Ginger's nutritional implication on gastrointestinal health

Abstract

Background and Aims

Ginger is a root that is high in nutritional and bioactive compounds that offer significant health benefits. Ginger has been used for centuries in traditional and alternative medicine to aid digestion, reduce nausea and provide other gastro-protective benefits. This review aims to summarize ginger's nutritional implications on gastrointestinal health and to update the current developments.

Methods

Clinical trials published in English were searched in PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial databases with keywords from inception to December 2023. The search protocol was performed under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA,2009) guidelines. Due to the small sample size and the heterogeneity of studies, a narrative synthesis without meta-analysis is reported.

Results

In the current review, evidence of ginger's nutritional implications on gastrointestinal health is reported. A daily dose of 2000 mg of ginger is beneficial for reducing dyspepsia, colorectal cancer, bowel disorders and gastric ulceration in the digestive tract of patients with gastrointestinal disorders. Because of the heterogeneity and limited number of studies, the results may not be as powerful as finding significant results.

Conclusions

Despite the small number of studies and the large heterogeneity, the majority of the studies have shown ginger's nutritional implications on gastrointestinal health.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022378544.