Ginger Root Reduces Colon Inflammation Markers

Ginger supplements were shown to reduce markers of colon inflammation in a select group of patients, suggesting that this supplement may have possibilities as a colon cancer-prevention agent.

The study’s findings were published October 12, 2011, in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Suzanna M. Zick, ND, MPH, a research assistant professor at the University of Michigan Medical School (Ann Arbor, USA) and colleagues enrolled 30 patients and randomly assigned them to two grams of ginger root supplements per day or placebo for 28 days. After 28 days, the investigators measured standard levels of colon inflammation and found statistically significant reductions in most of these markers, and trends toward considerable decreases in others.

Inflammation has been implicated in earlier studies as a precursor to colon cancer, but another trial would be needed to see how ginger root affects that risk, according to Dr. Zick. “We need to apply the same rigor to the sorts of questions about the effect of ginger root that we apply to other clinical trial research,” she said. “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.”

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University of Michigan Medical School