Ginger supplementation reduces fasting blood sugar and BP in type 2 diabetes: Study
Iran: Ginger supplementation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) led to significant reductions in fasting blood sugar (FBS), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP). Further, the researchers found no significant reductions in lipid profile following ginger supplementation. The study appears in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale), known as a nontoxic spice, has been applied widely among herbal medicines for various conditions including different chronic diseases. Previous studies have greatly investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of ginger. Some studies have demonstrated the positive effects of ginger supplementation on metabolic profile in patients with T2DM. However, the results have been conflicting.
Against the above background, Alireza Milajerdi, Department of Health, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, and colleagues aimed to summarize earlier findings for the effect of ginger supplementation on metabolic profile in patients with T2DM in a systematic review and meta-analysis.
For this purpose, the researchers systematically searched the online databases up until September 2021. All randomized clinical trials that evaluated the effect of ginger supplementation on FBS, HbA1c, TC, TG, LDL, HDL, SBP, and DBP in patients with T2DM were considered.
The study was conducted according to the 2020 PRISMA guidelines. Only English language publications were included. Overall, 10 articles were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis.
Based on the study, the researchers found the following:
- Pooled meta-analysis indicated a significant reduction in FBS following ginger supplementation by polling 8 effect sizes [weighted mean difference (WMD): -18.81)] and in HbA1C through 7 effect sizes (WMD: -0.57).
- Pooling 5 effect sizes, we found a significant reduction in SBP (WMD: -4.20) and DBP [WMD: -1.61] after supplementation with ginger.
- The pooled meta-analysis indicated that ginger supplementation had no significant influence on lipid profile involving TG, TC, LDL, and HDL.
"Our study showed that ginger supplementation reduced FBS, HbA1C, and BP in patients with T2DM. However, there were no significant changes in lipid profiles," wrote the authors. "Further RCTs on ginger supplementation and metabolic profile are needed to shed light on this topic."
Reference:
The study titled, The effect of ginger supplementation on metabolic profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials," was published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
