Ginger intake and weight or blood markers in overweight people
What it found
In overweight and obese people, ginger lowered body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, fasting blood sugar and insulin resistance, while raising HDL cholesterol.
It did not change BMI, insulin levels, triglycerides or total and LDL cholesterol.
What they found
Studies in people
Body weight and shape
Taking ginger led to lower body weight, a smaller waist-to-hip ratio and a smaller hip ratio compared with controls.
Blood sugar and insulin resistance
Fasting blood sugar and the insulin resistance index both fell in people taking ginger. Insulin levels themselves did not change.
HDL cholesterol rose
Levels of HDL cholesterol went up in those who took ginger.
Other blood fats unchanged
Triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol stayed about the same between groups.
BMI did not change
Body mass index was similar whether people took ginger or not.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that ginger intake lowers body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, hip ratio, fasting blood sugar and insulin resistance in overweight and obese people.
- They also note that ginger raises HDL cholesterol but does not change insulin, BMI, triglycerides or total and LDL cholesterol.
How it was done
The authors wanted to gather evidence on whether taking ginger affects weight loss, blood sugar control and blood fats in people who are overweight or obese.
They pooled results from 14 randomised controlled trials involving 473 subjects. All participants were overweight or obese. The trials were found by searching medical databases up to November 2017.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These trials only looked at overweight and obese people, so the results may not apply to everyone.
- Because each trial was short, we cannot tell what happens when ginger is taken over many years.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran; University of Alberta, Canada; Iran University of Medical Sciences, Iran
The paper
- Title
- 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
- Type
- Systematic review and meta-analysisThe authors follow a set, published method to find every relevant study, then combine the numbers from them into one result.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Maharlouei N, Tabrizi R, Lankarani KB, et al (2019). 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. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. doi:10.1080/10408398.2018.1427044PubMed 29393665DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error