Table of Contents
Pregnancy-Induced Nausea
- In 2005 Obstetrics and Gynecology published a meta-analysis of 6 studies which tested the efficacy of ginger in reducing pregnancy-related nausea. The researchers found that 4 of the 6 studies showed that ginger was more effective than a placebo. [Source]
- In 2000 the British Journal of Anaesthesia published a review of 6 studies and concluded that ginger was more effective than a placebo in treating pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. [Source]
- In 2014 the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine published a meta-analysis of 6 studies which included 508 patients. The researchers found that the use of at least 1 gram of ginger per day for at least 4 days was associated with a 5-fold likelihood of reduced nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. [Source]
- In 2014 Nutrition Journal published a review including 12 randomized control trials totaling 1278 patients. Based on this data researchers determined that ginger significantly reduced nausea compared to a placebo. [Source]
Diabetes
- In 2015 the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research published a double-blind study in which 41 type 2 diabetic patients were assigned to 2 grams/day ginger powder or a placebo for 12 weeks. Results showed that ginger powder improved fasting blood sugar, A1C and other important benchmarks in diabetics when compared to baseline levels and to a placebo. The authors also noted that ginger the reduced risk of chronic complications associated with type 2 diabetes. [Source]
- In 2015 the Journal of Complementary & Integrative Medicine published a double-blind study in which 2 diabetes patients who did not receive insulin were assigned to either 3 grams/day powdered ginger or a placebo for 3 months. Patients who received ginger showed improved glycemic indices and antioxidant status compared to patients receiving a placebo. [Source]
Reduced Soreness after Exercise
- In 2015 the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research published a review of 7 studies which tested ginger as a pain reliever. The evidence showed that 2 grams of ginger per day was an effective but modest pain reliever for soreness associated with prolonged running or resistance exercise when taken for at least 5 days. Some evidence also revealed that ginger was able to reduce recovery time after resistance exercise due to it’s anti-inflammatory properties. [Source]
- In 2010 The Journal of Pain published 2 double-blind, identical studies in which 34 and 40 volunteers were assigned to 2 grams of either raw or heated ginger respectively or a placebo. Results showed that both raw and heated ginger consumed for 11 days was effective in reducing muscle pain caused by resistance exercise. [Source]
- In 2010 Phytotherapy Research published a double-blind, crossover study involving 27 participants which that found that a single 2 gram dose of ginger did not reduce exercise-induced muscle pain taken when compared to a placebo. [Source]
- In 2015 Phytotherapy Research published a study in which 20 subjects consumed 4 grams of ginger or a placebo for a 5-day period before performing a high-intensity exercise protocol. Twenty-four hours post-exercise one repetition maximum lift decreased significantly in both groups. Forty-eight hours after exercise, one repetition maximum lift increased in the ginger group only, indicating that ginger accelerated recovery of muscle strength after intense exercise. [Source]
Osteoarthritis
- In 2014 Journal of Holistic Nursing published a study in which 7 days of treatment with a topical ginger compress or a ginger patch was able to reduce pain by 48 percent, fatigue by 49 percent, and increase functionality by 31 percent in 20 patients with chronic osteoarthritis. [Source]
Osteoarthritis of the Knee
- In 2001 Arthritis and Rheumatism published a 6-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 247 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Results showed that a highly purified and standardized ginger extract was able to produce a moderate reduction in symptoms with good safety profile. [Source]
- In 2013 the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology published a 12-week study involving 60 patients which found that 750 mg/day ginger combined with the NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) diclofenac was more effective than either ginger or the NSAID alone in treating osteoarthritis of the knee. [Source]
- In 2011 the Pakistan Journal of Biologicacl Sciences published a double-blind study in which 92 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee used a topical ointment containing ginger or a salicylate ointment twice daily. After 6 weeks the ginger group saw a decrease in pain and morning stiffness comparable with salicylate ointment. [Source]
Rheumatoid Arthritis
