea, and the drink borrows the name. We found no study showing the drink does what the root did in that trial.
Is ginger ale okay to give a child on a road trip?
It is an ordinary soft drink, so the usual limits on sugar apply. It is not a tested motion sickness remedy, so keep the measures that have evidence: a view out of the front window and slow breathing.
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Sources
Your next question, probably
So what has the strongest evidence?
All of them ranked, from the ones that work to the ones that do not
If that is not your question:
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 October 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.