Medically reviewed by Miho Hatanaka, RDN, L.D. — By Kathryn Watson on April 3, 2019

Ginger is a flowering plant that is mostly cultivated for its root, an ingredient in cooking and baking. Ginger also decreases inflammation, stimulates digestion, and suppresses your appetite. These properties lead some people to believe that ginger may promote weight loss.

The medical literature indicates that ginger can work along with a healthy diet and exercise to help you reach a healthy weight. Ginger is typically used with other ingredients when weight loss is the goal.

Let’s explore how to use ginger to lose weight, the limits of its effects on weight loss, and which ingredients you should consider combining with ginger for the best results.

 

How ginger can help you lose weight

Ginger contains compounds called gingerols and shogaols. These compounds stimulate several biological activities in your body when you consume ginger.

Research indicates that obesity can bring on oxidative stress and inflammation. Oxidative stress is caused by damage from free radicals in the body.

Ginger’s antioxidant properties help control these free radicals, and its anti-inflammatory properties can counter inflammation.

These properties of ginger don’t directly address excess pounds, but they do help prevent cardiovascular damage and other side effects of being overweight while you work to bring your weight to a healthy number.

Other research supports the idea that ginger could play a role in weight loss as well.

One small study found that overweight men who consumed ginger stayed fuller longer.

A meta-analysis of studies that looked at ginger’s weight loss benefits suggests that ginger has a significant effect on body weight and belly fat (waist-to-hip ratio).

Gingerols encourage certain biological activities in your body. They have an anti-obesity effect, helping food to digest faster and stimulate the body to speed digested food through the colon. Research suggests that gingerols may stabilize your blood sugar levels. Keeping blood sugar stable can be key to losing weight.

Ginger and lemon for weight loss

When you take ginger and lemon together for weight loss, you may be getting an extra boost for keeping your body healthy. Lemon juice may act as an appetite suppressant, in addition to containing high amount of vitamin C.

How to use ginger and lemon for weight loss

Adding a squeeze of lemon to your ginger tea or ginger drink might help you drink more liquids. This may keep you hydrated and feeling fuller longer, possibly improving your weight loss efforts.

Drink a healthy lemon-and-ginger beverage two or three times a day to maximize the hydration and appetite-suppressing properties of ginger and lemon.

 

Apple cider vinegar and ginger for weight loss

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has weight loss properties of its own. Using it along with ginger could boost the antiglycemic and antioxidant effects of both ingredients.

Apple cider vinegar also brings powerful probiotics into the mix, which can improve your gut health as you work to lose weight.

How to use apple cider vinegar and ginger for weight loss

The easiest way to get these two ingredients in your diet is to blend them together and drink them.

You can prepare a ginger tea by brewing a tea bag in hot water, letting it cool down before you add the ACV. Water that is too hot will kill the bacteria in ACV, and you’ll lose its probiotic effect.

Add a little honey or a squeeze of lemon to 1 cup (8 ounces) of brewed ginger tea, stir in 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and drink.

Take this tea once per day, in the morning before eating, to experience the maximum benefit of ACV.