The Effect of Ginger and Cinnamon Consumption on Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a major side effect seen among cancer patients under chemotherapy. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) are among the traditional antiemetic drugs. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of oral consumption of ginger and cinnamon on CINV.

This study was designed as a double-blind randomized clinical trial. The target population was cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in medical centers affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of treatment (Ginger and Cinnamon) and Control. The effect of cinnamon and ginger combination on CINV was measured using the INVR (The index of nausea, vomiting and retching) questionnaire. Using the American Clinical Oncology Guideline, nausea levels from chemotherapy drugs was classified into three categories: high, medium and low.

Seventy-two patients in the control group and 65 patients in the treatment group (ginger and cinnamon) entered the final analysis. Comparisons made between the treatment and control groups was not statistically significant at first, but there was a statistically significant difference between the nausea score of the treatment group and the control group on days two and three as depicted by the standard questionnaire.

The combination of ginger and cinnamon is effective in controlling nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy. Most of the effect of ginger and cinnamon combination in reducing nausea and vomiting occurred on the second and third day after chemotherapy.