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Step 1
Have you recently discovered you’re pregnant? Congratulations! Although you may anticipate the upcoming challenges of being a new mom, you may not enjoy the morning sickness you’re likely to deal with during the first trimester. Studies show that over half of all mothers-to-be experience some morning sickness during the course of their pregnancy. To relieve the symptoms, you may have explored natural, alternative remedies and discovered ginger. Ginger is widely used to treat the symptoms of morning sickness with some degree of success, but can it be harmful? Is ginger safe in pregnancy?
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Step 2
The use of ginger as an alternative method to treat morning sickness has gained favor among pregnant women. Studies support the fact that it can reduce the symptoms of morning sickness, including the very uncomfortable problem of nausea and vomiting. Several large, well conducted studies show that powdered ginger is superior to placebo for relieving the symptoms of morning sickness in pregnancy.
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Step 3
Despite this, some experts still have questions about whether ginger is safe in pregnancy. One reason is when ginger was tested using the Ames test, a test used to check for mutagenic potential; it did show some evidence of mutagenicity. If ginger is mutagenic, it has the capability of causing mutations in the genetic material which could affect the DNA of the unborn child.
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Step 4
The researchers followed up with another study to determine whether ginger is safe in pregnancy. They found that when pregnant rats were given ginger through a feeding tube, their rate of miscarriage was higher. Obviously, this kind of data is concerning if you’re a mom- to-be using ginger to treat morning sickness.
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Step 5
Despite this data, ginger is still widely recommended to treat the symptoms of morning sickness by both women and medical professionals. Most women are impressed by the fact that ginger is natural and they feel safer taking a natural product rather than a prescription medication for the symptoms of morning sickness.
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Step 6
If ginger isn’t safe in pregnancy, are there other alternative treatments for morning sickness that don’t involve the use of medications or drugs? One alternative that works for some women is the use of nausea relief wrist bands. These bands apply pressure to a point known as the P6 point which is thought to help control nausea. This point is located about three inches below the inner wrist crease. The advantage to using these bracelets to treat morning sickness is you aren’t exposing yourself to drugs.
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Step 7
If you’re experiencing the symptoms of morning sickness, talk to your doctor before using any type of ginger in large quantities. These studies certainly raise questions as to whether ginger is safe in pregnancy.
