Ginger can really help weight loss —Study

For years, ginger has sat quietly in kitchens around the world—added to tea, soups, and traditional remedies for nausea, digestion, and inflammation. Now, it is back in the spotlight, after a new clinical study suggested a concentrated form of ginger extract may help people lose weight and improve key health markers.

The study, published in the journal Nutrients, explained that steamed ginger extract may support modest reductions in body fat and improvements in cholesterol over a short period.

In a new clinical trial, researchers reported that steamed ginger extract called GGE03 (marketed as Zinoact) was linked to reductions in body fat, body weight, and cholesterol levels in overweight adults after 12 weeks of use.

The study was conducted by researchers from 3H LABS Research Institute and Genencell Co., Ltd, and took place at Santosh Hospital in Bangalore, India between March 2022 and January 2023.

It involved 80 overweight adults, all with a high body mass index (BMI). Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a daily 480 mg dose of steamed ginger extract (Zinoact), or a placebo (a dummy pill with no active ingredient).

The trial was randomised, double-blind, and placebo-controlled, denoting neither the participants nor the researchers knew who was receiving the active supplement. This is considered one of the most reliable ways to test whether a treatment actually works.

After 12 weeks, the group taking the ginger extract showed clear differences compared with the placebo group. They experienced lower body weight, reduced body fat percentage, reduced body fat mass, smaller waist and hip measurements and lower BMI.

In addition, blood tests showed improvements in total cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats linked to heart disease risk). Importantly, no side effects were reported during the study.

Ginger is not new in health research. The root contains a range of natural compounds, including gingerols, shogaols, and zingerone, which are known for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

However, the researchers behind this study focused on a more concentrated and modified version of ginger.

The key difference lies in a controlled steaming process used before extraction. This process increases levels of a compound called 1-dehydro-6-gingerdione, which is believed to play a role in ginger’s biological activity.

According to the company, this process can increase the compound up to ten times compared with raw ginger.

The idea is simple: rather than relying on ordinary ginger, which can vary widely in potency depending on storage and preparation, the steamed extract is designed to be more consistent and concentrated. Its constituent activates a process in the body that is more likely to burn stored fat rather than accumulate it.

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However, this mechanism is still based partly on earlier laboratory and animal studies. Human evidence remains limited.

While the results of the study have attracted attention, experts say they fit into a familiar pattern in nutrition research: small, well-controlled trials often show promising short-term effects, but longer-term outcomes are less certain.

However, given the several limitations of the study, including its length of time and small number of participants, the researchers said the ginger extract appeared to support modest fat loss over a short period, but it is not yet clear whether those effects would continue, increase, or disappear over time.

Obesity is a complex condition influenced by diet, physical activity, sleep, genetics, and environment. Because of this complexity, scientists are often cautious about claims that any single food or supplement can produce meaningful weight loss on its own.

Still, the Lead researcher Ryan Lee said the results suggest the extract may help support both weight management and metabolic health.

He explained that obesity is linked to conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, and so even modest improvements in weight and blood lipids, could have meaningful long-term health effects if sustained.

Other related research has explored black ginger extract, which has also shown potential effects on body fat reduction in overweight adults, although results vary depending on formulation and study design.

Twelve weeks of supplementation with the black ginger extract, which is commercialized under the brand name Sirtmax, was associated with body fat mass reductions specifically in the trunk, android, and gynoid areas, according to findings published in Frontiers in Nutrition.

The researchers recruited 108 overweight and mildly obese Korean adults and randomly assigned them to receive either the Kaempferia parviflora extract (50 mg per day) or placebo for 12 weeks. Body fat mass and body fat percentage changes were assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).

Data from the 83 people who completed the study indicated that body fat mass decreased by an average of 337 grams in the Sirtmax group, compared to an average increase of 304 grams in the control group over 12 weeks.

In addition, significant reductions in visceral fat area in the abdomen were also recorded in the Sirtmax group, compared to increases in the control group.

Previously, data published in Nutrition indicated that daily ginger consumption was associated with an 8% lower risk of developing hypertension and a 13% lower risk of coronary heart disease in adults.

“It was a heart-healthy alternative to appropriately increase ginger consumption every day, being recommended as a good dietary choice,” Chinese researchers said.

These studies reflect growing interest in spice, herbs and medicinal plants that may offer health benefits beyond basic nutrition.

However, experts warn that results from isolated supplements should not be directly compared with whole diets or lifestyle changes, considering that there is no evidence that ginger extract alone can produce large or sustained weight loss without changes in diet or activity.