Nausea and Motion Sickness

Ginger is one of the best natural remedies that I know of, with peppermint and basil close runners-up. Remember, an herbal treatment need not be boring—try some basil in your pasta, soup or salad.

In the 1980s, herbal researcher Daniel Mowrey, Ph.D., came down with a flu and took some ginger capsules. He was surprised how quickly they halted his vomiting and decided to put ginger to the test by giving it to a group of college students and then treating each of them to a dizzying ride in a tilting and rotating chair. Dr. Mowrey's test showed that two 500-milligram ginger capsules are even more effective than Dramamine, the most popular motion-sickness drug.

Since Dr. Mowrey conducted his test, lots of studies have been done on ginger. The results of these studies have often been conflicting, but I will bank on ginger any time. I grew up sailing, and while I have never had much of a problem with seasickness, I have seen plenty of others turn green when they hit the sea. For these people, I always suggest ginger, and so do many of my sailing friends.

David and Barbara first learned of ginger when they were publishing the health magazine Well-Being. At the time, they lived on a boat anchored in San Diego and had the opportunity to tell a lot of people about ginger, and also to hear about its results. When they recently took off to sail around the world, you can bet that one of the first things on their list of supplies was ginger to prevent seasickness.

Want to give ginger a try? This tasty herb can be used for any type of motion sickness and lots of other types of nausea as well. In one study, women who were given ginger after they had major surgery experienced much less nausea and vomiting than would normally be expected. If you can, take ginger about 30 minutes before you might experience nausea, then another dose every hour as needed. Unlike most antinausea drugs, ginger will not make you feel sluggish or produce blurred vision and heart palpitations. German researchers think that the difference might be that ginger works via the digestive tract instead of shutting down messages traveling to the brain, which is how many antinausea drugs function. Even the German Federal Health Agency recommends ginger. Delicious ways to use it include baking it into cookies or eating the candied ginger sold in the Chinese section of the grocery store.

I have seen all these herbs in action. Several years ago, when I was at a concert, the promoter sought me out and asked if I had anything for nausea—quick. The band was ready to go on-stage, but the lead singer was doubled over behind the curtain, vomiting. Fortunately for her and the anxious crowd, I had a vial of peppermint waters with me. This wasn't anything fancy—it was similar to the peppermint flavoring you can buy at grocery stores. The singer took this remedy and in ten minutes, she appeared onstage, all smiles, and went into her first song. When the promoter returned my vial, now empty, he looked a little dazed. He kept repeating, "What is this stuff? You could make a million on it."

I first learned of how basil can help people who are experiencing nausea as a result of chemotherapy in 1983, when I was researching an article for the American Herb Association Quarterly. I found out that Richard E. Anderson, M.D., who was in private practice in San Diego, was giving it to his cancer patients. One of these patients, a woman named Rena, described herself as a skeleton as a result of two weeks of continuous vomiting. After trying every antinausea drug she could find, she tried a tea of basil leaves—and her vomiting ended. Since I wrote that article, I have heard of numerous doctors who recommend basil to stop vomiting. Even eating basil pesto works for some people. (For a recipe for this tasty sauce, see chapter 130.)

If you find yourself frequently becoming nauseated, you should have your physician check into possible causes. If it is part of chronic indigestion, read the suggestions for using bitters in "Indigestion" in chapter 36. There is some evidence that bitters help people who tend to get sick to their stomachs.

Natural Ginger Ale

1 teaspoon fresh ginger rhizome, thinly sliced (or ½ teaspoon powdered ginger)

1 teaspoon red raspberry leaves

3 cups water

1 cup carbonated water

1 lemon slice

Bring the herbs and plain water to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and steep an additional 10 minutes. Strain out herbs. Add carbonated water and lemon just before serving. Drink as much as desired.