Also known as: Zingiber officinale, Gingerol, Shogaol, Ginger root extract
BotanicalGood evidence
A culinary rhizome with a genuinely useful evidence base, best supported for settling the stomach and for reducing muscle soreness after hard training. Cheap, safe and unglamorous.
Typical dose
1.0–2.0 g per day
With food, split across the day
What it is
Ginger is the rhizome of Zingiber officinale, used as food and medicine across Asia for millennia and now grown throughout the tropics. It is closely related to turmeric and cardamom.
The active compounds are gingerols in fresh ginger, which convert to shogaols when the root is dried or heated. Shogaols are more pungent and, in several respects, more biologically active, which means dried ginger and fresh ginger are not interchangeable.
Supplements range from simple dried root powder to extracts standardised to gingerol content. Because ginger is inexpensive and well tolerated, this is one of the few botanicals where the cheap version is often perfectly adequate.
How it works
Ginger's effect on the stomach appears to work through the gut rather than the brain. It speeds gastric emptying and acts on receptors in the digestive tract involved in the sensation of queasiness, which is why it settles the stomach without causing drowsiness.
Gingerols and shogaols also inhibit the enzymes that produce inflammatory signalling molecules, a mechanism they share with several other botanicals, which underpins the muscle soreness findings.
Shogaols additionally act on TRPV1, the same receptor that responds to chilli heat, which explains the warming sensation and may contribute to the effect on discomfort perception.
What the evidence shows
Settling the stomach is the best-supported use. Multiple trials and meta-analyses have reported reduced queasiness across a range of situations, including motion-related and post-operative queasiness and during pregnancy, where it is one of the few options with reasonable evidence.
Muscle soreness after unaccustomed exercise is a smaller but reasonably consistent area, with trials reporting modest reductions in soreness in the days following hard training when ginger is taken daily rather than acutely.
Joint comfort research has produced generally favourable if modest results. Findings on blood sugar and lipid markers exist but are less consistent, and should be treated as secondary rather than as reasons to take it.
Dosing
Typical range is 1-2 g daily of dried ginger or equivalent extract, split across servings. Trials on stomach settling have generally used around 1-1.5 g.
For muscle soreness, daily use over 5-11 days appears more effective than taking it once after a hard session. This is a slow-acting effect rather than an acute one.
Dried ginger supplies more shogaols; fresh supplies more gingerols. Both work, and for most purposes the difference is smaller than the difference between taking it consistently and not. Take with food if you find it causes heartburn.
Gingerols peak within 1-2 hours; soreness effects accrue over days of daily use
Timing
With food, split across the day
Competition status
Permitted — not on the WADA Prohibited List
Category
Botanical
Safety and side effects
Ginger has an excellent safety record and is consumed as food worldwide. The most common complaints are heartburn, a burning sensation in the mouth and mild digestive upset, generally at higher doses or on an empty stomach.
At supplemental doses it has a mild effect on how readily blood clots and may nudge blood sugar downward. Check with your doctor before use if you take regular medication.
Who should avoid it
Speak to your doctor before use if you take regular medication, particularly anything affecting blood clotting, or if your blood sugar is being managed. Stop before scheduled surgery. Doses above 1 g daily in pregnancy should be discussed with a midwife or doctor first.
This entry is provided for information only. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before use if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under medical supervision.
