Ginger (Zingiber Officinale) Supplementation and Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease - A Systematic Review

Abstract

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the most widely used plant extracts and has been associated with improvements in biomarkers relevant to cardiovascular disease. Given the global burden of cardiovascular disease, this systematic review of randomized controlled trials aimed to evaluate the effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale) supplementation on biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar was performed up to January 2025 to identify eligible RCTs evaluating ginger supplementation. Outcomes included lipid profile, glycemic markers, blood pressure, inflammatory indicators, and liver enzymes. Data were pooled using weighted mean differences (WMDs). Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were conducted. Forty-one RCTs were included. Ginger supplementation was effective in improving FBS (WMD = -12.79 mg/dL; 95 CI = -18.57), insulin (WMD = -1.33 microIU/ml; 95 CI = -1.94, -0.71), HOMA-IR (WMD = -0.51; 95 CI = -0.68, -0.33), HbA1c (WMD = -0.68; 95 CI = -1.00, -0.36), TG (WMD = -11.98 mg/dL; 95 CI = -23.27, -0.69), LDL (WMD = -4.55 mg/dL; 95 CI = -8.43, -0.68), HDL (WMD = 0.80 mg/dL; 95 CI = 0.01, 1.59), SBP (WMD = -2.72 mmHg; 95 CI = -5.25, -0.19), and ICAM-1 (WMD = -20.26 ng/ml; 95 CI = -40.49, -0.03). Ginger supplementation was not effective on the remaining outcomes. Ginger supplementation may improve several biomarkers of cardiovascular disease, with stronger effects in unhealthy individuals. Further studies are required to establish a clear cutoff for optimal dosage and intervention duration.