GINGER or VITAMIN B6 HELPS WITH MORNING SICKNESS

CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE ADDING/CHANGING ANY SUPPLEMENTS

The April 2004 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology reports that taking supplements of either ginger or vitamin B6 can quell the nausea, vomiting and dry retching of morning sickness during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Ginger is known to relieve nausea and queasiness, and earlier research indicated that B6 eases morning sickness symptoms. The Australian study included nearly 300 women with morning sickness who were less than 16 weeks pregnant. They were randomly assigned to take a capsule containing 350 mg of ginger or one containing 25 mg of B6 three times a day for three weeks. The supplements were equally effective and led to improvements in symptoms in more than half the group. The most notable side effect was some belching among the women taking ginger.

While there were no differences in pregnancy complications or birth defects among the women in the study, the researchers called for further research to confirm the safety of taking ginger during pregnancy.

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