Medically reviewed by Grant Tinsley, Ph.D., CSCS,*D, CISSN, Nutrition — By Louisa Richards on December 21, 2020

Some evidence suggests that ginger may help with weight loss. Ginger is generally safe to use, and people can include it in drinks and recipes or take it as a supplement.

This article discusses the evidence, ways to use ginger for weight loss, precautions, and potential side effects. It also gives other tips for weight loss.

 

What is ginger?

Ginger, or Zingiber officinale, is a flowering plant native to Southeast Asia. People have been using the plant’s edible root for hundreds of years as a culinary spice and an herbal remedy.

People can use the raw fresh root or dried powder.

Some evidence suggests the compounds in ginger may have medicinal properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. These may benefit the body in numerous ways.

Some people believe ginger can be helpful for weight loss.

 

Does it work for weight loss? 

According to a 2017 review, compounds called zingerone and shogaols in ginger may help with weight loss. These compounds may be beneficial in the complex bodily processes that burn and store fat.

A 2015 study had women with obesity take two 1-gram (g) tablets of powdered ginger per day for 12 weeks. This group experienced significantly decreased appetite and body measurements compared with those who took a placebo.

The effect was more pronounced in people who had a particular set of genes. This may be a clue that ginger may work better for weight loss in some people than in others. However, scientists need to do more research to investigate this.

A connected study found that taking ginger had a small beneficial effect compared with a placebo, decreasing body mass index (BMI) and increasing markers of blood sugar control in women with obesity.

Another small study had 10 men take 2 g of ginger powder in a hot drink at breakfast. The participants experienced reduced feelings of hunger and enhanced thermogenesis, or heat production from calorie burning.

The study highlighted the potential role of ginger in weight management.

A 2018 review assessed the evidence for ginger’s effects on weight loss and other markers associated with obesity. The authors included 14 high quality studies in the systematic analysis.

Overall, it found ginger intake reduced the participants’ body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, and some markers that reflected blood glucose metabolism. Ginger did not affect other markers, such as BMI and total cholesterol.

The current evidence for the effects of ginger on certain weight loss markers is promising but mixed. Scientists need to do more research on these topics before they can draw firm conclusions.

How to use ginger for weight loss 

Even though the scientific evidence supporting the effects of ginger on weight loss is weak and mixed, authorities generally consider ginger safe to include in the diet.

People can add fresh root ginger to their recipes or use it to make tea.

Simple ginger tea

Here is how to make a simple ginger tea.

Chop up a piece of ginger the size of a person’s little finger.
Place chopped ginger in 150 milliliters of boiling water.
Simmer for 5–10 minutes, then strain before drinking.
Grocery stores also sell ginger tea in tea bags.

According to some scientific research and anecdotal reports, other remedies, such as apple cider vinegar, green tea, and lemon, may help with weight loss.

It is important to note that there is not much evidence backing the weight loss effects of these foods, depending on the food. As with ginger, scientists need to carry out more research to further investigate their effects.

People can try combining ginger and lemon with green tea or making a spicy dressing with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and grated fresh ginger.

It is also worth noting that the amount of ginger present in ginger tea is likely to be a lot less than the quantities used in the studies cited here.

It is not advisable to drink ginger beer or ginger ale for weight loss. These drinks usually contain high amounts of added sugar.

However, drinking or making ginger kombucha or kefir without added sugar may be beneficial. These drinks contain natural probiotic bacteria.

Probiotics may be helpful for weight loss, according to some research.

People that prefer the convenience of supplements or do not like the taste of ginger can also take ginger supplements in capsule form.