Index of Herbs

Concern guide

Herbs for Nausea

Herbs that may help settle nausea, from ginger to lemon balm, with what the research shows and when to get help.

4 herbs reviewed

Updated October 7, 2026

Nausea is that queasy, unsettled feeling that you might be sick, and it can come with or without vomiting. Common triggers include stomach bugs, early pregnancy, car and boat journeys, migraines, many medicines, cancer treatment, and recovering from surgery. Most bouts pass within a day or two, but even a short spell can make it hard to eat, drink, work, or sleep, so it is natural to look for something gentle that helps.

Herbs can be a comforting part of a plan for mild nausea, alongside simple steps that help most people: small sips of fluid, small and frequent bland meals, fresh air, and avoiding strong smells and greasy food. For pregnancy sickness, ACOG lists ginger among its self-care options, with vitamin B6, and doxylamine if needed, as safe first medicines. For chemotherapy and after surgery, prescribed anti-sickness medicines remain the foundation, and a herb can sit beside them with the care team’s knowledge. Herbs ease the feeling of nausea; they do not treat its cause, which sometimes needs medical attention.

The herbs below are ordered by strength of evidence for nausea, then by how commonly they are used. Ratings run from good clinical evidence to long traditional use. Ginger stands out, especially for pregnancy nausea; peppermint has promising but mixed results; and chamomile and lemon balm are gentle traditional digestive teas whose effect on nausea itself has not yet been tested in trials. Products differ widely, from ginger candies to standardized capsules, so each entry notes what was studied, and the full monographs cover doses, side effects, and interactions.

02 The shortlist

The herbs, from best studied to time-honored

How to read the ratings

  • Good clinical evidence
  • Promising clinical evidence
  • Early or mixed evidence
  • Long traditional use

Ratings show how much research backs each herb for this particular concern. Every herb links to its full monograph, with preparations, safety notes, and sources.

  1. 01 Ginger

    Good clinical evidence

    Zingiber officinale

    Ginger is the best-studied herb for nausea and a familiar first choice in pregnancy, where ACOG suggests ginger capsules, candies, or tea and a review of 12 trials found less nausea than placebo. EMA accepts powdered ginger taken about an hour before travel for preventing motion sickness, and in a trial of 576 people it eased acute chemotherapy nausea alongside standard medicines. Effects on vomiting are less consistent, and NCCIH notes most motion-sickness studies have not shown clear benefit. Heartburn is the usual side effect, and anyone taking anticoagulants should check before using capsules.

    Read the ginger monograph →

  2. 02 Peppermint

    Early or mixed evidence

    Mentha × piperita

    Peppermint tea is a classic stomach settler, and the scent of peppermint oil is its most encouraging use for nausea: NCCIH reports that a 2024 review of four aromatherapy studies in 290 people found inhaled peppermint oil helped reduce chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting. After surgery the picture is less clear, as a Cochrane review found no clear effect of peppermint aromatherapy on nausea severity, so larger trials would help. Peppermint can bring on heartburn and reflux, and the oil should never be used near a baby’s face.

    Read the peppermint monograph →

  3. 03 Chamomile

    Long traditional use

    Matricaria chamomilla

    Chamomile tea is a gentle, familiar cup for an unsettled stomach. EMA accepts German chamomile as a traditional remedy for minor digestive complaints such as spasms, bloating, and belching, and NCCIH lists indigestion among its popular uses, though nausea itself has not been tested in good trials. A mild, warm cup sipped slowly is the traditional approach, since very strong brews can upset the stomach and NCCIH lists nausea as an uncommon side effect. People allergic to ragweed or other daisy-family plants should be cautious, as rare severe reactions occur.

    Read the chamomile monograph →

  4. 04 Lemon Balm

    Long traditional use

    Melissa officinalis

    Lemon balm is a lemon-scented mint-family herb that EMA accepts as a traditional remedy for mild digestive complaints such as bloating and wind, and for mild stress. It has not been studied for nausea itself, and EMA found no trials of lemon balm alone for digestive symptoms, so it is best seen as a soothing cup some people enjoy when a queasy stomach comes with stress. It may cause drowsiness, is not recommended in pregnancy or under 12, and anyone with thyroid disease should ask a doctor before regular use.

