Ginger shot for migraine, and what the ginger trials really tested

Ginger often gets suggested for migraine, so it's worth knowing what was actually tested before you keep a shot in the fridge for the next attack.

A ginger shot for migraine hasn't been tested in any trial we could find, so nobody can say it helps an attack. A review of eight trials of ginger found the evidence too uncertain to call. Ginger may ease the nausea that comes with migraine, but your usual treatment and your GP come first.

Key takeaways

• The migraine trials used ginger powder or measured extracts, so their results don't carry across to a juice shot.
• Some small trials found encouraging results at two hours, while one three-month prevention trial found no benefit over placebo.
• Migraine can't be cured, but the NHS lists treatments that help, and they start with taking painkillers early.
• Some headaches are an emergency, so know the signs that mean calling 999.
• We don't sell a pure ginger shot, and our ginger blends are a daily habit rather than a migraine treatment.

What is a migraine?

A throbbing headache, often on one side, that can bring sickness and sensitivity to light and sound.

Migraine is defined as a type of headache that usually throbs, often sits on one side of the head, and gets worse when you move. The NHS page on migraine says attacks usually last between 4 hours and 3 days, and some people get an aura first, such as zigzag or flashing lights. It also says migraine can't be cured, but that treatment can help.

Does a ginger shot for migraine work?

We don't know, because the trials didn't use shots.

Every trial we could find gave ginger as a powder or an extract. A 2021 commentary on ginger for migraine points out that ginger's chemical constituents vary by source and extract, so a study of one extract can only really be applied to that extract. A juice blend is a different thing again.

What did the ginger trials find?

Some encouraging results at two hours, in an overall picture that's still developing.

The newest and widest look at the field is more cautious. That review of eight trials and 594 patients, in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, rated the evidence low to very low certainty and read the emergency department result as perhaps making little or no difference to severity. Its authors called ginger "currently too uncertain" as either an acute or a preventive treatment, though they did find it may reduce severity at three months when added to an active drug.

Prevention on its own hasn't gone as well. In a three-month trial of 107 people, 200mg of dry ginger extract three times a day did no better than placebo.

How does a shot compare with the doses in those trials?

It can't be compared directly.

The Brazilian trials used extracts with a stated 5% active content. Our shots list ginger root as a percentage of a juice blend, at 15% in Raw Turmeric & Ginger and 30% in Raw Turmeric & XTRA Ginger. No published work converts one into the other, so a trial result can't be read across to a bottle, in either direction.

What does help a migraine?

The NHS starts with painkillers taken early, then stronger medicines if you need them.

Taking ibuprofen or paracetamol as soon as the headache starts is its first suggestion, with triptans, gepants, and anti-sickness medicines as further options. It also says to try not to take painkillers on more than 2 days a week. If attacks are frequent, a GP can talk you through preventive medicines, along with acupuncture, relaxation, and vitamin B2.

The Migraine Trust's page on supplements lists riboflavin, magnesium, and co-enzyme Q10, says the evidence is often limited, and asks you to check with a GP, pharmacist, or specialist before starting one. Ginger isn't on that list. The NHS also suggests regular meals and staying hydrated, and a migraine diary is the way to learn what affects you.

Is a ginger shot safe if you get migraines?

Check first if you take regular medicines, and know ginger's own side effects.

Dose comes first here. Nearly all the interactions reported for turmeric relate to medicinal doses or concentrated curcumin supplements, and a juiced shot carries far less curcuminoid than an extract capsule. Evidence on drinks specifically is limited, though, and the Welsh Medicines Advice Service describes the wider evidence as mostly lab and animal work. So if you take prescription medicines, speak to your pharmacist or GP before a shot becomes a regular thing.

Ginger has its own points to raise. A review of foods and herbs that interact with warfarin names it among those that may raise bleeding risk, and our guide to ginger shot side effects covers stomach upset and the other things to look out for.

When does a headache need urgent care?

The NHS says to call 999 or go to A&E, and not to drive yourself, if a headache:

• came on suddenly and is extremely painful
• comes with problems speaking or remembering things
• comes with loss of vision, or blurred or double vision
• leaves you drowsy or confused, or comes with a seizure
• comes with a very high temperature and symptoms of meningitis
• leaves you unable to move, or with weakness in your arms or legs on one side or on one side of your face
• follows a recent head injury

See a GP urgently or call 111 if an attack has lasted longer than 72 hours, if an aura lasts longer than 1 hour, or if you're pregnant or have just had a baby and get migraine symptoms. See your GP if attacks are getting worse, come more than once a week, or are hard to control.

Where does a shot fit if you get migraines?

As an everyday habit that has nothing to do with treating an attack.

We don't sell a pure ginger shot, and every bottle we make is led by turmeric. Raw Turmeric & Ginger has ginger root and raw turmeric root at 15% each, in a cold-crushed, whole watermelon-based blend with pineapple, lemon, pomegranate, magnesium, and vitamin C, plus our trade-secret BioMax Uptake Blend®, which includes black pepper, at a 0.1% inclusion. If you're a ginger superfan, Raw Turmeric & XTRA Ginger has ginger at 30%.

Neither has been tested for migraine. Our guide to what a ginger shot is covers what the gingerols in ginger do.

The takeaway

The evidence on ginger and migraine is still developing, and it comes from powders and extracts rather than drinks. So a ginger shot for migraine isn't something to rely on, and your usual treatment stays where it is.

If you like the taste of ginger and want something easy to keep up every day, a morning Raw Turmeric & Ginger is the shot we'd pick.

Frequently asked questions