Use Ginger To Combat Nausea From Chemotherapy Or An Upset Stomach

Baby Boomers, Use Ginger To Combat Nausea From Chemotherapy Or An Upset Stomach. That’s right Baby Boomers, Cancer patients may be able to fight nausea, induced from chemotherapy from a little something in their spice cabinet…Ginger.

Chemotherapy in most cases can cause nausea, which may be alleviated through ginger…according to a new study, that will be presented later in May of 2009, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting.

In the largest study of its kind, to date, funded by the National Cancer Institute, researchers found that a smidgen of purified ginger given in a supplemental form, equivalent to 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon of the spice each day, could reduce chemotherapy related nausea by 40% on the first day of treatment when used in combination with traditional anti-nausea medications.

For centuries, ginger has been know to have medicinal purposes. Ginger has always solved upset stomach,nausea caused by pregnancy and motion sickness. Most Baby Booms will remember their parents giving them Ginger Ale when they had an upset stomach. Verner’s Ginger Ale has always been my favorite and still is.

“If we can reduce nausea on day one, then patients tend to have reduced nausea throughout treatment,” states lead study author Julie L. Ryan, of the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York.

About 70% of cancer patients experience nausea during chemotherapy, although anti-emetic drugs often help prevent actual vomiting.

In the recent study, 644 people, mostly breast-cancer patients, were given supplements twice a day for six days, including the three days before and after they started chemotherapy. The patients took 0.5, 1, or 1.5 grams of ginger daily, which was divided into two doses, or they took identical placebo supplements that contained no ginger. Those patients taking Ginger, regardless of dosage, reported a greater reduction in nausea on the first day of treatment than those taking the placebo.

Those patients taking the two lowest doses of ginger, reported greater relief than those taking the higher dosage. There theory is then…that taking more of the spice isn’t necessarily better.

“We were surprised to find that the lowest doses were the most effective. I am guessing that at one gram the gut reaches maximum absorption,” Ryan continued.

The reduction in nausea was substantial, she stated. The patients that took a placebo reported about a four or five on a seven point nausea scale. This means that they were extremely nauseated. In true comparison, the ginger taking patients reported a one or two, on a seven point scale. which is little to no nausea.

The ginger supplements reduced vomiting by roughly 5 percent in the study, says Ryan, “but very few of the patients had any vomiting due to the anti-emetic drugs they were taking.”

“It’s an interesting and rigorous study in the field of complementary medicine, and an important step forward in improving quality of care for the 70 percent of patients who undergo chemotherapy and experience nausea and vomiting,” stated Dr. Douglas Blayney, president elect at the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Prior research had suggested that ginger supplements couldn’t reduce nausea during chemotherapy, but Ryan says timing is everything: By giving the supplement three days prior to treatment, which had not been done in previous studies. The anti-inflammatory property of ginger had a head start on stopping the nausea and queasiness.

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Studies have suggested that ginger can also quell nausea caused by pregnancy, motion sickness, and anesthesia.

Dr. Ted Gansler, director of medical content for the American Cancer Society, stated that complementary therapies such as ginger may work for some patients, but “most oncologists would not recommend counting on them as alternatives, especially for those receiving chemotherapy drugs known to cause the most severe nausea and vomiting.”

If you’re feeling queasy, Ryan said, consuming fresh ginger root from the grocery store can help, but purified capsules may work better due to their easier absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. So, in theory, ginger containing products such as ginger ale, ginger snaps, and other products could reduce nausea, too, but only if they contained real ginger root, not just ginger flavoring.

“Ginger has few side effects, but it could interfere with blood clotting and cause excessive bleeding.  Consult your doctor before taking any supplement,” stated Dr. Gansler.

When dealing with chemotherapy, induced nausea or any upset stomach, the American Cancer Society recommends eating dry foods such as pretzels or crackers and sipping on ginger ale.

For the full story of “Use Ginger To Combat Nausea From Chemotherapy Or An Upset Stomach,” go to CNN News.