Brattleboro, VT (February 22, 2003) — A new medical study offers good news for expectant mothers facing the difficult choice of treating the nausea and vomiting of early pregnancy with things like soda, crackers or crushed ice, which are only marginally helpful, or trying prescription or over-the-counter medications, which may have potential side effects.

The September/October issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine features results from a new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, hospital-based, human clinical study conducted by obstetricians Angela Keating, M.D. and Ronald Chez, M.D., which indicates that Ginger Honey Tonic is a safe and effective way to treat nausea and vomiting associated with morning sickness. Ginger Honey Tonic‘ is made by New Chapter Inc. of Brattleboro, Vermont.

In an article entitled, “Ginger Syrup as an Antiemetic in Early Pregnancy,” Dr. Keating and Dr. Chez summarize results of a study they conducted over a six-month period with 26 women ages 24-37 in their first twelve weeks of pregnancy. In the study, women were chosen at random to use New Chapter’s Ginger Honey Tonic™ or a “placebo” syrup. Neither group of women was aware of the use of the placebo product. They were asked to rate their symptoms and how they felt on a 10-point scale at regular intervals.

The study found significant reductions in both nausea and vomiting in the group using the Ginger Honey Tonic vs. the placebo-control group. For example, 77% of the Ginger Honey Tonic group experienced a dramatic 4-point or greater improvement on the nausea scale within 9 days. These findings led the researchers to conclude that “1 g of ginger in syrup or capsules ingested daily in divided doses appears to be a reasonable and safe option in the treatment of nausea in early pregnancy.” Equally important, there were no adverse effects to the suggested use of New Chapter's Ginger Honey Tonic during pregnancy.

“At New Chapter, we believe in the safety and effectiveness of the whole food or herb, not in isolating a single substance,” says Paul Schulick, CEO of New Chapter and author of Ginger: Common Spice & Wonder Drug (Hohm Press 1996). “The key ingredient in our Ginger Honey Tonic is the potency-assured juice of blue-ring ginger, which offers a unique representation of protein-digesting enzymes and other health-promoting ginger compounds. This blue-ring ginger is grown organically on New Chapter’s farm in Costa Rica, without the use of any toxic chemical fungicides, pesticides, or fertilizers commonly used in the conventional farming of ginger.”

“I have had the opportunity to benefit from the safe relief provided by Ginger Honey Tonic first-hand,” explains Kelli Rooney of Brattleboro, VT, who gave birth to a baby girl three months ago. “The Ginger Honey Tonic is easy to mix with either warm water as a tea or cold sparkling water to make a natural ginger ale. It’s delicious, it works, and it’s affordable!”

“We are gratified with our Ginger Honey Tonic’s performance in the study. Since it was conducted as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and human clinical study, it is really the scientific confirmation desired by obstetricians and other health-care practitioners when treating pregnant women,” explains Schulick. “We feel this research also helps demonstrate the value of our Ginger Honey Tonic in reducing nausea that may arise from a variety of causes, from simple motion sickness to nausea as a side-effect of other medical problems or treatment regimens such as chemo and radiation therapy.”

Morning sickness is a common experience with an estimated 60-80 percent of all women experiencing nausea and /or vomiting during their first trimester of pregnancy.

In addition to compromising expectant mothers’ daily functioning and quality of life, in more severe cases, morning sickness can also lead to weight loss, malnutrition or other more serious health complications for the mother and developing child.

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About The Researchers
Angela Keating, M.D. and Dr. Ronald Chez, M.D. are faculty in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The University of South Florida. Dr. Chez is also the Director of the Samueli Institute for Information Biology in Corona Del Mar, California.

About the Study
A total of twenty-six women were enrolled in the trial, with 14 in the study group and 12 in the placebo group. The study dosage was 4 tablespoons of New Chapter’s Ginger Honey Tonic.

Alternative Therapies, September/October 2002, Volume 8 No. 5 “Ginger Syrup As An Antiemetic In Early Pregnancy”

About New Chapter
Since 1983, New Chapter, Inc. has created more than 90 high quality vitamin and herbal dietary supplements that are sold at natural food stores and groceries throughout the country. The company is headquartered in Brattleboro, VT and Santa Ynez des Peñas Blancas, Costa Rica, where it grows the organic ginger used in the Ginger Honey Tonic used in the medical study. New Chapter’s organic spice farm in Costa Rica is located near the Children’s International Rainforest, and the farm has been recognized as a world model for sustainable organic rainforest agriculture.

For additional information regarding the scientific studies on and the traditional uses of ginger, see Ginger: Common Spice and Wonder Drug (Hohm Press 1996) and Beyond Aspirin (Hohm Press 2000), available at bookstores, natural product retailers, and on line at http://www.amazon.com. For further information about the ginger/nausea medical study or New Chapter, contact Dean Draznin Communications, 641-472-2257 or 561-445-8715, or visit New Chapter’s website at http://www/newchapter.info.