Ginger Supplements & Potential Side Effects

Ginger is generally safe for most people to take, but for some individuals higher doses of ginger (more than 5 grams per day) may have side effects like:

Ginger may be unsafe and increase the risk of bleeding if you already have bleeding disorders. Consult your doctor before taking ginger if you are:

Special Precautions

Use of ginger during pregnancy is controversial and there some concern that ginger might affect foetal sex hormones. Reports of miscarriage during the 12th week of pregnancy in women who have used ginger for morning sickness have been noted. Controversy arises, however, with other studies which suggest that ginger can be used safely for preventing morning sickness without causing any harm to the baby. While the negative results of women taking ginger during pregnancy do not seem to be more than 1% to 3%, we advise you to weigh the benefits against the risks and consult your doctor or healthcare provider before using ginger supplements if you are pregnant.

Insufficient research has been done to show whether or not ginger has safe side effects during breast-feeding.

Taking ginger may increase your risk of bleeding if you already have bleeding disorders.

Ginger may lower your blood sugar level, and as a result your diabetes medications might need to be readjusted by your healthcare provider.

Higher doses of ginger may worsen some heart conditions.