The calming effects of ginger oil on juvenile pacu fish
Researchers from Brazil conducted an interesting study. This study investigated whether the oil from ginger root (called essential oil of Zingiber officinale or EOZO) could calm or even anesthetize juvenile pacu fish (1).
- Calming them down (sedation): The researchers found that low doses (30 mg per liter of water) of ginger oil acted like a sedative for the fish. This means the fish were less active and likely used less oxygen during transport.
- Putting them to sleep (anesthesia): Higher doses (200 mg per liter) were strong enough to actually anesthetize the fish, making them completely numb and unconscious. This could be useful for procedures like surgery.
The good news is that the ginger oil didn't seem to harm the fish in any way. The researchers checked their blood and tissues and found the oil disappeared quickly, and the fish health remained good.
Overall, this study suggests ginger oil could be a safe and natural way to calm or anesthetize fish, especially during transport or procedures. It would be interesting to see if ginger also has such sedative effect on human. Here is one study:
Researchers from Thailand compared the effect of ginger and vitamin B6 for treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, a randomized double-blind controlled trial of 126 pregnant women. In the study, the pregnant women took either 650 mg of ginger or 25 mg of vitamin B6, 3 times a day for 4 days. Then, they assessed the degree of nausea and vomiting. The study showed the effect of nausea and vomiting reduction. And they found some minor side effects such as sedation, heartburn and arrhythmia. (2)
Yes, the study shows ginger might have a sedation effect. But, the sedation could be caused by the ginger itself or the interaction with the pregnant women's bodies, and the percentage of people experiencing sedation is relatively low (about 25%).
Reference
(1) Anuzhia Paiva Moreira et al, Efficacy of essential oil from ginger (Zingiber officinale) for anesthesia and transport sedation of pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus), Fish Physiol Biochem. 2024 Apr 17. doi: 10.1007/s10695-024-01346-1.
(2) Porndee Chittumma et al, Comparison of the effectiveness of ginger and vitamin B6 for treatment of nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a randomized double-blind controlled trial. J. Med. Assoc. Thai. 2007 Jan;90(1):15-20.