Introduction
Ginger is a plant that is used in cooking and baking. The underground stem has been used to prevent nausea and ease swelling in joints. Ginger can be applied to the skin as an oil or cream. It can also be taken as a pill, powder, or extract. Ginger is also made into teas or used as a paste.
Dosages
1 to 4 grams daily
What Research Shows
Likely Effective
- High Cholesterol —likely to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides D1, D2
- Menstrual cramps —likely to ease symptoms and pain E1, E2
- Nausea—likely to ease symptoms and prevent vomiting G1, G2
- Osteoarthritis —likely to ease symptoms and improve mobility I1, I2
- Pain—likely to ease pain J1, J2
- Morning Sickness in Pregnancy —likely to ease morning sickness K1-K7
May Be Effective
- Athletic performance —may quicken recovery A1
- Diabetes —may lower blood glucose levels B1, B2
- Heavy menstrual bleeding—may reduce length of time menstruating C1
Not Enough Data to Assess
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Safety Notes
It is likely safe to use ginger on the skin and to take it orally in small doses for a short time. Not enough studies have been done to say whether it is safe to use for a long period. It is also not known whether it is safe to take by women who are breastfeeding.
Interactions
Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse.
References
REFA Athletic Performance
REFA1 Wilson PB. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) as an Analgesic and Ergogenic Aid in Sport: A Systemic Review. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Oct;29(10):2980-2995.
REFB Diabetes
REFB1 Mozaffari-Khosravi H, Talaei B, et al. The effect of ginger powder supplementation on insulin resistance and glycemic indices in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Complement Ther Med. 2014;22(1):9-16.
REFB2 Huang FY, Deng T, et al. Dietary ginger as traditional therapy for blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(13):e15054.
REFC Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
REFC1 Javan R, Yousefi M, et al. Herbal Medicines in Idiopathic Heavy Menstrual Bleeding: A Systematic Review. Phytother Res. 2016 Oct;30(10):1584-1591.
REFD High Cholesterol
REFD1 Hasani-Ranjbar S, Nayebi N, et al. The efficacy and safety of herbal medicines used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia; a systematic review. Curr Pharm Des. 2010;16(26):2935-2947.
REFD2 Pourmasoumi M, Hadi A, et al. The effect of ginger supplementation on lipid profile: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Phytomedicine. 2018 Apr 1;43:28-36.
REFE Menstrual Cramps
REFE1 Daily JW, Zhang X, et al. Efficacy of Ginger for Alleviating the Symptoms of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Pain Med. 2015;16(12):2243-2255.
REFE2 Pattanittum P, Kunyanone N, et al. Dietary supplements for dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Mar 22;3:CD002124.
REFF Metabolic Syndrome
REFF1 van den Driessche JJ, Plat J, et al. Effects of superfoods on risk factors of metabolic syndrome: a systematic review of human intervention trials. Food Funct. 2018 Apr 25;9(4):1944-1966.
REFG Nausea
REFG1 Marx WM, Teleni L, et al. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a systematic literature review. Nutr Rev. 2013 Apr;71(4):245-254.
REFG2 Tóth B, Lantos T, et al. Ginger (Zingiber officinale): An alternative for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. A meta-analysis. Phytomedicine. 2018;50:8-18.
REFH Obesity
REFH1 Ebrahimzadeh Attari V, Malek Mahdavi A, et al. A systematic review of the anti-obesity and weight lowering effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and its mechanisms of action. Phytother Res. 2018 Apr;32(4):577-585.
REFI Osteoarthritis
REFI1 Bartels EM, Folmer VN, et al. Efficacy and safety of ginger in osteoarthritis patients: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2015;23(1):13-21.
REFI2 Del Grossi Moura M, Lopes LC, et al. Oral herbal medicines marketed in Brazil for the treatment of osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2017 Nov;31(11):1676-1685.
REFJ Pain
REFJ1 Terry R, Posadzki P, et al. The use of ginger (Zingiber officinale) for the treatment of pain: a systematic review of clinical trials. Pain Med. 2011 Dec;12(12):1808-1818.
REFJ2 Lakhan SE, Ford CT, et al. Zingiberaceae extracts for pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr J. 2015 May 14;14:50.
REFK Pregnancy Support
REFK1 Chaiyakunapruk N, Kitikannakorn N, et al. The efficacy of ginger for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting: a meta-analysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2006 Jan;194(1):95-99.
REFK2 Thomson M, Corbin R, et al. Effects of ginger for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a meta-analysis. J Am Board Fam Med. 2014;27(1):115-122.
REFK3 Viljoen E, Visser J, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect and safety of ginger in the treatment of pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting. Nutr J. 2014 Mar 19;13:20.
REFK4 Matthews A, Haas DM, et al. Interventions for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Sep 8;(9):CD007575.
REFK5 McParlin C, O'Donnell A, et al. Treatments for Hyperemesis Gravidarum and Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review. JAMA. 2016 Oct 4;316(13):1392-1401.
REFK6 O'Donnell A, McParlin C, et al. Treatments for hyperemesis gravidarum and nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: a systematic review and economic assessment. Health Technol Assess. 2016 Oct;20(74):1-268.
REFK7 Sridharan K, Sivaramakrishnan G. Interventions for treating nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: a network meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of randomized clinical trials. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol. 2018 Nov;11(11):1143-1150.