Ginger Capsules To The Rescue

By Monica Gullon

Ginger supplements help relieve nausea and vomiting during pregnancy without any adverse effects on you or your baby.

There's good news if you're not feeling well enough to cook: Several studies have found that, when taken for a short period of time, ginger supplements help relieve nausea and vomiting during pregnancy without any adverse effects on you or your baby. A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that women who took a 1-gram ginger supplement daily for four days had significantly less nausea and vomiting compared with women who were given a placebo.

"It's encouraging to see scientific support for ginger as a treatment for nausea during pregnancy," says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Melinda Johnson, M.S., R.D., who suggests that women who may not feel well enough to cook or who don't like the taste of ginger take the supplements. Her advice is to take 75 milligrams to 2 g daily, in divided doses, for one to five days.

If your nausea and vomiting are severe and persist long-term, you may have a serious condition called hyperemesis gravidarum. For information, go to hyperemesis.org.

Ginger Snacks

Although the more concentrated form of ginger found in capsules may be your best bet, you can also try these snacks for nausea relief:

• Candied ginger
• Ginger ale
• Ginger beer (a stronger form of ginger ale; it's nonalcoholic)
• Ginger bread
• Ginger jam or marmalade
• Ginger snap cookies

Recipes using ginger