Ginger extract for joint pain and inflammation
What it found
In 30 men and women with mild to moderate joint pain, a low-dose ginger extract lessened some pain ratings and changed several inflammation markers over 8 weeks.
The authors say it may help as a natural option.
What they found
Studies in people
Muscle pain ratings
People taking ginger tended to rate pain as less severe in one thigh muscle after two days of recovery from exercise. No other differences in pain ratings were found between groups at other time points.
Joint pain and stiffness
The ginger group reported less pain from sitting and less night pain on questionnaires. They also had significant reductions in ratings of pain, stiffness, and physical function, especially after two days of recovery from exercise.
Inflammation markers
The ginger group had lower average levels of some inflammatory markers like IL-1β, TNF-α, GMC-SF, and IL-5. Changes over time were seen in several markers including IL-6, IL-8, and C-reactive protein.
Painkiller use
About 47% of people taking ginger used over-the-counter painkillers at least once, compared with 73% of those taking placebo. The difference was not statistically significant.
Side effects
Some people taking ginger reported more frequent or severe headaches, heart palpitations, and nervousness. Most side effects were infrequent and mild to slight.
Blood markers
Fasting blood sugar was lower in the ginger group after 56 and 58 days, but not when changes from the start were compared. No significant differences were seen in most other blood health markers.
What the authors conclude
“Low-dose ginger supplementation (125 mg/d providing 12.5 mg/d of gingerols) lessened some perceptions of pain, improved perceptions related to functional capacity, and reduced several markers of inflammation in individuals who experience mild to moderate joint and muscle pain.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that low-dose ginger supplementation lessened some perceptions of pain, improved perceptions related to functional capacity, and reduced several markers of inflammation in individuals with mild to moderate joint and muscle pain.
- They suggest that individuals with chronic joint and muscle pain, as well as clinicians treating these patients, may want to consider ginger as a natural alternative and/or adjunctive dietary supplement to over-the-counter and/or prescription pain medications.
- They advise that additional research should evaluate the safety of longer periods of ginger supplementation on clinical markers of health.
How it was done
Ginger contains compounds that have shown anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties in lab and animal studies. The authors wanted to test a new high-potency ginger extract at a low dose in people with joint pain.
Thirty men and women aged 40 to 75 with mild to severe joint and muscle pain took either 125 mg a day of a ginger extract (providing 12.5 mg of gingerols) or a placebo for 58 days. They did knee bend exercises and had blood tests and pain questionnaires at the start, after 30 days, and after 56 days.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a small study of 30 people, so the results may not apply to everyone.
- The study lasted only 8 weeks, so it cannot show what happens with longer use.
- The authors did not test whether ginger works better than standard pain medications.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Specnova LLC (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The sponsor was not involved in data collection, statistical analysis of the data, or the decision to publish the data.
- Authors work at
- Texas A&M University, USA
The paper
- Title
- Effects of Ginger Supplementation on Markers of Inflammation and Functional Capacity in Individuals with Mild to Moderate Joint Pain
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Broeckel J, Estes L, Leonard M, et al (2025). Effects of Ginger Supplementation on Markers of Inflammation and Functional Capacity in Individuals with Mild to Moderate Joint Pain. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu17142365Free full textPubMed 40732990DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error