Objective(s): To assess the efficacy and safety of GINGER (rhizome of Zingiber officinale) to reduce severity of nausea and numbers of vomiting in early pregnancy.Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL and SID databases were searched for relevant sources. Randomized trials of oral GINGER in comparison with placebo for nausea and/or vomiting in early pregnancy were selected. Two reviewers assessed the trial quality and extracted the data independently. Five trials met the inclusion criteria to assess the efficacy. Results: Based on these trials, there was a significant reduction in severity of nausea after taking GINGER compared with placebo (Pooled SMD= 0.882, 90% confidence interval 0.267 to 1.496). Also there was similar effect in reducing number of vomiting (Pooled SMD= 0.631, 90% confidence interval 0.433 to 0.829). In addition, there were 5 trials or observational studies which had assessed the potential fetomaternal side effects of GINGER. There was no supporting evidence for increasing pregnancy complications after using GINGER.Conclusion: Based on the current evidences, GINGER reduces the severity of nausea and frequency of vomiting in early pregnancy. There are considerations about adverse effects, but they are not supported by the clinical evidence. It seems that GINGER could be used during pregnancy in therapeutic doses (almost 1 gr per day) for limited durations.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of powdered and fresh GINGER root on nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.Methods: In this clinical trial study 100 pregnant women below 17 weeks gestational age, age 18-35 years, who had nausea and vomiting in 24 hours were randomly placed in two groups of 50. The first group took 250 mg GINGER powder and second group took fresh GINGER root as one teaspoonful GINGER syrup, four time per day and for four days. Before and after interventions the rate of nausea and the number of vomiting in mothers were measured and the results analyzed.Results: Results showed fresh root of GINGER compared with GINGER powder is almost the same reduced in average of the rate of severity of nausea [2.98±(3.1) compared with 2.66±(2.84)] and average of the number of vomiting [0.74±(1.08) compared with 0.58±(1.01)]. All of the mothers participating in this study had normal delivery and the syrup of GINGER fresh root was more satisfied (90% compared with 80%).Conclusion: Notify to the result of this study, it is seem the GINGER powder and fresh root can be effective for pregnancy nausea and vomiting.