Ginger: Research
Overview
This page provides a curated overview of selected peer-reviewed scientific studies examining ginger, a botanical derived from the rhizome of Zingiber officinale. The goal of this page is to provide transparent access to commonly cited research in the scientific literature. The summaries below describe findings reported in published studies. They are presented for educational purposes as part of a clinician-led review of the scientific literature.
Important Context for Readers
Scientific studies examine outcomes in defined populations under specific research conditions. Results reported in individual studies may not apply to all individuals, and findings should not be interpreted as guaranteed outcomes. This page summarizes selected research examining digestive support, nausea support, menstrual comfort, exercise recovery, and inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers studied in relation to ginger. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. This page is provided for educational purposes and does not include product recommendations or affiliate links.
Summary of Evidence
Across human clinical studies and meta-analyses, ginger supplementation has been studied for its potential associations with digestive comfort, nausea-related outcomes, menstrual comfort, exercise-related muscle discomfort, and selected inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers.
While results vary across study populations and trial designs, multiple randomized trials and meta-analyses have reported improvements in several clinically relevant outcomes, particularly nausea support and menstrual comfort. Many studies involve modest sample sizes, relatively short intervention periods, specific populations, and varying ginger preparations, which may limit generalizability. The studies listed below represent several of the most frequently cited papers within the clinical ginger literature.
Key Areas of Research
Digestive Support
Evidence strength: Moderate.
Randomized clinical studies have examined ginger's effects on gastric emptying, gastric motility, and symptoms of functional dyspepsia. Human trials consistently demonstrate physiologic effects on gastric emptying, although improvements in patient-reported digestive symptoms have been less consistent across studies.
1. Wu KL, Rayner CK, Chuah SK, et al. Effects of ginger on gastric emptying and motility in healthy humans. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008.
PMID: 18403946
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/MEG.0b013e3282f4b224
Population: Healthy adult volunteers.
Design: Randomized, double-blind crossover study evaluating ginger and gastric emptying-related outcomes.
Key findings:
• Ginger was associated with faster gastric emptying and increased antral contractions in the studied population
• Gastrointestinal symptom scores did not differ significantly from placebo in this short-term physiologic study
• Findings provide human physiologic support for ginger’s traditional use in digestive support research
2. Hu ML, Rayner CK, Wu KL, et al. Effect of ginger on gastric motility and symptoms of functional dyspepsia. World J Gastroenterol. 2011.
PMID: 21218090
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v17.i1.105
Population: Adults with functional dyspepsia.
Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study evaluating ginger and gastric motility-related outcomes.
Key findings:
• Ginger was associated with faster gastric emptying in the studied population
• Effects on dyspepsia symptoms were variable
• Findings support further study of ginger in digestive motility and digestive comfort research
Nausea Support
Evidence strength: Moderate to Strong.
Multiple randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses have evaluated ginger for nausea support across several clinical settings, including pregnancy-associated nausea, chemotherapy-related nausea, and postoperative nausea. Overall, the strongest evidence supports improvements in nausea severity, while effects on vomiting frequency have been more variable across studies. Ginger remains one of the most extensively studied botanicals for nausea support in human clinical research.
3. Viljoen E, Visser J, Koen N, 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.
PMID: 24642205
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-13-20
Population: Pregnant individuals with nausea and vomiting across randomized controlled trials.
Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating ginger supplementation for pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting.
Key findings:
• Pooled analyses demonstrated improvements in nausea severity compared with placebo.
• Effects on vomiting frequency were less consistent across studies.
• Overall findings support ginger as one of the better-studied botanicals for pregnancy-associated nausea under study conditions.
4. Vutyavanich T, Kraisarin T, Ruangsri R. Ginger for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol. 2001.
PMID: 11275030
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0029-7844(00)01197-X
Population: Pregnant individuals experiencing nausea and vomiting during early pregnancy.
Design: Randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating powdered ginger compared with placebo.
Key findings:
• Ginger significantly improved nausea scores compared with placebo.
• Vomiting episodes also decreased during treatment.
• Ginger was generally well tolerated throughout the study period.
5. Ryan JL, Heckler CE, Roscoe JA, et al. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reduces acute chemotherapy-induced nausea: a URCC CCOP study of 576 patients. Support Care Cancer. 2012.
PMID: 21818642
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1236-3
Population: Adults receiving chemotherapy in conjunction with standard antiemetic therapy.
Design: Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 576 participants.
Key findings:
• Ginger supplementation reduced acute chemotherapy-induced nausea compared with placebo.
• Benefits were observed when ginger was used alongside standard antiemetic medications.
• This remains one of the largest randomized clinical trials evaluating ginger for nausea support.
6. Ernst E, Pittler MH. Efficacy of ginger for nausea and vomiting: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Br J Anaesth. 2000.
PMID: 10793599
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.bja.a013442
Population: Participants across randomized clinical trials evaluating nausea and vomiting.
Design: Systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Key findings:
• Early clinical evidence suggested ginger may reduce nausea across several clinical settings.
• The authors concluded that ginger appeared promising while emphasizing the need for larger, higher-quality randomized trials.
• This publication helped establish ginger as a clinically relevant botanical for nausea research and remains one of the landmark systematic reviews in the field.
Menstrual Comfort
Evidence strength: Moderate to Strong .
Multiple randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews have evaluated ginger for menstrual comfort in individuals with primary dysmenorrhea. Most studies administered approximately 1–2 g/day of ginger powder during the first several days of the menstrual cycle. Overall, pooled analyses suggest ginger supports physical comfort during menstruation, with several clinical trials reporting results comparable to commonly used non-prescription analgesics under study conditions.
