Ginger for Fat Loss

Asian root herb may help weight loss in more ways than one.

• Thermogenesis. Ginger seems to increase the burning of calories through heat production and increased metabolism.
• Fat breakdown. Ginger has been suggested to enhance the usage of stored body fat.
• Fat blocking. Early evidence suggests that ginger may inhibit the absorption of dietary fat.

Overview

Ginger is a root herb from the tropical plant Zingiber officinale. Known for its sharp scent, it has long been an important culinary spice in Asian cuisine and herbal medicine. Many of its traditional uses have now been validated by modern research.

Ginger is a versatile “tonic” herb that helps many aspects of health. Most are familiar with ginger’s uses for digestive issues like nausea, motion sickness, indigestion and general gastrointestinal discomfort. Ginger is also used for joint flexibility, cardiovascular health, inflammatory concerns and more.

This page focuses on ginger as a potential fat-burner and weight loss supplement. While scientific evidence is still early, research suggests ginger has several bio-activities that may help with weight loss.

Ginger’s Fat-Burning Bio-Activities

Ginger seems to influence body weight and composition through three major mechanisms:

1. Boosts body’s thermogenesis (heat production) and energy expenditure, which results in more calories being burned than normal.¹
2. Increases breakdown of fat in adipose (fatty) tissue, particularly through increasing the effect of the hormone norepinephrine.²
3. Reduces absorption of dietary fat in the intestine, primarily through inhibiting the hydrolysis reaction required to break down fat.³

Despite its potential appetite-sharpening effects, overall ginger looks good for weight loss. Let’s look at how some research may validate ginger as a fat-burner.

Research

Animal Research

Gingerol 25-75 mg/kg bodyweight may supress obesity induced by a high-fat diet in rats

This study looked at the effect of gingerol – the most abundant active compound found in uncooked ginger – in obese rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). The rats were divided into three groups and treated with 25mg, 50mg, and 75mg gingerol per kg of bodyweight daily for 30 days total. In addition, a 4^th group was treated with 10mg/kg lorcaserin, a common weight loss drug, used for comparison.

The study found that rats showed a significant decrease in glucose level and body weight, in addition to a decrease of several markers of obesity – the hormones leptin, insulin, and amylase, as well as a decrease in the enzyme lipase. The effect of the 75mg dose was stronger than the 50 or 25 dose.

• The researchers concluded “These findings suggested that ginger supplementation suppresses obesity induced by a high fat diet and it might be a promising adjuvant therapy for the treatment of obesity and its complications”⁴

5% ginger powder may have a significant effect on reducing body weight in rats

Forty rats were split into 4 groups: no treatment, high-fat diet (HFD), HFD plus orlistat (an obesity drug), and HFD plus ginger. Both orlistat and ginger were found to have a significant effect on reducing body weight – while the HFD-only rats gained 129.5g of weight, HFD rats ingesting ginger gained only 21.4g.

Interestingly enough, ginger also appeared to slightly increase food intake between the two groups – from 200g/week in the HFD group, to 212g in the HFD plus ginger group, which suggests that it may slightly increase appetite.

• The researchers concluded that “ginger has a great ability to reduce body weight without inhibiting pancreatic lipase level”⁵

Human Research

Human studies seem to corroborate the results of animal trials, although the supposed weight loss effect appears to be mild at best.

Ginger (1 g) had no effect on weight loss in obese men

This study looked at the effect of resistance training and ginger supplementation for 10 weeks on a group of 32 obese men. The men were split into 4 groups – placebo, ginger 1g/day, resistance training plus placebo, and resistance training plus 1g/day ginger. They found that although ginger did reduce obesity-associated inflammation, it seemed to have no significant impact on weight loss.

• Although the researchers concluded that “ginger supplementation can decrease chronic low grade inflammation in obese men”, it had no effect on weight loss⁶

Ginger (2 g) may enhance thermic effect of food and promote feeling of satiety

This study wanted to see if consumption of ginger could improve energy expenditure and control appetite in overweight men. Ten men were given breakfast with or without 2g ginger powder dissolved in water, and their thermic effect of food (TEF) and feeling of satiety were measured.  TEF is a measure of how many calories are burned by the body to digest food.

The trial found that ginger increased TEF by 43kcal calories/day. Interestingly, the levels of ghrelin – the hunger hormone – were higher after ingesting food with ginger, yet the men still reported reduced hunger and increased feeling of fullness. Ginger had no effect on metabolic variables such as insulin and blood sugar.

• The researchers concluded that “the present study has provided intriguing preliminary evidence that 2g of powdered ginger dissolved in hot water can induce a small but significant increase in TEF in healthy overweight men and influence feelings of satiety without any adverse side effects.”⁷However, they also noted that their study had few subjects and was short in duration, so larger studies are needed to support their findings

Ginger (2 g) may be beneficial for weight loss and metabolic features of obesity in women

This study looked at the effect of ginger supplementation on obesity in women. Eighty women were randomly assigned to either the placebo or the ginger group, which received 2g/day of ginger powder for 12 weeks. The study found that ginger consumption slightly lowered the body mass index – a common indicator of body fat based on height and weight – from 34.4 to 34, and also lowered insulin, and insulin resistance.

• The researchers concluded that “our findings demonstrate a minor beneficial effect of 2 g ginger powder supplementation for 12 weeks on weight loss and some metabolic features of obesity.”⁸

Dosage Notes

• Research suggests that for weight loss benefits, effective ginger dosage is about about 2 g per day
• Retail ginger supplements are commonly at 550 mg dosage, taken 1-2X daily

Available Forms of Ginger

Ginger comes in a myriad of forms: Crystallized chews, essential oils, raw root, ginger tea, and many others. In terms of ginger nutritional supplements, specifically, the most popular forms are:

• Plain Ginger: These supplements supply straight-up powdered ginger. While more affordable, they are less potent & active than more advanced forms.
• Ginger Root Extract: This “herbal extract” form concentrates the ginger, typically to a ratio of 4:1 or higher. The benefit is that taking fewer capsules will supply the equivalent active nutrition of a larger amount of raw ginger.
• Standardized Ginger: Supplements using standardized ginger are calibrated to an exact amount of the root’s active ingredients. They typically supply 5% to 20% gingerols.
• Ginger Liquid Extract: Fast-acting and easier for some to swallow, ginger liquid extract supplements may be standardized or concentrated for greater potency.