Ginger and Liver Enzyme Support

Ginger has been tested as an add-on to diet and physical activity in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The human evidence is preliminary, and it comes mainly from small trials that ran 12 weeks.

What the clinical trials found

A 2020 randomized, double-blind trial assigned 50 adults with NAFLD to 1,500 mg of ginger powder per day or to placebo; 46 completed it. Both groups also received diet and physical-activity guidance. Compared with placebo, the ginger group had greater reductions in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), fasting blood glucose, insulin resistance measured by HOMA-IR, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, hs-CRP and fetuin-A. The same trial found no significant between-group differences in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), body weight, fatty-liver index or ultrasound-assessed fatty-liver grade.

A separate 2016 pilot trial analyzed 44 adults with NAFLD after 12 weeks of 2 grams of ginger per day or placebo, again alongside lifestyle guidance, and reported greater improvements in ALT, GGT, HOMA-IR and liver steatosis with ginger, but not in AST or liver fibrosis.

How strong is the evidence?

A 2022 systematic review identified only three clinical trials. Its quantitative analysis rested mostly on 17 animal experiments, so its pooled numerical results should not be read as proof of a consistent clinical effect in people. A later meta-analysis of randomized-trial reports found modest improvements in ALT and HOMA-IR but no clear effect on AST, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol or body mass index; the evidence it drew on was small, short-term and partly based on reports from the same patient sample.

The bottom line

Small trials suggest that ginger may modestly improve ALT and insulin-resistance measurements when added to lifestyle management in adults with NAFLD. The evidence does not establish that ginger treats liver disease generally, reverses fibrosis or produces lasting benefits. Larger and longer independent trials are needed.

References

• Rafie R, et al. Effect of Ginger Powder Supplementation in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2020;13:35–45. PMID 32158249.
• Rahimlou M, et al. Ginger Supplementation in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study. Hepat Mon. 2016;16(1):e34897. PMID 27110262.
• Samadi M, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical and clinical studies on the efficacy of ginger for the treatment of fatty liver disease. Phytother Res. 2022;36(3):1182–1193. PMID 35106852.
• Zhou Q, et al. Ginger supplementation for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Afr Health Sci. 2023;23(1). PMID 37545930.

Continue exploring

Read the curcumin research summary, browse the Livana Research library, or see how the ingredients fit together in Complete Liver Support.

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