Have you heard that ginger helps with morning sickness? It settles the stomach to prevent nausea and vomiting. It also helps the digestive system work more efficiently and reduces uterine cramping in the first trimester.
What’s nice is that these benefits come from both fresh and dried ginger root. If you make ginger tea, you can do it with either dried or fresh ginger – all you have to do is steep it in hot water.
So, is ginger tea safe during pregnancy? The answer is yes unless your doctor says otherwise.
Let’s talk about what happens if you drink ginger while pregnant.
What happens if you drink ginger tea during pregnancy’s first trimester?
The good news is that ginger has been studied for safety and effectiveness during the first trimester of pregnancy. One trial published in 2012 found that orally administered ginger significantly reduced the intensity of nausea and the frequency of vomiting (1).
However, that study didn’t come to a conclusion about whether or not ginger might interact with other drugs or herbs. They also didn’t explore the maximum safe dosage, what would happen if you overdosed on ginger, and how long you could take it.
How much ginger is safe during pregnancy?
Like everything in life, too much of a good thing can end up being harmful. Too much ginger can cause heartburn and gas. Excessive amounts of ginger might lead to a miscarriage as it can increase the risk of bleeding. We recommend discussing the appropriate amount of ginger tea with your OB/GYN or nutritionist.
In the meantime, the US FDA says that up to 4 grams of ginger can be consumed each day by people who are not pregnant (we assume they are referring to supplements and capsules, not fresh or dried ginger).
Keep in mind that you might want to stay under 1 gram and a half (1500 mg or a teaspoon and a half) as most studies on pregnant women used this amount or less per day. If 1 gram is equivalent to a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger or 2 pieces of crystallized ginger (measuring about one inch square), that gives you quite a lot of leeway. With regards to ginger tea, you could drink approximately 4 cups over the course of the day.
But again, please check with your doctor to make sure there are no conflicts with current medication or any health concerns.
Can ginger tea cause miscarriage in early pregnancy?
Why is ginger not good for pregnancy? Ginger may stimulate bleeding, so drinking too much ginger tea or eating too much ginger might cause a miscarriage. Keep under the limit of 4 cups of tea or a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger.
How to make ginger tea for pregnancy
It’s super easy to make ginger tea as long as you have access to hot water and dried or fresh ginger or commercially prepared ginger tea bags. Follow the directions on the box or else let a teaspoon of ginger root sit in the hot water for a few minutes. The flavor and aroma will spread through the water. Then remove the ginger and add a little honey if you like it sweeter.
The first sip is spicy and spreads a warm feeling in your throat and stomach. Sometimes, just the scent alone will be enough to start calming nausea.
What teas should you avoid when pregnant?
You might find that you like lemon ginger tea or green tea with ginger even more than plain ginger tea. But be careful because not every herb is safe during pregnancy. Here’s a partial list of teas you should avoid while pregnant:
- Chamomile – may cause preterm labor or low birth weight
- Black cohosh
- Comfrey
- Dong quai
- Goldenseal
- Hibiscus
- Kava
- Lemongrass
- Licorice root
- Nettle leaf
- Passion flower
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Yerba mate
Meanwhile, most expectant mamas can drink green, white, and black tea as long as they don’t consume more than 200 mg of caffeine per day. A single cup of black tea has 50 mg and a cup of green tea has about 25 mg (2).
Alternatives to ginger tea that are also safe during pregnancy
Not everyone loves ginger, and if that describes you, try peppermint tea to settle your stomach instead. Just go easy and sip on it because too much peppermint tea too fast will likely give you heartburn.
Green tea including matcha has a low amount of caffeine and plenty of antioxidants to help you stay healthy. On the downside, green tea has a lot of catechins, a molecule that keeps your body from absorbing folic acid. Unfortunately, that’s a problem when your baby needs folic acid to develop properly so don’t overdo it on the green tea, either.
It’s time to enjoy the best ginger tea for pregnancy. Just for fun, we added some ginger candy to suck on when you can’t make a cup of tea.
| The best ginger to settle your stomach | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Organic Ginger Tea Bags |
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| Twinings of London Lemon & Ginger Herbal Tea Bags |
|
| Bigelow Lemon Ginger plus Probiotics Herbal Tea |
|
| Organic Ginger by Christopher Ranch |
|
| Lee Kum Kee Minced Ginger |
|
| Prince of Peace 100% Natural Ginger Candy Chews |
|
| The Ginger People Gin Gins Super Strength Ginger Candy |
|
Best Ginger Tea for Pregnancy in 2024
Organic Ginger Tea Bags
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The scientific name of ginger is Zingiber Officinale and that’s all there is inside these eco-conscious tea bags. It’s just pure certified organic ginger grown in India. There are no additives or other ingredients.
