BEIJING, Jan. 18 -- Medical data suggest that a dose of at least 1 gram of ginger is effective in preventing nausea and vomiting, symptons patients after undergoing surgery tend to experience.
Ginger has long been used as a traditional medicine in China to treat nausea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal problems.
Numerous studies have looked at a variety of agents for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting, yet none has been definitively accepted, according to a report in January's American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
In the last decade, several studies have evaluated the effects of ginger in preventing nausea and vomiting after surgery, which affects about 43 percent of all patients.
To look at all the evidence available, Dr. Nathorn Chaiyakunapruk, from Naresuan University in Phitsanulok, Thailand, and colleagues pooled data from five clinical trials that involved a total of 363 patients.
Compared with a placebo, ginger cut the risk of nausea and vomiting in the 24 hours after surgery by 31 percent. That said, a substantial percentage of patients in the ginger-medicated group, 35 percent, still had postoperative nausea and vomiting. The only apparent negative side effect observed with ginger was abdominal discomfort.
"We believe that ginger is an effective therapeutic option in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting," the authors conclude. "Because of its widespread availability, low cost, and great tolerability profile, ginger may be an attractive option ... especially in countries in which cost of care is a major issue."
(Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)"
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