For thousands of years, ginger (Zingiber officinale) has been a staple in traditional medicine across India, China, and the Arab world, valued for its culinary and therapeutic properties.

Its active compounds, like gingerol and shogaol, contribute to its ability to alleviate nausea, digestive issues, and even potentially manage chronic conditions like arthritis and heart disease.

While widely celebrated, ginger can also produce adverse effects.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of Ginger Side Effects and Who Should Never Use It.

Potential Digestive and Blood Pressure Issues

Despite the health benefits of ginger, consuming large amounts of it can cause digestive problems such as heartburn, gas, and diarrhea, and may lower blood pressure.

Side effects of ginger and who should never use it include:

Side effect: Eating too much ginger can irritate the stomach, leading to heartburn, bloating, and diarrhea.

Who should avoid ginger: People with digestive problems such as acid reflux should use ginger with caution.

Side effect: Ginger lowers high blood pressure, so taking it with blood pressure medications may cause blood pressure to drop dangerously low.

Who should avoid ginger: People with low blood pressure should be careful when consuming ginger.

Important considerations:

• Include moderate amounts of ginger in your diet to avoid potential side effects.
• If you are taking any medications, especially blood thinners or blood pressure lowering medications, talk to your doctor before adding ginger to your diet.

• Pregnant and breastfeeding women should consult their doctor before consuming ginger. (National institute for complementary and integrative health, n.d.)

Contraindications for Certain Medical Conditions

Ginger may not be suitable for people with some health problems, the most important of which are:

• Bleeding disorders: Ginger has anticoagulant properties, which means that it can slow down the blood clotting process. Therefore, ginger should never be taken with other blood thinners, such as aspirin or warfarin, because it increases the risk of bleeding. People with bleeding disorders should also avoid ginger.
• Digestive problems: Ginger irritates the stomach lining, especially in patients with stomach ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or irritable bowel syndrome.
• When consuming large amounts of ginger, it causes heartburn, gas, and diarrhea.
• Diabetes: Ginger reduces blood sugar levels, so it should not be taken without medical follow-up and supervision if you are taking diabetes medications so as not to cause a sharp drop in blood sugar levels.
• Pregnancy: Ginger relieves morning sickness, but there are some concerns about its effect on the safety of fetuses, and taking it in the late stages of pregnancy may not be safe.
• Blood pressure: Ginger lowers blood pressure, so it may not be suitable for people taking blood pressure medications.
• Drug interactions: Ginger interacts with some prescription and nonprescription medications, which may affect their effectiveness or increase the risk of side effects. (StatPearls , n.d.)

Safe Dosage Recommendations for Different Individuals

After we learned about Ginger Side Effects and Who Should Never Use It, here are the safe doses according to ginger use:

To treat nausea: Doses ranged from 250 mg to 2 g/day divided into 3 to 4 doses.

To treat dysmenorrhea: 500 mg 3 times daily either at the beginning of menstruation or 2 days before.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Avoid using ginger. Although it is used to treat nausea associated with pregnancy, data on its effects on fetuses and newborns are not available.

References

1. National institute for complementary and integrative health. (n.d.). Retrieved from Ginger
2. StatPearls . (n.d.). Retrieved from Ginger Root