The effects of ginger supplementation on markers of inflammatory and oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.
What this study found
Ginger supplementation showed an overall beneficial effect on inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. The meta-analysis found significant improvements in CRP, TNF-α, IL-6, TAC, and MDA, with a marginally significant effect on PGE2. Subgroup analyses suggested that heterogeneity was reduced by age, duration, dosage, and study quality. The authors concluded that ginger may improve anti-inflammatory and antioxidant status, but larger well-designed trials are needed to confirm these findings.
- Study & population
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of 25 clinical trials in adults from diverse health backgrounds, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, knee osteoarthritis, ulcerative colitis, NAFLD, peritoneal dialysis, inflammatory/chronic conditions, and some healthy or athletic participants.
- Intervention
- Ginger supplementation was evaluated across 25 clinical trials in adults, using a range of oral and enteral preparations including capsules, tablets, powder, raw powder, and enteral administration.
- Key limitation
- The evidence base was heterogeneous in population, ginger form, dose, and duration, which limits comparability across trials.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
The present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of ginger supplementation on markers of inflammatory and oxidative stress. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched to identify relevant clinical trials evaluating the effects of ginger on serum CRP (C-reactive protein), TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha), IL-6 (interleukin-6), PGE2 (prostaglandin E2), TAC (total antioxidant capacity), and MDA (malondialdehyde) from inception up to September 2019. Mean difference and 95% confidence intervals were pooled using a random-effects model. Potential publication bias was assessed using visual inspection of funnel plot and Egger's weighted regression tests. After excluding irrelevant records, 20 full-text articles that included 25 separate studies were included to the meta-analysis. Pooled results of this study indicated a statistically significant effect of ginger on serum CRP, TNF-α, IL-6, TAC, and MDA levels following ginger supplementation in compared to the controls. Also, the effects of ginger on serum PGE2 was marginally significant. Moreover, the high heterogeneity was disappeared in subgroup analysis performed by age, duration, dosage, and quality. This current analysis indicates that ginger supplementation has a significant effects on serum inflammatory and oxidative stress markers.