Medical Oncologist
Nausea and sickness
Ginger, lemon and home remedies for nausea
Some home remedies genuinely help with mild nausea, and ginger has the most behind it, though the studies are mixed and the effect is modest. Alongside proper anti-sickness medicine it is reasonable; instead of it, it is not. A few concentrated herbal preparations can interfere with treatment, which is why this page separates them rather than endorsing kitchen remedies generally.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
17+specialists on panel
15,000+patients treated
35+centres across Telangana & AP
4.8★ / 800+Google rating
The short answer
Do ginger and lemon actually help with chemotherapy sickness?
Some home remedies genuinely help with mild nausea, and ginger has the most behind it of any of them. The studies are mixed rather than conclusive, and the effect is modest. Used alongside proper anti-sickness medicine, it is reasonable. Used instead of it, it is not.
Others do nothing beyond being pleasant, which is not worthless when someone feels wretched. And a few — concentrated herbal preparations in particular — can interfere with treatment, which is the reason this page exists rather than a general endorsement of kitchen remedies.
The rule that matters
Ordinary cooking with ginger, lemon, mint and ajwain is not something to worry about. Concentrated supplements, capsules, strong extracts and ayurvedic or herbal preparations are a different matter entirely. Tell your oncologist about those and take the packet.
If you are already taking something, do not stop it in a panic. Mention it at the next appointment so it can be checked.Separating them out
What has something behind it, and what does not
Worth trying alongside your medicines
Pleasant, but do not expect much
Ginger in ordinary cooking amounts, or as ginger tea
Fizzy drinks, which often make things worse rather than better
Cool lemon water, or simply smelling a cut lemon
Very sweet sherbets and packaged juices
Dry plain food first thing, before getting up
Heavy or fried food, however tempting when appetite returns
Ice chips sucked slowly, and cool drinks
Hot drinks, which carry more smell
Fresh air, and keeping away from cooking smells
Strong incense or perfume used to mask smells
Ajwain or saunf after food, if it suits you
Concentrated herbal capsules — ask before taking any
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistThe things that work best
Practical measures, in rough order of usefulness
Most of what helps at home is about smell, temperature and timing rather than any ingredient.
Take the medicine properly first
Nothing here substitutes for anti-sickness medicine taken preventively on the schedule you were given, rather than only when sickness has already started. Most apparent failures are timing failures.
Check
- Are you taking it on schedule?
- Is it staying down?
Get rid of the smells
Cooking smells are the commonest trigger. Cook with a window open, let someone else cook, serve food cool, and keep the person out of the kitchen. This helps more than any remedy.
Masking smells with incense or perfume usually makes it worse, not better.Never let the stomach get empty
For most people an empty stomach worsens sickness. Something dry and plain before getting up, then small amounts every couple of hours through the day.
Serve everything cool
Cool food carries far less smell and is easier to face. Curd rice, kanji, buttermilk, cold milk. Let hot dishes stand until they are no longer steaming.
Ginger, in ordinary amounts
Fresh ginger in tea, in cooking, or a small piece chewed. Reasonable to try. Ask before taking ginger capsules or strong extracts, which are a different thing from ginger in food.
Rest, but sit up
Lying flat straight after eating worsens sickness and acidity. Sitting propped for a while afterwards, with fresh air, suits most people better than going to bed.
!
Some things must be checked before you take them
Concentrated turmeric or curcumin, green tea extract, ashwagandha, giloy, high-dose antioxidant vitamins and many herbal or ayurvedic preparations can change how chemotherapy works in the body. Ordinary cooking with these spices is not the concern; capsules and strong extracts are. Take the packet to your oncologist before starting anything. And no home remedy is ever the answer to a fever — that needs an emergency department the same day.
Worth understanding
Why families reach for remedies in the first place
Usually because there is nothing else to do. The treatment is decided by the hospital, the scans are weeks away, and the person at home is visibly suffering. Making ginger tea is an action, and doing something is what everyone needs. That instinct is worth respecting rather than dismissing.
Where it goes wrong
It goes wrong in two places. The first is when a remedy becomes a reason not to report sickness that is not under control, so a fortnight passes with someone eating almost nothing while the household tries another preparation. The second is money — families spend heavily on imported products sold with claims about immunity and recovery that have nothing behind them.
