Ginger Can Soothe Chemotherapy Nausea, Study Finds
Ginger is a spice that has been harvested for centuries and long used in cooking and herbal teas to treat nausea, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal disorders. Now, the results of new research published in the American Society of Clinical Oncology find the age-old ingredient can tame severe nausea brought on by chemotherapy.
Cancer patients who took ginger capsules for several days before undergoing a chemotherapy session reported less severe and fewer cases of nausea following the treatment compared to others who were given placebo pills, researchers said.
However, researchers cautioned that the beneficial impacts of the study applied only to real ginger root, not ginger ale soda or cookies or other foods containing only ginger flavoring.
Study of Ginger Treatment for Chemo Nausea
The study focused on 644 patients being treated for breast cancer and other cancers at hospitals across the United States. The patients had complained of nausea in a previous chemotherapy treatment. They were divided into four groups and given either one of three doses of ginger capsules or placebo pills. Patients took the capsules for six days before and after chemotherapy sessions then reported back on the severity of their nausea symptoms.
Each of the ginger doses was shown to significantly reduce nausea and patients taking the ginger rater their nausea an average of two or more points lower than patients given placebo pills, researchers said. Patients taking placebo capsules said they noticed little change in their nausea symptoms.
Cutting Nausea Off at the Pass
Researchers said taking the ginger capsules for several days before undergoing chemotherapy seemed to prevent nausea from occurring. Previous studies of ginger in controlling nausea caused by chemotherapy have gotten mixed results when patients started taking the ginger on the day of the treatment, the scientists said.
Another positive from the ginger study was that no side effects were detected, researchers said.
However, the study’s authors cautioned that cancer patients should consult with their physicians before taking ginger to treat nausea caused by chemotherapy. The spice may interfere with blood thinners such as Coumadin and can pose a threat to people undergoing surgery.
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