    Read the lemon balm monograph →

03 Caution

Using these herbs safely

Most nausea settles within a day or two, and a few signs mean it is time for medical care rather than another cup of tea. Contact a clinician promptly if you cannot keep any fluids down for 12 hours, have been vomiting for more than a day, or have signs of dehydration such as dark urine, peeing much less than usual, or dizziness when standing. Call 911 or go to an emergency department for vomit containing blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, severe abdominal pain, a stiff neck with fever, possible poisoning, or nausea with chest pain, pressure, or shortness of breath, which can signal a heart attack. Vomiting after a head injury needs urgent medical advice. In pregnancy, being sick many times a day, being unable to keep food or drink down, or losing weight can mean hyperemesis gravidarum, the severe form of pregnancy sickness, which needs prompt treatment.

A few interactions are worth knowing. EMA lists no known interactions for its licensed ginger powders, but Memorial Sloan Kettering flags a possible added bleeding risk with warfarin and similar drugs, so anyone taking anticoagulants (blood thinners) or antiplatelet medicines should check with a clinician or pharmacist before ginger capsules or extracts; ginger in cooking is a different matter. High-dose ginger may also affect how insulin works, so people with diabetes should watch their glucose. Chamomile and lemon balm can add to drowsiness from alcohol, sleeping pills, sedating antihistamines, and other calming herbs, chamomile carries a possible bleeding concern with anticoagulants, and lemon balm deserves a doctor’s input with thyroid medicines. Peppermint oil may affect how the body handles some drugs, including cyclosporine and tacrolimus. Herbs sit alongside anti-sickness medicines prescribed for chemotherapy, surgery, or pregnancy, never in place of them, so keep taking those as directed and tell your care team about any ginger supplements.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: regulators differ on ginger. ACOG suggests it and NCCIH says ginger supplements may be safe in pregnancy, while EMA prefers to avoid licensed ginger medicines as a precaution, although recorded pregnancy outcomes show no signal of birth defects. Pregnancy trials commonly used about 250 mg to 1 g of ginger a day, often in divided doses, and benefit looked better below about 1.5 g a day, so agree on a product and dose with your obstetric provider; ginger is not a treatment for hyperemesis gravidarum. EMA does not recommend ginger medicines while breastfeeding, or medicinal peppermint or lemon balm in pregnancy or breastfeeding, and medicinal-strength chamomile is best avoided in pregnancy. Children: EMA’s traditional motion-sickness ginger dose starts at age 6, lemon balm is not recommended under 12, and peppermint oil or menthol must never go on or near the face of a baby or young child, because it can stop breathing or trigger airway spasm. A vomiting baby, or a child with fewer wet diapers, needs prompt medical advice.

Ginger’s main drawback is heartburn, belching, and stomach upset, which grow with the dose; people with reflux may do better with a smaller amount, and peppermint can also relax the valve at the top of the stomach and worsen reflux. Concentrated ginger is best avoided with gallstones, jaundice, or unexplained abdominal pain. Product quality varies, so it pays to read labels: many ginger sodas and candies contain little real ginger, so look for ones made with real ginger, while trials used dried ginger powder or capsules with a stated dose. Peppermint essential oil for inhalation should never be swallowed, and all essential oils belong out of children’s reach. Labels that say only “chamomile” may contain Roman chamomile, a different plant, and anyone allergic to daisy-family plants should choose another option.

04 Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Ginger has the strongest support, especially for pregnancy nausea, where ACOG suggests ginger capsules, candies, or tea and trials found less nausea than placebo. EMA also accepts powdered ginger for preventing motion sickness. Inhaled peppermint oil has encouraging results for chemotherapy-related nausea, and chamomile tea is a gentle traditional option for an upset stomach. For chemotherapy or after surgery, herbs work best alongside the anti-sickness medicines your care team prescribes.