7. Daily JW, Zhang X, Kim DS, 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.
PMID: 26177393
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/pme.12853
Population: Individuals with primary dysmenorrhea across randomized controlled trials.
Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating ginger supplementation for primary dysmenorrhea.
Key findings:
• Pooled analyses demonstrated improvements in menstrual comfort compared with placebo.
• Most included studies administered approximately 1–2 g/day of ginger powder during the early menstrual phase.
• Overall findings support ginger as one of the better-studied botanicals for menstrual comfort.
8. Ozgoli G, Goli M, Moattar F. Comparison of effects of ginger, mefenamic acid, and ibuprofen on pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea. J Altern Complement Med. 2009.
PMID: 19216660
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2008.0311
Population: Women with primary dysmenorrhea.
Design: Randomized clinical trial comparing ginger with mefenamic acid and ibuprofen.
Key findings:
• Ginger produced improvements in menstrual comfort comparable to the active comparator groups under study conditions.
• Clinical improvements were observed when ginger was initiated during the early menstrual phase.
• Ginger was generally well tolerated throughout the intervention period.
9. Rahnama P, Montazeri A, Huseini HF, et al. Effect of Zingiber officinale R. rhizomes (ginger) on pain relief in primary dysmenorrhea: a placebo randomized trial. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2012.
PMID: 22781186
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-12-92
Population: Young women with primary dysmenorrhea.
Design: Randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating ginger rhizome powder.
Key findings:
• Ginger supplementation improved menstrual comfort compared with placebo.
• Benefits were observed when ginger was administered during the first several days of menstruation.
• Findings further support ginger's role as one of the most extensively studied botanicals for menstrual comfort.
Exercise Recovery and Physical Comfort
Evidence strength: Low to Moderate.
Randomized clinical trials have evaluated ginger for exercise-related muscle discomfort, particularly following eccentric exercise. Overall, the evidence suggests that repeated daily supplementation may support post-exercise physical comfort, whereas a single acute dose appears less effective. Additional studies are needed to clarify optimal dosing strategies, timing, and applicability across different exercise populations.
10. Black CD, O'Connor PJ. Acute effects of dietary ginger on muscle pain induced by eccentric exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2008.
PMID: 19164835
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.18.6.653
Population: Healthy adults undergoing eccentric exercise.
Design: Randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating a single acute dose of ginger prior to eccentric exercise.
Key findings:
• Acute ginger supplementation did not significantly reduce exercise-induced muscle discomfort compared with placebo.
• Findings suggested that a single pre-exercise dose may be insufficient to influence post-exercise symptoms.
• The results informed subsequent studies evaluating repeated daily supplementation.
11. Black CD, Herring MP, Hurley DJ, et al. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reduces muscle pain caused by eccentric exercise. J Pain. 2010.
PMID: 20418184
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2009.12.013
Population: Healthy adults performing eccentric exercise.
Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials evaluating repeated daily supplementation with raw and heat-treated ginger.
Key findings:
• Daily ginger supplementation reduced exercise-induced muscle discomfort compared with placebo.
• Similar improvements were observed with both raw and heat-treated ginger preparations.
• Findings suggest repeated supplementation may be more effective than acute dosing for supporting post-exercise physical comfort.
Inflammatory & Metabolic Biomarkers
Evidence strength: Low to Moderate.
Several randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses have evaluated ginger supplementation for changes in inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers, including markers of glucose regulation, insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and body composition. While pooled analyses generally report favorable changes under study conditions, study populations, ginger preparations, and intervention durations vary considerably. Additional large, long-term clinical trials are needed to better define ginger's role in supporting metabolic health.
12) Zhu J, Chen H, Song Z, et al. Effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) on type 2 diabetes mellitus and components of the metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018.
PMID: 30538604
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5692962
Population: Adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus or metabolic syndrome across randomized controlled trials.
Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effects of ginger supplementation on glycemic, lipid, inflammatory, and anthropometric biomarkers.
Key findings:
• Pooled analyses demonstrated improvements in several glycemic and lipid biomarkers under study conditions.
• Considerable heterogeneity existed among study populations, ginger preparations, doses, and intervention durations.
13) Maharlouei N, Tabrizi R, Lankarani KB, et al. The effects of ginger intake on weight loss and metabolic profiles among overweight and obese subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2019.
PMID: 29393665
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2018.1427044
Population: Adults with overweight or obesity across randomized controlled trials.
Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating body weight and metabolic biomarkers.
Key findings:
• Ginger supplementation was associated with modest improvements in body weight and selected metabolic biomarkers.
• Favorable changes were reported in insulin resistance-related measures and HDL cholesterol in pooled analyses.
• The authors noted substantial heterogeneity across included studies.
14) Arablou T, Aryaeian N, Valizadeh M, et al. The effect of ginger consumption on glycemic status, lipid profile and some inflammatory markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2014.
PMID: 24490949
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/09637486.2014.880671
Population: Adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Design: Randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating ginger supplementation.
Key findings:
• Ginger supplementation improved several glycemic and lipid biomarkers compared with placebo under study conditions.
• Reductions were also observed in selected inflammatory biomarkers.
• Findings support continued investigation of ginger's potential role in metabolic biomarker research.
Educational Notice
These summaries are provided for educational purposes to review published scientific literature and should not be interpreted as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Readers should consult qualified healthcare professionals for personal medical decisions.
FDA Disclaimer
These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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