The Effect of Ginger Powder on Blood Lipid Profile, Fasting Blood Glucose, and Blood Pressure in Hyperlipidemic Men: A Clinical Trial Study

Complications associated with atherosclerosis are the most common cause of human mortality. Hyperlipidemia is an important risk factor for atherosclerosis. In fact, a decline in cholesterol concentration decreases the incidence of coronary artery diseases by approximately 50%. Considering the use of herbal medicine as one of the earliest modes of treatment, this study aimed to determine the effect of ginger on reducing lipid level in humans. In this study, 90 patients with hyperlipidemia were randomly allocated to 3 groups of 30 subjects. The first group only received anti-hyperlipidemic medications, the second group was given anti-hyperlipidemic and placebo medications, and the third group received ginger in addition to anti-hyperlipidemic medications for 7 weeks. Fasting blood sugar (FBS), blood pressure, and serum lipid were evaluated before and after the intervention. FBS, triglyceride, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were not significantly different among the three groups before the intervention. However, after the intervention, FBS was different between the first and third groups. Moreover, triglyceride level in the third group was significantly different from those reported in the first and second groups. Also, HDL in the third group was significantly different from those of the first and second groups. Given the significant effects of ginger on blood sugar and serum lipid profile, we recommend ginger for controlling hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertension.