Does Ginger Have Real Benefits? 9 Science-Backed Takeaways - GoodRx (2024)

Ginger shows up in food and drinks in many different ways — from real ginger ale to ginger candy and a sushi sidekick. And many people are curious about ginger’s health benefits. In fact, ginger root has been used for medicinal purposes in Chinese, Japanese, and Indian medicine for thousands of years. But are these health benefits real?

We’ll go through some of the most commonly touted ginger benefits and explore the research behind them to find out if ginger may be helpful for you.

1. Ginger helps with nausea and morning sickness

There’s evidence that ginger can help relieve nausea associated with pregnancy. A 2014 systematic review examined 12 different randomized controlled trials. Researchers found that ginger significantly improved nausea when compared to placebo, although it didn’t reduce vomiting. Still, the review suggests that ginger is a safe way to manage nausea during pregnancy without any harmful side effects.

And this benefit may extend beyond pregnancy. A separate 2019 systematic review also found that consuming ginger could be a safe and effective way to keep nausea at bay. The review suggests that eating 1,500 mg of ginger over the course of a day is the right amount when it comes to nausea relief.

2. Ginger may help relieve menstrual pain

A 2009 study compared the effects of ginger, mefenamic acid (a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID), and ibuprofen on pain in women with menstrual cramping. The clinical trial found that all three remedies helped reduce pain and provided a similar amount of relief. In other words, ginger was no better — and no worse — than other pain relievers. Despite the promising results of this study, more research is needed to know if ginger is truly effective at treating menstrual cramps.

3. Ginger may fight inflammation

Chronic inflammation can increase your risk for several health conditions, including some cancers, Type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Eating ginger may serve as an antidote to this type of inflammation. A 2017 systematic review examined the findings of a number of studies. Researchers noted that 6-Gingerol, the active component of ginger, has some promising anti-inflammatory properties. This component has also been linked with anti-oxidation effects. But more research is needed to know if this actually has a real effect on health or disease prevention.

4. Ginger may ease muscle pain and arthritis symptoms

Ginger’s anti-inflammatory effects may also have an effect on muscle and joint pain. A 2001 study found that participants who were given ginger extract experienced less knee pain than the control group.

A systematic review of many different research studies concluded that ginger improved pain in people with arthritis. And there were very few unwanted side effects. But another study that compared ginger and ibuprofen for joint-pain relief had more mixed results. And ginger did not clearly demonstrate a pain-relieving effect, although the researchers point out that the study was limited.

5. Ginger may help with weight loss

The research on weight loss and ginger is complicated, as most studies have been done only in animals or with small groups of people. That said, a 2018 review on the effect of ginger on weight and body size found that it decreased body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, fasting glucose numbers, and insulin resistance (a contributor to Type 2 diabetes).

There’s also some evidence that eating ginger may increase satiety (feeling full and satisfied) after a meal. A 2013 study found that men who consumed 2 g of ginger powder dissolved in hot water alongside breakfast reported more reduced feelings of hunger compared to the control group.

But the results of these studies are not enough to say whether ginger supplementation is an effective long-term strategy for weight maintenance.

6. Ginger for migraines

There’s debate around whether ginger helps migraine headaches. It makes sense that it would help, since nausea and pain are two key symptoms in migraines. And one small study did show that people who take ginger when a headache starts are more likely to be free of pain 2 hours later.

A different study showed that taking ginger along with an NSAID — an IV (intravenous) version of ibuprofen — helped treat migraines better than the medication alone. Larger studies would be helpful to confirm whether ginger can effectively treat migraines. For now, ginger is not considered a first-choice treatment.

7. Ginger to lower blood pressure

This is one of the most common reasons people consider taking ginger. Unfortunately, the research is not very strong for this benefit. Studies show that ginger can help both systolic (the top number) and diastolic (the bottom number) blood pressure — but only in people who also have Type 2 diabetes. Not enough research has been done to definitively say whether it can help reduce blood pressure in people who don’t also have diabetes.

8. Ginger to help digestion

Generations of people have used ginger as a digestive aid. There is some research that explains why it might help digestion. Compounds in ginger can increase how fast the stomach empties, speeding up digestion. This may help people who have stomach upset from delayed gastric emptying. But larger studies would be useful to figure out if this may help everyone and to define what dose of ginger is most effective.

9. Ginger to lower cholesterol

Having an optimal ratio of “good” and “bad” cholesterol is important for heart health, and some studies suggest that taking ginger can improve some of these numbers. But the studies don’t show a huge effect, and the studies were relatively small. So it’s a stretch to say that ginger definitely improves cholesterol numbers.

How do you take ginger?

People incorporate ginger into their diet in many different ways. It can add a warm, pleasant flavor to many dishes. People consume it as:

• Ginger tea: You can buy or make pure ginger tea at home. You can also add it to other types of tea. Popular ones include chai tea and turmeric ginger tea.

• Ginger spice: You can easily addfresh ginger root or powdered ginger to home cooking. It can add a warm, pleasant flavor to many dishes — like carrot ginger soup or ginger sesame dressing

• Ginger shots: Like ginger tea, some people prefer straight ginger juice. These are often found in small doses — or ginger shots — at grocery stores or juice bars.

• Candied ginger: Some people like to eat ginger chews or suck on ginger candy, especially when they’re using it to treat nausea.

While eating ginger is generally considered safe, it’s always possible to have too much of a good thing. Side effects associated with ginger are seemingly mild and include heartburn, stomach pain, and a burning mouth.

If you’re taking certain medications — especially blood-clotting medications — or you’re pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider before starting a ginger regimen.

Ginger supplements

With all of the different forms of ginger, you may be wondering about the best way to consume ginger to reap its benefits. It might be as easy as taking a ginger pill. The most studied form of ginger is ginger extract, found in ginger supplements. If you’re taking a ginger supplement, be sure to follow the directions on the packaging. Experts recommend consuming no more than 2 g of ginger per day.

Be sure to consider the quality of your supplements. ConsumerLab reported that only half of the ginger products they reviewed met quality standards. So consider purchasing pharmaceutical-grade supplements, which have been certified by third-party agencies. USP-verified and NSF-certified supplements have been shown to meet standards for purity and potency. If you plan to invest in supplements for your health, it makes sense to do your research to make sure your money is well spent.