Ginger for painful periods: what the studies say

Dysmenorrhea (painful periods) affects 50-90% of women. Ginger is one of the most studied natural remedies for this condition.

Clinical results

Study	Design	Result
Ozgoli et al., 2009	RCT, ginger vs mefenamic acid	Comparable efficacy
Rahnama et al., 2012	RCT, 120 women	Significant pain reduction
Daily et al., 2015 (meta-analysis)	6 combined RCTs	Ginger superior to placebo

Recommended dosage

750mg to 2g per day, starting 2 days before periods and continuing for 3 days. Divide into 3-4 doses per day.

Mechanism

Prostaglandins (produced by COX-2) are responsible for uterine cramps. Ginger inhibits COX-2, reducing prostaglandin production — the same mechanism as ibuprofen, without the gastric side effects.

Sugar worsens menstrual pain

Sugar increases systemic inflammation and prostaglandins. A ginger shot with 34g of sugar can worsen cramps instead of relieving them.

INTI — ginger + turmeric + turmeric-2026">black pepper, zero sugar. Turmeric is also a documented prostaglandin inhibitor.