Benefits of Ginger For Pregnancy & Confinement

BENEFITS OF GINGER FOR PREGNANCY & CONFINEMENT

Fresh ginger has been widely used as a flavouring agent for centuries. Apart from that, ginger is an herbal medicine widely used back to ancient times, especially in China and India! Even in our modern era, ginger is still being used as a traditional remedy. So, what is so powerful about ginger?

First of all, ginger itself consists of more than approximately 100 active compounds that benefit health! Specifically, the major classes of ginger compounds are gingerol, shogaols, zingiberene, and zingerone, as well as other less common compounds, including terpenes, vitamins, and minerals.

With supported studies (individual’s response may differ), ginger can be used as an option for several conditions as listed below.

• Morning Sickness 

Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (morning sickness) is very common, especially during the early weeks of pregnancy. Symptoms usually appear around 4th to 16th week of gestation. It affects about 80-90% of pregnant women depending on the severity. Severe and persistent vomiting can lead to dehydration and electrolyte disturbances if not treated properly.

• Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

Postoperative nausea and vomiting is an emetic event that is induced after surgical procedures, and it is mainly caused by the anaesthetic. 

• Boost immune system

In ancient cultures, ginger is used by medical practitioners for promoting the body’s immune systems. Nowadays, ginger is still widely used in many countries to strengthen the immunity by improving the body’s anti- oxidant status. It can thus help to protect against chronic diseases, however do not mistakenly believe that ginger will cure any diseases, including Covid-19 virus!

• Dosage

After reviewing several studies on the dosage, it is found that daily doses of 1g to 5g of fresh ginger are effective in reducing morning sickness as well as post- operative nausea and vomiting for pregnant women or mothers. For those who are afraid of the strong and pungent taste of fresh ginger, there are many consumption methods, for instance, you may benefit from adding it into your cooking, steeping in water as ginger tea and even opt for fresh ginger products (candy etc).

OUR WARM MESSAGE:

PopoMama cares to deliver the best and most quality meals to support mothers’ health in all aspects. For instance, fresh and decent quality gingers are added in PopoMama’s recipes with no doubts! Not to forget the newly released nutritious ginger snacks from PopoMama too!

SUMMARY:

Fresh ginger is not only used as a flavouring agent, but a remedy especially for pregnant women and mothers!

Article written by:
Christabelle Chong
Dietitian
Registered Member of Malaysian Dietitians’ Association (MDA)

REFERENCES:

1. Anh, N. H., Kim, S. J., Long, N. P., Min, J. E., Yoon, Y. C., Lee, E. G., … & Kwon, S. W. (2020). Ginger on human health: a comprehensive systematic review of 109 randomized controlled trials. Nutrients, 12(1), 157.
2. Ding, M., Leach, M., & Bradley, H. (2013). The effectiveness and safety of ginger for pregnancy-induced nausea and vomiting: a systematic review. Women and Birth, 26(1), e26-e30.
3. Healthline (2019). Is Ginger a Safe and Effective Treatment for Nausea? Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ginger-for-nausea#_noHeaderPrefixedContent 
4. Mashhadi, N. S., Ghiasvand, R., Askari, G., Hariri, M., Darvishi, L., & Mofid, M. R. (2013). Anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of ginger in health and physical activity: review of current evidence. International journal of preventive medicine, 4(Suppl 1), S36.
5. Viljoen, E., Visser, J., Koen, N., & Musekiwa, A. (2014). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting. Nutrition journal, 13(1), 1-14.