Are Ginger Chews Good for You?

The Benefits of Ginger Chews

The Benefits of Ginger Chews
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Updated on August 7, 2025
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Ginger chews are made from pieces of real gingerroot, which means they contain its natural active ingredients. To make a basic ginger chew, manufacturers slice a syrup-preserved gingerroot, cook it in a sugar syrup, and then roll it in sugar.

You can also find ginger chews with a variety of flavorings, such as coffee, apples, and peanuts. In addition to ginger chews, ginger is available fresh, dried, pickled, preserved, or crystallized.

 Other forms include:

  • Ground ginger
  • Ginger extract (including dried powdered extract)
  • Capsules
  • Tablets
  • As an herbal tea prepared with crushed or minced gingerroot
  • As a beverage flavoring in smoothies or juices
  • Hard candies or crystallized as candy
  • Dietary supplements

Are Ginger Chews Good for You?

Ginger chews consist of real gingerroot, which means they provide its natural active ingredients. While it has multiple benefits, the central pillar of ginger’s reputation is as a remedy for nausea, especially during pregnancy.

 However, ginger may boast a range of other potential benefits outside of helping you feel less queasy.
According to StatPearls, gingerroot contains many compounds that can benefit health, including antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiemetic properties.

 Some preparations of ginger might also help reduce memory issues that often occur with aging. However, this research is in the early stages, and human studies are necessary to support this claim.

 The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health also suggests that some research has shown that ginger may help reduce the severity of menstrual cramps.

Despite the possible potency of gingerroot’s active compounds, strong evidence only supports its use as an anti-nausea remedy during pregnancy and menstrual cramps. Poor-quality research has also found that ginger dietary supplements may reduce knee osteoarthritis symptoms, but further, higher-quality studies are necessary.

Ginger Chew Benefits for Nausea Relief

Current scientific research supports the old-school advice to take ginger for feelings of nausea and vomiting, specifically during pregnancy.

 Researchers are still investigating exactly how ginger affects nausea and vomiting, but recent studies have put this down to the effects of ginger’s active compounds on signals in the body that trigger the feeling of nausea. In fact, ginger can interact with the same pathways as some nausea relief medications.

However, the jury’s still out on whether or not ginger can reduce nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy treatment or after surgery. Many studies of ginger’s effects on motion sickness have also concluded that it’s not especially helpful at reducing this type of nausea and vomiting.

These studies also used ginger supplements and extracts rather than chews.

 According to ConsumerLab, ginger chews provided the fewest active components of any ginger products they tested.

 This means they may not be the best way to access ginger’s potential benefits.

Antioxidant Properties and Cancer Prevention

Ginger is an abundant source of antioxidants, or chemicals that protect cells against damage. Unstable atoms in the body, known as free radicals, contribute to the development of various diseases. Antioxidants, such as those contained in ginger, lessen or even prevent the destructive effects of free radicals on your cells.

Studies indicate that the compounds in ginger can reduce inflammation by either activating or blocking specific pathways associated with the immune system.

These characteristics might also contribute to its potential to prevent cancer.
Various compounds in ginger have shown an ability to control unhealthy cell growth and limit the spread of cancer cells, such as shogaol. For example, 6-gingerols have suppressed uncontrolled, cancer-linked cell growth and the formation of new blood vessels that fuel tumors in studies.

Ginger and its components are effective against gastric, pancreatic, liver, colorectal, and cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer).

Studies have not yet examined how these effects translate to health effects in a living human, or a ginger chew rather than an extract. Researchers caution that ginger’s antioxidant or anti-inflammatory effects only become effective if you consume it in a certain amount, but also that no agreement exists on which unit to use for measuring ginger’s antioxidant properties.

This makes it difficult to draw any conclusions about the effects of ginger products with different processing methods.

 Plus, excessive daily sugar intake can trigger or worsen inflammation, and ginger chew products often add to your daily sugar intake.

Are Ginger Chews Good for You? Safety and Concerns

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health believes ginger to be generally safe when you use it as a spice, but it can trigger side effects in some people. These may include heartburn, gas, bloating, nausea, and mouth and throat irritation.

Be cautious about the number of ginger chews you eat, because you won’t know the amount of bioactive substances they contain. Since stores sell ginger chews as candy, they carry the standard nutrition facts label, which displays calories and nutrients but not the active ingredients.

Check the label on the chews you buy to see how much sugar they contain. Ginger chews typically contain approximately 3 grams of sugar per piece, although this may vary depending on the brand and product.

Takeaway

  • Research hasn’t examined ginger chews directly. However, strong evidence suggests that certain compounds in gingerroot may be effective in reducing nausea, menstrual cramps, and knee osteoarthritis.
  • These antioxidant compounds can also reduce inflammation and disrupt the growth and spread of cancer cells. Again, the direct benefit of candied ginger chews for this is unclear, and not enough human studies have taken place.
  • Due to labeling regulations, it’s not clear how many active compounds are available in ginger chews or what their therapeutic benefit might be.
  • If you’re trying to manage symptoms like nausea or menstrual cramps and seek integrative, herbal, or dietary options, consult with a healthcare professional.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Processing of Ginger Candy. Government of Meghalaya. August 24, 2023.
  2. Singletary K et al. Ginger Update: Potential Health Benefits. Nutrition Today. 2023.
  3. Modi M et al. Ginger Root. StatPearls. August 11, 2024.
  4. Ginger. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. February 2025.
  5. Matin M et al. Effects of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) on the Hallmarks of Aging. MDPI Biomolecules. August 2, 2024.
  6. Cooperman T. Ginger Supplements, Chews & Spices Review. ConsumerLab. March 13, 2025.
  7. Add antioxidants to your diet. Mayo Clinic. January 25, 2025.
  8. Ayustaningwarno F et al. A critical review of Ginger’s (Zingiber officinale) antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities. Frontiers in Nutrition. June 5, 2024.
  9. Ma X et al. Excessive intake of sugar: An accomplice of inflammation. Frontiers in Immunology. August 31, 2022.
  10. Ginger Chews. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.
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Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES

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Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988. 

Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today's Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press. She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state.

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