Ginger Calms Chemotherapy-Related Nausea

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Results of a new study released by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) show taking ginger capsules several days before chemotherapy can lessen the incidence and severity of nausea associated with the standard cancer treatment.

Reportedly the first large-scale study on ginger and chemo-related nausea, the federally funded trial conducted by the University of Rochester, New York, involved 644 patients from cancer centers around the nation who had suffered nausea during previous chemo rounds. Two-thirds had breast cancer, and the others had other types of cancers. In addition to standard anti-sickness medicines, the subjects were given capsules containing one of three doses of ginger (.5 g/d, 1 g/d or 1.5 g/d) or placebo capsules. The ginger supplementation began three days before chemo treatment and continued for three additional days. Patients scored their nausea symptoms on a seven-point scale.

Results showed each dose of ginger decreased nausea, with the 0.5 g/d and 1 g/d doses proving most effective. On average, subjects taking ginger scored their nausea two points lower than did those taking placebo, who hardly noted any change in nausea.

Researchers said timing of ginger supplementation may have been a primary factor in the beneficial results. They pointed out a previous study involving ginger taken only on the first day of, not before, chemo treatment produced no benefit.

Leader of the new ginger study, Julie Ryan, University of Rochester, said she and her team were pleasantly surprised to see just how much ginger helped nausea in chemo patients. She noted the study used a pharmaceutical-grade ginger root extract, a specially formulated gelcap containing concentrated, purified ginger root extract made by Aphios Corp. of Woburn, Mass. She added it is not known if people could get these benefits from ginger teas or powdered ginger.

The trial was funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and researchers had no ties to Aphios. The manufacturer said it currently markets a different type of ginger capsule as a dietary supplement, but hopes to win FDA approval to sell the ginger formulation used in the study as a drug to treat nausea.