Ginger supplements may diminish markers for colon inflammation

Ginger root supplements may help tamp down markers for colon inflammation, a study finds.

The study, published online Tuesday in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, included 30 men and women who were randomly assigned to take 2 grams of a ginger root supplement or a placebo for 28 days. The participants were at normal risk for colon cancer -- they had no family history of the disease and no evidence of the disease. Ginger root is a popular supplement that’s often used to treat stomach ailments.

The study subjects underwent sigmoidoscopies at the beginning and the end of the study. Researchers examined colon inflammation levels and found that those taking the supplements had a drop in colon inflammation markers as well as a tendency toward substantial decreases in other markers.

The supplements seemed to pose no health risks, and the study subjects were for the most part compliant in taking their tablets. However, the authors noted that many more of the people in the supplement group (86%) were able to correctly guess what they were taking versus the placebo group (44%). Evidently the taste gave it away.

More research is needed, the authors said, to see if taking ginger root supplements have any effect on colon cancer risk.

“Interest in this is only going to increase as people look for ways to prevent cancer that are nontoxic and improve their quality of life in a cost-effective way,” said lead author Suzanna Zick in a news release. Zick is a naturopathic doctor and a research assistant professor at the University of Michigan Medical School.