Eating Ginger Every Day: 10 Claimed Benefits and the Evidence

Eating a little ginger every day is safe for most people, and it may bring a couple of real benefits. The best evidence is for easing nausea in early pregnancy and, less consistently, for reducing period pain. Many other popular claims, from lowering cholesterol to fighting cancer, rest on small trials or laboratory studies that do not show what daily ginger does for an ordinary healthy person. Below are the ten most common claims, checked one by one, plus practical tips on how much to eat and who should be careful.

Ginger is the underground stem, or rhizome, of Zingiber officinale, a plant in the same family as turmeric and cardamom. It was domesticated in Maritime Southeast Asia, spread along ancient trade routes and was already prized as an expensive remedy in Roman times. Today India grows nearly half of the world's supply. Its sharp taste comes mainly from gingerols, which turn into the even hotter shogaols when ginger is dried or cooked.

Nausea: the strongest evidence (claim 3)

Nausea relief is ginger's best-known use, and here the research is most encouraging, though not equally for every kind of sickness.

Pregnancy. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says ginger may help with nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Studies are mostly small, so anyone pregnant should check with their doctor or midwife before taking supplements.
After surgery. Evidence is mixed, and it is uncertain whether ginger helps.
Chemotherapy. It is not clear that ginger adds anything to standard anti-sickness medicines.
Motion sickness. Most studies have not found it helpful, despite the traditional advice for sea travel.

So the old claim that ginger simply "relieves nausea" is partly right: it is a reasonable thing to try for morning sickness, but it is not a replacement for prescribed treatment.

Pain: periods, migraines and sore muscles (claims 5, 7 and 9)

Period pain

A frequently cited 2009 trial gave 150 women one gram of ginger powder a day during the first three days of their period and found it eased pain about as well as two common painkillers, mefenamic acid and ibuprofen. NCCIH says ginger supplements may reduce the severity of menstrual cramps, although some reviews judge the evidence weak. It is a modest option, not a guaranteed one.

Migraine

In a double-blind trial of 100 people with migraine without aura, published in Phytotherapy Research, ginger powder and the prescription drug sumatriptan reduced headache severity by a similar amount two hours after a dose, and ginger caused fewer side effects. That is interesting, but it is one study, and it tested a single dose during an attack rather than daily eating. People with migraines should not stop prescribed medicines without talking to a doctor.

Muscle soreness

Researchers at the University of Georgia ran two studies with 34 and 40 volunteers who took two grams of raw or heat-treated ginger, or a placebo, every day for eleven days. After a hard arm workout designed to cause mild muscle damage, the ginger groups reported about 25 percent less muscle pain. Heating the ginger made no difference. The results were published in The Journal of Pain in 2010.

Heart, cholesterol and circulation (claims 1 and 8)

The claim that ginger is "good for the heart" usually rests on a 2008 trial in which 85 people with high blood fats took three grams of ginger powder a day for 45 days and reportedly saw falls in triglycerides and cholesterol. Later reviews have found small and inconsistent effects on blood fats, and there is no trial showing that eating ginger prevents heart attacks or strokes. If your cholesterol is high, ginger is no substitute for the diet changes or medicines your doctor recommends.

The idea that ginger "boosts circulation" and warms you up mostly comes from how it feels: its pungent compounds create a sensation of heat in the mouth and stomach, and a hot ginger drink is warming simply because it is hot. Claims that it measurably improves blood flow in healthy people are not well supported. Ginger is also sometimes said to thin the blood, but there is no good evidence that it affects platelets in normal amounts, although it may interact with the blood thinner warfarin.

Digestion, colds and weight loss (claims 2, 4 and 6)

Ginger has a long history as a folk remedy for indigestion, wind and upset stomachs, and many people find a ginger tea soothing. Good clinical trials are limited, and NCCIH does not list proven digestive benefits beyond nausea. Ironically, large amounts can themselves cause heartburn, diarrhoea and stomach discomfort.

For colds, the evidence is mainly from the laboratory. A 2013 study found that fresh ginger extract blocked a common respiratory virus in airway cells grown in dishes, which is a long way from showing that eating ginger prevents or shortens a cold in people. A warm ginger and honey drink may soothe a sore throat, but that is comfort, not cure.

Weight-loss claims usually point to a small 2012 study from Columbia University in which ten overweight men drank a hot ginger drink with breakfast. They reported feeling less hungry afterwards, and the researchers estimated a slight increase in calories burned, around 43 calories, a figure too small to matter on its own. A 2018 review of trials suggested ginger may help reduce body weight a little in people with obesity, but the effect is modest. Ginger can make healthy meals more flavourful, which may be its most useful contribution to weight control.

Can ginger protect against cancer? (claim 10)

This is the claim that most needs caution. Some laboratory and animal studies have found that ginger compounds slow the growth of cancer cells, including breast, pancreatic and ovarian cancer cells. A 2015 study in PLoS ONE, for example, reported that 6-shogaol, a compound that forms when ginger is dried or heated, killed breast cancer stem-like cells grown in the lab.

Results in dishes and mice often fail to carry over to people, and there are no human trials showing that eating ginger prevents or treats cancer. Ginger is fine as part of a varied, plant-rich diet, which is linked with lower cancer risk overall, but it should never delay or replace medical treatment.

How to eat ginger every day, and who should be careful

Ginger in food is considered safe by regulators, and the US Food and Drug Administration lists it as "generally recognised as safe". Most studies used one to three grams of dried ginger a day, which is roughly a teaspoon of fresh grated root. Easy ways to include it:

Grate fresh ginger into stir-fries, soups, curries and marinades.
Steep a few slices in hot water with lemon for a simple tea.
Add a little to smoothies, porridge or salad dressings.
Use ground ginger in baking, keeping in mind that biscuits and cakes come with plenty of sugar.

Concentrated supplements are a different matter. They can cause heartburn, diarrhoea and mouth irritation, and ginger may interact with medicines such as warfarin. It may also aggravate gallstone problems. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take regular medicines, have a bleeding disorder or are due to have surgery, talk to a doctor before taking ginger supplements.

The fair verdict is that ginger is a healthy, flavourful habit with a couple of plausible medical uses. It is not a miracle root, but it does not need to be one to earn a place in the kitchen.

Sources: NCCIH: Ginger; Wikipedia: Ginger; Phytotherapy Research: ginger versus sumatriptan in migraine; University of Georgia: daily ginger consumption eases muscle pain. Original list: Newsner via Idealist4ever.

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