Effectiveness of ginger in reducing metabolic levels in people with diabetes: a randomized clinical trial.
Gerdane Celene Nunes Carvalho, José Claudio Garcia Lira-Neto, Márcio Flávio Moura de Araújo and 3 others
PMID 33053078WHAT IT FOUND
Ginger capsules did not lower blood sugar or lipid levels more than placebo over 90 days.
Both groups had some reductions, so ginger alone cannot be credited.
Key findings
01Compared with placebo, ginger did not produce a significant difference in any measured blood sugar or lipid outcome.
02Both groups had within-group reductions in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, and LDL, but the between-group differences were not significant.
03The trial randomised 142 people, but 103 completed treatment and were analysed by protocol.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The trial randomised 142 people, but only 103 completed treatment, and the analysis was by protocol, so dropout may have affected the results. The study was done in primary care units in one inland Brazilian city, so the results may not apply to other settings or populations. The intervention lasted 90 days and the dose was limited to 1.2 g daily, so longer follow-up or higher doses are unknown. Adherence and some clinical data were self-reported, which can introduce response bias. The statistician knew the allocation, and the lead researcher was not told group membership until after data analysis. Both groups continued routine antidiabetic medications and were instructed to keep usual eating and exercise habits, so changes may reflect usual care rather than ginger.
Declared interests
No external funding source or author conflict of interest is reported beyond the note that the paper was extracted from a doctoral dissertation. The ginger powder was bought from a commercial supplier, but the paper does not say that supplier funded, designed, or wrote the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that ginger improves diabetes control. The ginger group and placebo group did not differ significantly in any outcome, and both groups continued usual diabetes medications and routine care.