The bags themselves are made out of unbleached hemp fiber paper with no staples or strings. They are packaged inside a foil-lined, resealable Kraft paper bag. Plus, the manufacturer even offers a satisfaction guarantee.
All you need to do is put one tea bag into a mug and pour hot water over it. Let it steep anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes depending on how strong you want the flavor.
Reviewers say that the tea has helped them experience less bloating and nausea while improving digestion.
Twinings of London Lemon & Ginger Herbal Tea Bags
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Is lemon ginger tea safe during pregnancy? If it were solely lemon and ginger, yes. But it’s important to check the label for other ingredients.
This tasty ginger tea doesn’t just contain lemon but also blackberry, linden, and lemongrass. That last ingredient is a no-no during pregnancy (see the list above of teas to avoid during pregnancy). Nevertheless, it’s probably a minuscule amount, so we’d recommend discussing this tea with your OB/GYN if you’d like to try it.
Bigelow Lemon Ginger plus Probiotics Herbal Tea
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You may have seen a warning on products containing probiotics. It says to protect the probiotics from heat and to not mix them with hot substances. But this ginger tea contains a specially formulated probiotic called BC30. It was designed in the USA and it’s compatible with both hot and cold foods as it’s not weakened by pasteurization, boiling, freezing, or baking.
The fact that this lemon ginger tea has probiotics in it makes it more attractive to pregnant women. Not only do they help the mother’s immune system, but they also make it more likely that the baby won’t be prone to allergies.
Of course, there is a downside to this particular tea. One of the main ingredients is lemongrass and that’s potentially a problem during pregnancy. Please discuss it with your doctor before drinking this tea.
Organic Ginger by Christopher Ranch
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Skip the dried ginger tea and go for the freshest stuff. This is organic ginger grown in Peru. Carve off a chunk, remove the skin, and grate a teaspoon of it to steep in hot water. You can make your own fresh ginger tea and the leftover pulp will probably still be pungent enough to use in a stir-fry.
Instead of drinking ginger tea, you can also enjoy it in baked goods, smoothies, sauces, and vegetables.
Since it takes a while to use up all the ginger, you can keep it fresh by storing it in the freezer. The experts recommend peeling and grating the ginger into teaspoon-size piles and saving them in an ice tray or wrapping them individually in plastic wrap to store them together in a sealed container.
If possible, let the frozen ginger thaw for about 30 minutes before making tea with it. But don’t hold back from sucking on a bit of frozen ginger if you’re having a morning sickness crisis.
Lee Kum Kee Minced Ginger
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People who cook Chinese food at home are familiar with this brand. It’s convenient to have minced ginger on hand as it doesn’t require peeling or slicing before use. It comes in a jar where the ginger is packed in water with a little sugar, salt, and citric acid to keep it fresh. It’s ready for immediate use in making tea, marinating food, or whipping up a stir-fry. All you need to do is store the jar in the fridge once it’s open.
Prince of Peace 100% Natural Ginger Candy
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Sometimes it’s too much effort to make tea especially when it’s hard to get out of bed because you’re feeling so awful. Other times, you’re on the go and have no way to enjoy a cup of tea. That’s when it’s time to try these chewy candies instead.
Each individually wrapped ginger chew has a strong and spicy flavor for rapid relief of nausea and indigestion. They’re made from ginger root, coconut, tapioca starch, and cane sugar with no artificial additives.
The Ginger People Gin Gins Super Strength Ginger Candy
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Each one of these hard ginger candies contains 30% real ginger for medium to high heat. The ginger is grown in Indonesia and delivered to California where the manufacturer creates the candies. Each one is individually wrapped and has a texture that’s softer than toffee but a little harder than caramel.
Enjoy them when you need relief from motion sickness, morning sickness, or just to satisfy a sweet tooth. They are gluten-free and vegan with no artificial sweeteners. Reviewers say it takes a couple of minutes for one candy to dissolve in the mouth.
Conclusion
Ginger tea might be all you need to feel better fast. Sip on a cup the next time you have morning sickness and relax while the cozy warmth settles your stomach.
We hope our reviews of the best ginger teas and ginger candies helped you find the solution you’re looking for today. Let us know how it worked out for you by leaving us a comment below.
Sources:
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22951628/ Ding M, Leach M, Bradley H. The effectiveness and safety of ginger for pregnancy-induced nausea and vomiting: a systematic review. Women Birth. 2013 Mar;26(1):e26-30. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2012.08.001. Epub 2012 Aug 28. PMID: 22951628.
2. https://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/diet-and-fitness/herbal-teas-during-pregnancy_3537 Pregnancy-safe tea, by Hallie Levine, Medically reviewed by Sally Urang, MS, RN, CNM, midwife, published June 8, 2021