Gingerols
Plant compound
Short answer
Gingerols give ginger its heat. In a small chemotherapy trial, more patients had neither vomiting nor extra rescue medicine with 6-gingerol alongside usual medicines. Larger research is needed; ginger tea does not replace treatment. Inflammation research remains mainly laboratory work. [4][3]
Pungent ginger compounds; 6-gingerol has been studied alongside usual medicines during chemotherapy.
Checked against sources; not clinician-reviewed. Not personal medical advice. Read the disclaimer
Updated: 2026-10-08
What do gingerols do in ginger?
- For chemotherapy-related nausea: a small randomized trial found more patients avoided both vomiting and rescue medicine when 6-gingerol was added to standard antiemetics than with placebo. Preliminary evidence, not a self-treatment recommendation. [4]
- In food: gingerols give fresh ginger heat and some become shogaols during storage and drying. Food is not the tested product. [1][4]
- For inflammation: cell and animal studies explore mechanisms but do not prove treatment of inflammatory disease in people. [3]
- For pregnancy nausea: trials studied ginger preparations, not isolated 6-gingerol; discuss medicinal use with maternity care. [2]
What has been tested in people?Research and background
In a trial of 88 cancer patients, both groups received usual anti-nausea medicines; one group also received 6-gingerol, the other placebo. Avoiding both vomiting and rescue medication was more common with 6-gingerol. The authors call for a larger confirmatory trial. This is a chemotherapy-nausea outcome, not cancer treatment. Only the indexed abstract was available here, not the full paper. Pregnancy-nausea trials studied oral ginger, not isolated 6-gingerol in pregnancy. Cell and animal inflammation results are not clinical treatment findings. [4][2][3]
Where do gingerols occur?
Gingerols occur in the rhizome of Zingiber officinale. Some become shogaols during drying and storage; fresh ginger, dry powder, cooked food and extracts differ. More pungency does not guarantee greater health benefit. Enjoy ginger as seasoning without calculating individual compounds. [1]
Should you take a gingerol dose?
Gingerols are not essential nutrients; no daily intake is recommended. A patient trial tested a particular 6-gingerol product alongside standard anti-nausea medicines. Food ginger and arbitrary capsules are not interchangeable with it. Do not turn study amounts into a home regimen; ask your cancer team about any product during chemotherapy. [1][4]
When to take extra care
Ginger products can cause stomach discomfort, heartburn or mouth irritation; safety of large isolated gingerol doses is unknown. EMA advises avoiding medicinal ginger in pregnancy as a precaution: ask your maternity clinician about supplements. Seek advice about concentrated use while breastfeeding or taking medicines. Persistent vomiting, inability to drink or vomiting blood needs care. [1][2]
Frequently asked questions
Are gingerols vitamins?
No. They are plant compounds in ginger with no established daily requirement. [1]
Is a gingerol capsule the same as ginger?
Do gingerols treat inflammation?
Cell and animal findings do not prove that isolated gingerols treat inflammatory illness in people. [3]
Is there more gingerol in dried ginger?
Not necessarily: some converts to shogaols during drying and storage. [1]
Research and sourcesEvidence overview, methods and complete source list
Research context
A small chemotherapy trial found a possible added benefit from 6-gingerol alongside antiemetics; cell inflammation research is not treatment evidence.
Finding: Oral ginger pregnancy trials did not test isolated 6-gingerol; they cannot predict its effect during pregnancy.
Pregnancy ginger is a different test
Evidence: Abstract of four-trial review of ginger in pregnancy.
Studied population: Pregnant participants, not chemotherapy patients.
Form or context: Oral ginger preparations, not isolated 6-gingerol.
Uncertainty: Product, population and condition differ; no transferable gingerol regimen.
Finding: In 88 patients, no vomiting AND no rescue medicine was more frequent with 6-gingerol plus standard antiemetics than with placebo plus standard antiemetics. A larger confirmatory trial is needed.
More patients without vomiting AND extra rescue medicine
Evidence: Randomized double-blind phase II trial; indexed abstract only.
Studied population: Solid-tumor patients receiving moderately to highly emetogenic chemotherapy.
Form or context: Tested 6-gingerol product in addition to standard antiemetics, not ginger tea.
Uncertainty: Small early trial, not stand-alone therapy, cancer treatment or a food claim.
Safety: Do not add gingerol to chemotherapy care on your own: ask the cancer team. Pregnancy, breastfeeding and high doses need separate advice. Persistent vomiting, inability to drink or blood in vomit needs care.
Sources
- Assessment report on Zingiber officinale Roscoe, rhizoma · European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products · 2025 · Regulatory assessment
- The effectiveness and safety of ginger for pregnancy-induced nausea and vomiting: a systematic review · Women and Birth · 2013 · Systematic review
- Anti-Oxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ginger in Health and Physical Activity: Review of Current Evidence · International Journal of Preventive Medicine · 2013 · Review article
- A phase II randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study of 6-gingerol as an anti-emetic in solid tumor patients receiving moderately to highly emetogenic chemotherapy · Medical Oncology · 2017 · Original research