How Ginger Pops Help Relieve Nausea

Nausea is a complex problem, and there are several factors that contribute to this process.  One fact that science agrees on is that there is a "nausea center" in the midbrain known as the Chemoreceptor Trigger Zone (CTZ).  This center is rich in different receptors, and when a compound binds to these receptors, messages or signals are sent up the midbrain to different locations in the cortex of the brain to produce the sensation of nausea. Modern medicine's best effort to prevent or treat this is to block these receptors with medications in the CTZ and decrease the signals that are sent to the brain.  

Gingerpops work in two ways:  An initial or immediate mechanism of action and then a delayed benefit once the ginger is absorbed.  Ginger breaks down into Gingerol and Shogaols.  These compounds block 4 of the different receptors located in the CTZ.  Muscarinic (M1), Histaminergic (H1), Serotonergic (5HT), and Neurokinin (NK1) Substance P.  By blocking these receptors, there are less signals sent up the midbrain to the cerebral cortex and less sensations of nausea.  

The immediate anti-nausea effects of Gingerpops have to do with the strong taste and cold sensations distracting or competing with the secondary messengers of nausea.  After a compound binds to the CTZ there is an activation of a signal that travels up structures in the midbrain to specific locations in the cerebral cortex.  This is known as the post-receptor signal transduction mechanism. This can also be referred to as the secondary messenger of nausea.  It so happens that the sensation of taste from the tongue travels up almost the exact same pathway. The strong taste and cold sensations essentially compete with the secondary messengers of the nausea signal, resulting in decreasing the nausea sensation or eliminating it.