What spice helps with nausea and motion sickness?

Ginger is the spice commonly used to help relieve nausea and motion sickness.

Ginger comes from the rhizome of Zingiber officinale, a flowering plant native to Southeast Asia. Its pungent compounds, including gingerols and shogaols, may influence digestive activity and signals involved in nausea. Ginger has been used in traditional medicine for more than 2,000 years and is often taken as tea, capsules, crystallized pieces, or fresh root.

It is especially associated with travel-related nausea, pregnancy-related morning sickness, and mild digestive upset. However, studies on motion sickness have produced mixed results: some report benefit, while others find little difference from a placebo. That means ginger is a familiar supportive remedy, not a guaranteed cure or substitute for medical treatment.

A common mix-up is confusing ginger with peppermint, which is also traditionally used for stomach discomfort. Ginger is the canonical quiz answer because it is the spice most strongly associated with nausea and motion sickness.