A better use of the same instinct
The things that genuinely help at home are unglamorous: dealing with cooking smells, keeping something small in the stomach through the day, serving everything cool, and making sure the anti-sickness medicine is actually being taken on schedule. None of them cost anything and all of them do more than a bottle from a shop.
Keeping the family involved
If relatives want to help, give them a job that matters — keeping the fridge stocked with curd and buttermilk, doing the cooking away from the patient, keeping the daily record, or taking over the toilet and mouth care routines. That is far more useful than another remedy, and it answers the same need.
Tell your team what is being used at home, including anything a relative has brought. It is not a confession; it is information they need.Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you that any of these will work for you. The evidence for ginger is the best of a modest set, and even that is mixed. Nausea during chemotherapy varies enormously between people, and what settles one person does nothing for another.
It also cannot tell you that a particular preparation is safe alongside your treatment. Interactions depend on the drugs you are on, and for many herbal products the interactions are genuinely not well studied. That uncertainty is itself the reason to ask rather than assume.
What it should not be used for
Do not use home remedies to get through a cycle instead of telling your team the sickness is not controlled. There are several classes of anti-sickness medicine and many combinations, and enduring a bad cycle quietly is what leads to weight loss, dehydration and delays.
What to do next
Check first that the anti-sickness medicine is being taken preventively on schedule. Deal with the cooking smells and keep something small in the stomach through the day. Try ginger and cool lemon water if they appeal. And take every supplement in the house to your next appointment.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about home remedies
Does ginger really work?
It has more evidence behind it than any other home remedy for nausea, though the studies are mixed and the effect is modest. As ginger tea or ginger in cooking it is reasonable to try alongside your medicines. Ginger capsules and strong extracts are a different matter — ask your team first.
Is it safe to take turmeric supplements?
Turmeric in ordinary cooking is fine. Concentrated curcumin supplements are not something to start without asking, because they can affect how some chemotherapy drugs are handled by the body. Take the packet to your oncologist rather than deciding from the label.
What about ayurvedic or homeopathic medicines?
Tell your oncologist about every one of them and take the packet. Several interact with chemotherapy, some affect the liver, and contents are not always fully listed. This is not a dismissal of traditional medicine — it is that two active treatments running at once need to be known about.
Do fizzy drinks settle the stomach?
Many people believe so, and during chemotherapy they often make things worse — the gas adds to bloating and the sugar can worsen loose motions. Cool plain water, buttermilk, coconut water or weak ginger tea are usually better. Ice chips suit people who cannot manage a drink at all.
Is there any harm in trying things?
For food and drink in ordinary amounts, no. The harm comes from two places: concentrated supplements that may interfere with treatment, and using remedies as a reason not to report sickness that is not under control. Both are avoidable with one conversation.
Relatives keep suggesting things. How do I handle it?
Accept graciously, set anything in packet or capsule form aside, and say the doctor has asked to check anything new. That is true and it ends most discussions. Food-based suggestions are usually harmless and worth humouring if they get something down.
Can acupressure bands help?
Some people find them helpful and they carry no real risk, so they are reasonable to try alongside medicines. The evidence is mixed. Mention it to your team if you are using one, and do not let it become a reason to delay reporting sickness that is not controlled.
My mother refuses tablets and wants only home remedies. What now?
Find out why she is refusing, because it is often a side effect she has not mentioned or a belief the tablets are harmful. Tell the team — the medicine can usually be changed. Home remedies alone will not control significant sickness, and the weight loss and dehydration that follow cause real harm.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
Book Free ConsultationBook an appointment with our specialist
Share your name and number — we'll call you back within 30 minutes to schedule your consultation.
Patient stories
Hear it from people we have treated
Every story is a video, in the patient's own words. Nothing here is a written testimonial.
Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Nausea and Vomiting Related to Cancer Treatment (PDQ)
- Cancer Research UK — Complementary and alternative therapies
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Feeling sick and being sick
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Talk to us
Want something checked against your treatment?
Tell us what has been found so far and we will help you reach the right specialist. One helpline serves every CION centre.