Ginger shot side effects, what's normal and who should check first

The first ginger shot most people try comes with a gasp, a cough, and a warm glow down the chest, which raises a fair question about what else it might be doing.

Ginger shot side effects are usually mild and digestive. The European Medicines Agency's assessment of ginger lists stomach upset, burping, indigestion, heartburn, and nausea as common, meaning they affect between 1 and 10 in every 100 people who take it. Most settle when you take it with food.

Key takeaways

• The common side effects are digestive: heartburn, burping, indigestion, and an upset stomach.
• The burn in your throat comes from gingerols, the compounds that give ginger its heat, and it's a sensation rather than a sign of harm.
• Taking a shot with breakfast, sipping it, and building up slowly prevents most discomfort.
• Anyone on blood thinners or glucose-lowering medicines, or who is pregnant or breastfeeding, should check with a pharmacist or GP first.
• Swelling, a rash, or difficulty breathing after ginger needs urgent medical help.

What are the most common ginger shot side effects?

Digestive ones, and they tend to be mild and short-lived.

The European Medicines Agency's herbal monograph for ginger, the assessment it publishes for herbal medicines used across the EU, names five gastrointestinal effects as common: stomach upset, eructation (burping), dyspepsia (indigestion), heartburn, and nausea. Nausea sounds odd on that list, given ginger's reputation for easing it, but a strong hit of something pungent on an empty stomach can unsettle anyone.

The trial evidence fits that picture. In a meta-analysis of ginger trials in people with osteoarthritis, participants taking ginger were more than twice as likely to drop out because of side effects as those on a placebo. The review recorded the dropouts rather than the reasons for them, so it tells you ginger doesn't suit everyone, not exactly why.

Why does a ginger shot burn?

Because of gingerols, and the burn is a feeling of heat rather than actual damage.

Gingerols are defined as the pungent compounds in fresh ginger root that give it its warmth. When ginger is dried or heated, some of them turn into shogaols, which are hotter still. Lab research has found that gingerols act on the same heat-sensing receptor as the capsaicin in chilli, and a later study found shogaols act on it more strongly. That's why a concentrated shot can feel fiery for a few seconds.

The intensity depends on how much ginger is in the bottle, which varies a lot between brands, so check the ingredients list. A shot built mainly on ginger will be hotter than one where ginger is part of a blend.

Can ginger upset your stomach?

It can for some people, though not by sitting heavily in it.

Ginger appears to move things along rather than slow them down. In a study of 24 healthy volunteers, ginger capsules taken after a fast roughly halved the time it took the stomach to empty half its contents, from 26.7 to 13.1 minutes, compared with a placebo. Discomfort is more likely to come from that concentrated warmth meeting an empty stomach, which is why food helps so much.

In pregnancy, where ginger has been studied most carefully for side effects, a review of 12 randomised trials found it didn't significantly raise the risk of heartburn or drowsiness.

Who should check before taking ginger shots?

People on certain medicines, anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone due an operation.

Start with the dose, because it shapes everything else. Most of what's known about ginger and medicines comes from concentrated supplements and herbal medicines, not from ginger in a food-based juice. The direct evidence on shots is limited, though, so if you take prescription medicines, speak to your pharmacist or GP before having one every day. The NHS guidance on herbal medicines makes the same point: not every herbal product suits everybody, and your healthcare professional needs to know what you take alongside your medicines.

Three groups deserve particular care:

• Anyone on warfarin, clopidogrel, or another blood thinner. A review in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology of 78 foods, herbs, and supplements listed ginger among those linked to a higher bleeding risk alongside warfarin, while noting that most can be safely taken in moderation. Ask before you make it a habit.
• Anyone on medicines that lower blood sugar. A meta-analysis of 14 trials found ginger lowered fasting glucose, which is welcome for most people but worth your pharmacist or GP knowing about if you're on diabetes treatment.
• Anyone with gallstones or an operation coming up, who should mention ginger to their GP or surgical team.

If you're pregnant, the picture is mixed in a way that's worth knowing about. The NHS suggests foods and drinks containing ginger for pregnancy sickness, and asks you to check with a pharmacist before taking ginger supplements. The European Medicines Agency is more cautious, preferring that ginger as a herbal medicine is avoided in pregnancy as a precaution, and not recommending it while breastfeeding. Your midwife, pharmacist, or GP can tell you what suits you.

When should you stop and get help?

If you have any sign of an allergic reaction, or symptoms that don't settle.

An allergy to ginger is the one thing the EMA lists as a reason never to take it. Swelling of the lips, face, or throat, a widespread rash, or difficulty breathing after ginger needs urgent help, so call 999. For heartburn or indigestion that keeps coming back even when you take ginger with food, stop, and see your GP if it carries on. Our guide to wellness shots and a sensitive stomach covers when stomach symptoms need looking at.

How do you take a ginger shot without the side effects?

With food, slowly, and at a pace your stomach agrees with.

Have it with breakfast rather than first thing on an empty stomach, sip it over a minute rather than throwing it back, and if you're new to ginger, start every other day for the first week. If heartburn is a pattern for you, avoid taking it just before bed. Our guide to how to take a turmeric shot has more on timing, and our guide to ginger shot benefits covers what ginger is good for.

Which of our ginger blends is gentler?

Raw Turmeric & Ginger, if you're watching the heat.

Raw Turmeric & Ginger puts ginger root and raw turmeric root at 15% each, in a cold-crushed, whole watermelon-based blend with pineapple, lemon, and pomegranate, plus magnesium and vitamin C for mobility support. It's the one to start with if a pure ginger hit has put you off before.

Raw Turmeric & XTRA Ginger is for ginger superfans. It doubles the ginger to 30% and adds chilli to its black pepper mix, so expect more warmth. Both carry our trade-secret BioMax Uptake Blend®, at a 0.1% inclusion.

We don't make a pure ginger shot. Every blend we make is led by turmeric, and independent researchers at Nottingham Trent University ran the first clinical trial of our Raw Turmeric Original with professional footballers, finding lower markers of inflammation and less soreness after matches. We're clearly not a neutral party, and it was a small study in athletes.

The takeaway

Ginger shot side effects are real but mostly mild: a burning throat, heartburn, burping, or an unsettled stomach, usually avoided by taking your shot with food and building up slowly. The people who should check first are those on blood thinners or diabetes medicines, anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone with gallstones or surgery booked.

For a daily habit that goes easy on the heat, Raw Turmeric & Ginger balances ginger with raw turmeric root in a fruit-based shot that's comfortable to have every morning with breakfast.

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