Ginger consumption can reduce abdominal pain. This was the result obtained by a 12-week Iranian clinical trial performed in 2022. Participants in the trial were 49 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients aged 18 to 50 years old. The participants were assigned to ginger or placebo groups for the intervention phase. The test materials for the treatment period were tablets of ginger and a placebo that looked exactly the same and were packaged in identical bottles, size, shape, and color. To give the placebo tablets a ginger odor, a very small amount of ginger powder was added to its bottles. While each 500 mg ginger tablet contains 25 mg gingerols. For 12 weeks the intervention group received 500 mg of ginger and the control group was given corn tablets as a placebo. Participants in both groups had to consume the assigned tablets three times a day with main meals. They were told to maintain their usual physical activity and dietary intake, as well as avoid consuming ginger and its products. After the intervention, they found that 1500 mg per day of ginger supplementation for 12 weeks can reduce the frequency and severity of abdominal pain. Those who were in the ginger group had better results than those who took the placebo corn tablet. Although very few side effects such as abdominal discomfort, and heartburn were observed during the clinical trial, they were rare, minor, and mild, thus showing that ginger supplementation is safe. (1)
References:
(1) Foshati S, et al. (2023). The effects of ginger supplementation on common gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12906-023-04227-x
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