Emily Coker's Career Portfolio

Dietary Supplement Analysis Report

Skill Area: General Nutrition

Assignment Title: The Effects of Ginger on Nausea in Pregnancy

What I learned: I developed an appreciation for the actual science behind the folk wisdom of many cultures around the world that use ginger to treat nausea. While people in ancient cultures were probably not aware that the volatile oils gingetol and shogaol are responsible for providing relief, people from India to the Caribbean have been using ginger to relieve nausea for centuries.

Reflection: This assignment reminded me that traditional or holistic herbal therapies are often valid methods of treatment that are overshadowed by modern medicine. I plan to use this knowledge to help achieve a balance between Western medicine and the ancient concept of using foods and herbal substances for treatment of both illnesses and unpleasant symptoms such as nausea.

Relevance: I personally suffer from severe motion sickness, especially during long car rides, and have used a variety of medicines and other treatments to keep my nausea under control on long trips. I discovered several years ago that ginger helps me when that awful queasy feeling starts to set in. After my own success with ginger as a treatment for nausea, I was excited to learn that in moderate amounts ginger is safe and helpful for pregnant women as well. I am delighted to have a reliable treatment to recommend for nausea that I have used personally.