ginger
Zingiber officinale
Zingiber officinale is a rhizomatous plant central to various traditional medicinal systems. It is traditionally utilized as a stimulant, carminative, and stomachic to address conditions such as nausea, dyspepsia, colic, cough, diarrhea, and rheumatism. Scientific evidence regarding human therapeutic efficacy remains limited, though studies have observed that compounds like 6-gingerol may interact with bovine type I collagen. Research also indicates that dietary supplementation with dried ginger powder can improve growth and disease resistance in certain fish species. No major safety issues or notable drug interactions are currently recorded in the available data.
- Traditionally for
- stimulant · carminative
- Traditions
- TCM · Japanese (Kampo) · traditional · Unani
- Best evidence
- D
- Cautions
- —
Informational only. Traditional use does not mean proven effectiveness. Evidence and safety vary — check the cited sources.
Traditional use
- stimulant
- carminative
- stomachic
- fever
- stomach ache
- colic
- cough
- dyspepsia
- anodyne
- diarrhea
- dysentery
- nausea
- rheumatism
- sudorific
- toothache
What the science says
- Phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins have significantly higher concentrations in young ginger compared to mature rhizomes.
- Dietary dried ginger powder supplementation improved growth indices, feed efficiency, and disease resistance in red tilapia.
- The study developed Alleleauto, a pipeline that improves the identification of true alleles in diploid plant genomes like ginger (Zingiber officinale), enhancing allele-specific gene expression analysis.
- The study found that two major ginger compounds, 6-gingerol and gingeberenone A, interact with and stabilize bovine type I collagen through hydrogen bonding and thermal stability enhancement.
- Zingiber officinale essential oil showed no detectable antibacterial effect against tested multidrug-resistant bacteria under the studied conditions.
- The study found no significant evidence of acute hepatorenal toxicity from Carmina treatment in Swiss albino mice over a 14-day period.
- The study found that 10-shogaol from ginger has broad antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity against dengue and Zika viruses.
Frequently asked questions
What is ginger?
ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a plant documented in FolkKB's traditional-medicine reference, drawn from sourced literature and cross-checked against the evidence.
What is ginger traditionally used for?
Traditional sources record ginger for: stimulant, carminative, stomachic, fever, stomach ache, colic. This reflects traditional use, not a proven medical treatment.
Which traditions use ginger?
ginger appears in these traditions in our sources: TCM, Japanese (Kampo), traditional, Unani.
What does the scientific evidence say about ginger?
7 sourced findings are recorded for ginger; the strongest carries evidence grade D. For example: Phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins have significantly higher concentrations in young ginger compared to mature rhizomes.
How strong is the evidence for ginger?
The strongest finding for ginger carries evidence grade D — preliminary or traditional. Grades run A (strongest) to D (preliminary or traditional).
Is ginger safe? What are the side effects?
No major safety issues are recorded for ginger in our sources, but the data may be incomplete. Consult a qualified professional before use.
Does ginger interact with medications?
No drug interactions are recorded for ginger in our sources. This does not rule them out — check with a pharmacist.
What are the common names of ginger?
ginger is also known as: Имбирь аптечный, gingembre.
Is ginger a proven treatment?
No. FolkKB is informational only. Traditional use and early findings are not proof of efficacy or safety — consult a qualified professional and never self-treat.
Sources
- T3 Dr. Duke's Ethnobotanical Database public domain (USDA ARS — attribute Dr. Duke's)
- T2 Functional roles of ginger (Zingiber officinale) in strengthening the physiological responses, growth, antioxidant/immune gene expression, and resistance to Fusarium oxysporum in Red Tilapia (Oreochromis sp.): in vivo and in silico approach literature abstract metadata
- T2 Combined computational and spectroscopic analyses of the interactions between ginger compounds and bovine type I collagen. literature abstract metadata
- T2 Alleleauto: a pipeline for allele identification and analysis of allele-specific gene expression with haplotype-resolved diploid genome assemblies. literature abstract metadata
- T2 Phytochemical Content across Different Harvest Weeks and Breeds of Juvenile Ginger (Zingiber officinale). literature abstract metadata
- T2 Antibacterial activity of selected plant essential oils against carbapenemase-producing multidrug-resistant bacteria. literature abstract metadata
- T2 Discovery of 10-Shogaol from Zingiber officinale with Broad Antiviral and Anti-inflammatory Activity against Dengue and Zika Viruses Using Activity-Guided Molecular Networking. literature abstract metadata
- T2 Evaluating the hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity of herbal medicine on swiss albino mice: an in-vivo, in-vitro and in-silico insights. literature abstract metadata