Ginger: Usefulness and Safety
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
NCCIH recognizes a menstrual-cramp research signal and provides general oral-ginger safety context.
Reviewed guidance
Ginger for menstrual cramps
Multiple randomized trials and meta-analyses suggest oral ginger preparations can reduce the severity of primary menstrual cramps. The evidence is encouraging but not strong enough to treat every ginger food or tea as an equivalent therapeutic preparation.
What this means
Short-term reduction of cramp pain in primary dysmenorrhea using an oral ginger preparation comparable to those studied around the first days of menstruation.
How to use it: Evidence applies mainly to oral ginger powder or supplement preparations used around menstruation. A fresh ginger infusion can still be offered as a familiar food preparation, but it should not be presented as dose-equivalent to the studied capsules or powders.
Safety & cautions
Oral ginger can cause heartburn, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, or mouth/throat irritation. Review medicinal ginger use with a healthcare professional if you take regular medicines, especially medicines that affect bleeding, or if you are pregnant.
Get medical care for symptoms that are severe, last longer than expected, get worse, or otherwise concern you.
Household preparations
Practical ways to use the ingredient may not provide the same form or amount discussed in the evidence.
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Fresh ginger infusion
A simple hot-water preparation that lets you adjust fresh ginger strength to taste.
Fresh-ginger snaps
Crisp-edged ginger cookies using both fresh and ground ginger for a pronounced ginger flavor.
Ginger vegetable stir-fry
A fast ginger-forward vegetable dinner with tofu as the default and chicken as an optional substitution.
Ginger-lemon infusion
Fresh ginger and lemon in a bright, easy hot-water preparation with optional honey.
Ginger-sesame dressing
A make-ahead fresh-ginger dressing for salads, grain bowls, noodles, and cooked vegetables.
Gingerbread date bites
No-bake date-and-oat snack bites with warm spices and a noticeable ginger note.
Ginger–honey fruit smoothie
A simple fruit smoothie with fresh ginger and optional honey.
Ginger–lemon–honey concentrate
A make-ahead refrigerator concentrate for stirring into warm water.
Ginger–thyme chicken soup
A ginger-and-thyme chicken soup for a warm, substantial meal.
Ginger–thyme chickpea & vegetable soup
A plant-based ginger-and-thyme soup with chickpeas and vegetables.
Honey–ginger baked pears
Warm baked pears flavored with ginger and a small amount of honey.
Honey–ginger overnight oats
A make-ahead breakfast with fresh ginger and a touch of honey.
Honey–ginger warm drink
A familiar warm drink combining honey with fresh ginger.
Evidence transparency
Evidence & sources
Ginger for Pain Management in Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine
Current systematic review/meta-analysis supports a pain-reduction signal while noting heterogeneity, risk-of-bias concerns, and limited safety reporting.
Comparison of Effects of Ginger, Mefenamic Acid, and Ibuprofen on Pain in Women with Primary Dysmenorrhea
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine · 2009
Ported from staged P0 research as background. An Editor must review the source and choose its final role before relying on it publicly.
Effect of Zingiber officinale R. rhizomes (ginger) on pain relief in primary dysmenorrhea: a placebo randomized trial
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine · 2012
Ported from staged P0 research as background. An Editor must review the source and choose its final role before relying on it publicly.
Efficacy of Ginger for Alleviating the Symptoms of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Pain Medicine · 2015
Earlier meta-analysis found suggestive benefit for ginger powder preparations used during the first several days of menstruation.