Scientists from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and elsewhere found that ginger intake may improve weight loss, and blood sugar in obese people.
Obesity is a common, serious, and costly chronic disease in adults and children.
People who have obesity, compared to those with a healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions.
In addition, obesity and its associated health problems have a significant economic impact on the US healthcare system.
Obesity in children and adults increases the risk for high blood pressure and high cholesterol which are risk factors for heart disease.
Obesity also increases the risks of type 2 diabetes and breathing problems, such as asthma and sleep apnea.
It also increases the risks of joint problems such as osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal discomfort.
Ginger is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and folk medicine.
Gingerol is the main bioactive compound in ginger. It’s responsible for much of ginger’s medicinal properties. Gingerol has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
This systematic review aimed to summarize the effect of ginger intake on weight loss, blood sugar control, and blood cholesterol levels in overweight and obese people.
A total of 14 studies with 473 participants were included in the review.
The team found that supplementation with ginger strongly decreased body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, hip ratio, fasting blood sugar level, and insulin resistance.
Ginger intake also strongly decreases HDL-cholesterol levels.
The team found no strong effect of ginger on body mass index (BMI), insulin, triglycerides, and total and LDL cholesterol.
Based on the findings, the team suggests that ginger intake could help reduce body weight and blood sugar, but it does not affect insulin, BMI, triglycerides, or total- and LDL-cholesterol levels.
The research was published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition and conducted by Najmeh Maharlouei et al.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies that hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people, and early time-restricted eating could help lose weight.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that a low-carb keto diet could manage obesity effectively, and onions could help reduce body fat in overweight people.
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