Prevent seasickness without side effects - Ask the experts: answers to your questions from the leaders in natural medicine - Brief Article

Natural Health, August, 2003 by Laurel Vukovic

I'm going on a cruise. What herb can I take to prevent seasickness?

LAUREL VUKOVIC REPLIES: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is the best-known and most well-studied herbal remedy for preventing and treating seasickness. Studies show it works better than Dramamine, the over-the-counter drug commonly used to treat motion sickness. Dramamine often has side effects like drowsiness, dizziness, and headaches--and ginger doesn't.

Take 500 mg of powdered ginger capsules with water one hour before traveling and then 500 mg every two to four hours as long as needed. You can also chew on a slice of fresh gingerroot or a piece of crystallized ginger to relieve your symptoms. Look for ginger capsules and crystallized ginger in natural food stores; fresh ginger is in your produce aisle. I've even found that slowly eating a couple of small gingersnap cookies works well to relieve motion sickness.

LAUREL VUKOVIC is an herbalist in Ashland, Ore. She is the author of Herbal Healing Secrets for Women (Prentice Hall, 2000). Her most recent book is The Journal of Desire (Prentice Hall, 2001).