- In 2013 the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases published an animal study which found that ginger and turmeric were effective in reducing rheumatoid arthritis severity and complications. [Source]
Liver Cancer
- In 2008 Clinics published an animal study that found that ginger extract provided a significant reduction in inflammation in rats with liver cancer. [Source]
Prostate Cancer
- In 2012 Nutrition Journal published an animal study which found that feeding rats 100mg/kg/body weight ginger daily was able to reduce prostate tumor progression by 56 percent. [Source]
Chemotherapy-Related Nausea
- In 2012 Support Care Cancer published a double-blind trial which tested the effects of a placebo vs three different doses of ginger in 744 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The result was a significant reduction in nausea at all doses when compared to the placebo, with the most effective doses being .5 grams – 1 gram per day. [Source]
- In 2012 the Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research published a double-blind clinical trial in which 80 women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy were given 1 gram of ginger or a placebo daily for 6 days, beginning 3 days before the start of chemotherapy. Ginger, accompanied by the routine antiemetic treatment, reduced chemotherapy-induced vomiting significantly more than a placebo. [Source]
Ovarian Cancer
- In 2007 BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine published an in vitro study which found that ginger prevented ovarian cancer cell growth and may have potential in the prevention of ovarian cancer. [Source]
Pancreatic Cancer
- In 2015 the Public Library of Science published an in vitro study which demonstrated that ginger extract induced cell death to human pancreatic cancer cells. [Source]
Memory and dementia
- In 2014 Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications published an animal study which found that 6-shogaol – the active component in ginger – may be useful in reducing memory-impairment in mice with dementia. [Source]
Improved Memory and Cognitive Function
- In 2012 Evidence-Based and Complementary Medicine published a 2-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study which evaluated the cognitive effect of 400 mg/day and 800 mg/day ginger extract 60 healthy middle-aged women. Compared to the placebo group participants in the ginger groups scored significantly better on a battery of tests that evaluated memory and cognitive function. [Source]
Protection Against Stroke
- In 2011 Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine published an animal study which found that rats treated with ginger 14 days before and 21 days after an induced stroke showed improved cognitive function and antioxidant levels in the brain and decreased dead brain tissue, leading the researchers to conclude that ginger may help protect against strokes. [Source]
Reduced Hunger
- In 2012 Metabolism published a study which found that 2 grams ginger powder dissolved in hot water taken with breakfast was able to increase satiety, control hunger and reduce food intake for 3 hours. [Source]
Treats Dysmenorrhea
- In 2009 the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published a double-blind clinical trial in which 150 female students with primary dysmenorrhea took 250 mg ginger rhizome powder, 400 mg ibuprofen or 250 mg mefenamic acid 4 times per day for 3 days from the start of their menstrual period. Ginger was found to be as effective in relieving dysmenorrhea-related pain as as ibuprofen or mefenamic acid. [Source]
- In 2015 Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics published a study which compared 250 mg ginger every 6 hours with to 250 mg of mefenamic acid every 8 hours (both from the onset of menstruation) on 122 students with moderate to severe primary dysmenorrhea. Ginger was found to be as effective as mefenamic acid without any adverse effects. [Source]
Lowers Cholesterol
- In 2008 Saudi Medical Journal published a double-blind clinical trial which showed that 3 grams/day ginger for 45 days was able to significantly reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol in a group of 45 patients with high cholesterol when compared to a placebo group of 40 patients. [Source]
Protects Against Gum Disease
- In 2008 Phytotherapy Research published an in vitro study which found that ginger possesses antibacterial activity against 3 types of bacteria which cause periodontal disease. [Source]
Respiratory Infections
- In 2013 the Journal of Ethnopharmacology published an in vitro study which found that fresh, but not dried, ginger was effective in inhibiting the formation of HRSV-induced plaque – a type of virus that causes respiratory infections – by blocking the virus from attaching to the airways. [Source]
Antibacterial Activity
- In 2012 the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine published an in vitro study which found ginger to possess antibacterial activity against multi-drug-resistant pathogens. [Source]