Can Ginger Ale Help With Nausea or Stomachache?

Mom used to tell you to sip ginger ale when you were feeling queasy. But can the sweet, bubbly drink actually help settle a sour stomach?

"Ginger is one of the best natural remedies for managing nausea and stomach discomfort," says Danielle VenHuizen, RD, a GI-focused dietitian and owner of Food Sense Nutrition in Seattle, Washington.

But the fresh root or even dried ginger powder and ginger-flavored soda are far from the same thing. So does ginger ale help with nausea? And can it soothe stomach pain?

If you're thinking about using the sipper to manage GI symptoms, here's what you should know.

People have long turned to ginger to ease nausea and stomach discomfort. And "it isn't just an old wives' tale. The science actually backs it up," says Kaytee Hadley, RDN, a GI-focused dietitian and founder of Holistic Health and Wellness in Richmond, Virginia.

The spicy root contains compounds that may boost your output of digestive enzymes and regulate intestinal motility (aka, the rate at which food moves through your GI tract) and work with the brain to curb queasiness, suggests an October 2023 randomized controlled trial in ‌BMC Complementary Therapies and Medicine‌. And it really works: A review published March 2024 in the ‌International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition‌ concluded that ginger is effective for reducing nausea and vomiting symptoms in pregnant people and those undergoing chemotherapy.

Ginger's ability to speed up motility so food moves through your GI tract faster may also be the reason why ginger seems to relieve gas and bloating, Hadley adds.

Despite the wealth of evidence for ginger itself, there's not much research supporting the use of ginger ale for nausea. "You're unlikely to get therapeutic benefits from it," says Hadley.

That's likely because ginger ale doesn't contain much actual ginger. "Most products use natural flavors, along with small amounts of ginger extract, to give the beverage its classic, zingy flavor. So while ginger ale may taste quite gingery, it's mostly due to the added flavors and sugar," VenHuizen says.

So why might you feel a little better after you drink it? It might have more to do with the carbonation and the sugar. "The sugar may boost blood sugar and enhance mood slightly, which could help ease nausea and stomach upset," VenHuizen says. "And for some, a little carbonation feels good to an empty and upset stomach."

It's OK to have some ginger ale when you've got a stomachache. But it's important to pay attention to how much you're having — and to keep in mind that for some people, a sweet, carbonated beverage might make you feel worse.

So don't overdo it. "If you feel ginger ale helps, the best advice would be to take small sips and no more than a couple ounces at a time," VenHuizen says.

Like other sweetened beverages, ginger ale is high in sugar. A 12-ounce can serves up 32 grams of the sweet stuff. That's more than the recommended 25-gram daily limit for women and close to the 36-gram daily limit for men, according to the American Heart Association.

It's also possible that drinking ginger ale could exacerbate your stomach symptoms. "For some, the carbonation can worsen gas and bloating," Hadley says. And if you don't have an appetite and haven't eaten much, having a ton of sugar could cause your blood sugar to spike and crash, VenHuizen points out.

If you're looking to soothe your stomach, you're better off drinking fresh ginger tea than ginger ale. Tea made from fresh ginger root will be much higher in the bioactive compounds that support digestion, says VenHuizen.

To make your own ginger tea, place a one-inch piece of peeled, thinly sliced ginger in a mug and fill with boiling water. Cover the mug and let the tea steep for at least 10 minutes before drinking. You can add some fresh lemon juice or honey, if you'd like, Hadley says.

If you're not a fan of tea, store-bought ginger chews can also do the trick. "While ginger chews do have some sugar, it's way less than soda and comes packed with far more of the active compounds than ginger ale," VenHuizen says. Try Prince of Peace Original Ginger Chews or The Ginger People Gin Gins Chewy Ginger Candy.

Because it contains very little real ginger, ginger ale is unlikely to relieve your nausea or stomach pain. For more benefit, try a homemade tea made from fresh ginger or ginger chews instead.