Ginger for an Upset Stomach

Submitted by Courtney on Sun, 01/31/2010 - 13:32

Nobody likes an upset stomach, but nausea is something that everyone on this planet will experience at least a handful of times in their life (and probably another handful after that and another handful after that…). There are a lot of products out there on the market today that promise to soothe an upset tummy, but did you know that the most effective relief may be sitting in you refrigerator right next to that chili that gave you a tummy upset in the first place?

Find Ginger in Different Forms

Many ancient civilizations used ginger as a digestive aid and to treat an upset stomach (not to mention its other uses, such as arthritis, colic, diarrhea, a number of heart conditions, PMS, headaches… the list goes on). It is available in several different forms, such as fresh, dried, or even as a tea and as an oil. You can find ginger as an extract, a tincture, or in capsule form. Heck, you can even find it in several things we eat today, such as ginger ale and ginger snap cookies!

TIP: You can make a quick ginger tea by adding a thin slice of fresh ginger to boiling water. Steep and enjoy!

Ginger Can Help With Many Conditions

No matter what the reason is for your upset stomach, ginger is there to help. So if you suffer from motion sickness, vomiting and nausea due to pregnancy, cancer treatment nausea (such as chemotherapy), or an upset tummy following a surgery, try any form of ginger. In a trial study of 80 sailors, those who were given powdered ginger were overjoyed to find that their motion sickness and cold sweating was greatly reduced compared to those sailors who took the placebo (http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/ginger-000246.htm). Though the ginger root may not be powerful enough for all nausea sufferers, due to the lack of adverse side effects it certainly is a good place to start to try and cure the problem.

WARNING: Ginger is not an appropriate treatment for those who are under the age of 2. If you have any concerns about giving your child ginger in any form to treat nausea and vomiting, consult your healthcare practitioner first.

photo by Jan Schöne

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