GINGER

GINGER can help reduce nausea and relieve motion sickness. Some studies have shown that taking one gram of ginger an hour before surgery can reduce nausea and vomiting during the first 24 hours after surgery. In addition, a large National Cancer Institute - funded study found that people undergoing chemotherapy who take as little as on quarter of a teaspoon of ginger daily for three days before chemo cut their nausea by 40 percent.

The study found that a small amount of fresh or powdered ginger worked better than a larger dose, and that ginger taken with anti  - vomiting drugs worked better  to control nausea than drugs alone. For older adults prone to motion sickness, Suzanna Zick of the University of Michigan recommends eating one or two pieces of crystallized Ginger, available in most supermarkets, before traveling. She cautions that ginger extract capsules are much stronger and may actually cause stomach upset. Don't go above two grams of ginger, she advises.

Posted By: Candy Sagon - aarp.org/bulletin