Many people use ginger for morning sickness, and ACOG lists it among its self-care options. NCCIH says ginger supplements may be safe in pregnancy, while EMA prefers to avoid licensed ginger medicines as a precaution. Pregnancy trials commonly used about 250 mg to 1 g a day, often in divided doses, and benefit looked better below about 1.5 g a day. Check with your obstetric provider before starting capsules, and seek care promptly if you cannot keep food or fluids down or are losing weight.

It may help some people. EMA accepts 1 to 2 g of powdered ginger taken about an hour before travel as a well-established way to prevent motion sickness in adults, with a lower traditional dose for children from age 6. NCCIH notes, though, that most studies of ginger for motion sickness have not shown a clear benefit. Ginger works best as prevention before a journey rather than after nausea has set in, and heartburn is its most common side effect.

Ginger in food is generally fine, but check with your clinician or pharmacist before taking ginger capsules or extracts with warfarin, other anticoagulants, or antiplatelet drugs. EMA lists no known interactions for its licensed ginger powders, while Memorial Sloan Kettering flags a possible added bleeding risk because ginger affects platelets in laboratory studies. The same caution applies before surgery. Ginger may also affect insulin, so people with diabetes should monitor their glucose if they start a high-dose product.

Get medical advice if you cannot keep fluids down for 12 hours, have been vomiting for more than a day, or have signs of dehydration such as dark urine, peeing less, or dizziness. Seek emergency care for vomit with blood or coffee-ground material, severe abdominal pain, a stiff neck with fever, nausea with chest pain or breathlessness, or vomiting after a head injury. In pregnancy, severe vomiting with weight loss needs prompt treatment, and gentle herbs such as chamomile are not a substitute for that care.

05 References

Sources

These references support the claims in this guide. Each herb’s monograph carries its own full source list.

  1. Ginger: usefulness and safety

    National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH), 2025

    Supports ginger’s possible help for pregnancy nausea, the note that most motion-sickness studies have not shown benefit, uncertainty for chemotherapy and postoperative nausea, and that supplements may be safe in pregnancy.

  2. European Union herbal monograph on Zingiber officinale Roscoe, rhizoma (final, revision 1)

    European Medicines Agency (EMA/HMPC/885789/2022), 2025

    Basis for well-established use of 1 to 2 g of powder before travel, the traditional dose from age 6, common heartburn, no listed interactions, and the pregnancy and breastfeeding precautions.

  3. Morning sickness: nausea and vomiting of pregnancy

    American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2025

    Lists ginger capsules, candies, and tea as options, vitamin B6 and doxylamine as first treatments, and the dehydration signs and hyperemesis gravidarum warnings used on this page.

  4. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting

    Nutrition Journal (PMC3995184), 2014

    The 12-trial review showing less pregnancy nausea than placebo, a less clear effect on vomiting, and better results below about 1.5 g a day.

  5. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reduces acute chemotherapy-induced nausea: a URCC CCOP study of 576 patients

    Supportive Care in Cancer (PMC3361530), 2012

    The 576-patient trial in which 0.5 to 1 g of ginger a day reduced acute chemotherapy nausea when added to standard anti-sickness medicines.

  6. Peppermint oil

    National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH), 2025

    Supports the finding that inhaled peppermint oil helped chemotherapy-related nausea in a 2024 review, heartburn as a side effect, and the warning to keep menthol away from infants’ faces.

  7. Aromatherapy for treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting

    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (PubMed 29523018), 2018

    The 16-study review that found no clear effect of peppermint aromatherapy on nausea severity after surgery, based on low-certainty evidence.

  8. Nausea and vomiting – adults

    MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine (NIH), 2025

    Source for when to seek care, including blood or coffee-ground material in vomit, vomiting beyond 24 hours, no fluids kept down for 12 hours, stiff neck, severe pain, and signs of dehydration.

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