Previous Article in Journal
Mediterranean Diet and Metabolic Syndrome
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Effects of Ginger Supplementation on Markers of Inflammation and Functional Capacity in Individuals with Mild to Moderate Joint Pain †

by
Jacob Broeckel
1,
Landry Estes
1,
Megan Leonard
1,
Broderick L. Dickerson
1,
Drew E. Gonzalez
1,
Martin Purpura
2,
Ralf Jäger
2,
Ryan J. Sowinski
1,
Christopher J. Rasmussen
1 and
Richard B. Kreider
1,*
1
Exercise & Sport Nutrition Laboratory, Human Clinical Research Facility, Department of Kinesiology and Sports Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
2
Increnovo LLC, Whitefish Bay, WI 53217, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstracts from this study were presented on 24 June 2025, at the International Society of Sports Nutrition conference at Delray Beach, FL, USA. The abstracts will be published in the Proceedings of the Twenty-Second International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo in the Journal of the Society of Sports Nutrition supplement.
Nutrients 2025, 17(14), 2365; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17142365
Submission received: 9 June 2025 / Revised: 12 July 2025 / Accepted: 15 July 2025 / Published: 18 July 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Phytochemicals and Human Health)

Abstract

Background: Ginger contains gingerols, shagaols, paradols, gingerdiones, and terpenes, which have been shown to display anti-inflammatory properties and inhibit pain receptors. For this reason, ginger has been marketed as a natural analgesic. This study examined whether a specialized ginger extract obtained through supercritical CO2 extraction and subsequent fermentation affects pain perception, functional capacity, and markers of inflammation. Methods: Thirty men and women (56.0 ± 9.0 years, 164.4 ± 14 cm, 86.5 ± 20.9 kg, 31.0 ± 7.5 kg/m2) with a history of mild to severe joint and muscle pain as well as inflammation participated in a placebo-controlled, randomized, parallel-arm study. Participants donated fasting blood, completed questionnaires, rated pain in the thighs to standardized pressure, and then completed squats/deep knee bends, while holding 30% of body mass, for 3 sets of 10 repetitions on days 0, 30, and 56 of supplementation. Participants repeated tests after 2 days of recovery following each testing session. Participants were matched by demographics and randomized to ingest 125 mg/d of a placebo or ginger (standardized to contain 10% total gingerols and no more than 3% total shogaols) for 58 days. Data were analyzed by a general linear model (GLM) analysis of variance with repeated measures, mean changes from the baseline with 95% confidence intervals, and chi-squared analysis. Results: There was evidence that ginger supplementation attenuated perceptions of muscle pain in the vastus medialis; improved ratings of pain, stiffness, and functional capacity; and affected several inflammatory markers (e.g., IL-6, INF-ϒ, TNF-α, and C-Reactive Protein concentrations), particularly following two days of recovery from resistance exercise. There was also evidence that ginger supplementation increased eosinophils and was associated with less frequent but not significantly different use of over-the-counter analgesics. Conclusions: Ginger supplementation (125 mg/d, providing 12.5 mg/d of gingerols) appears to have some favorable effects on perceptions of pain, functional capacity, and inflammatory markers in men and women experiencing mild to moderate muscle and joint pain. Registered clinical trial #ISRCTN74292348.
Keywords: knee; hip osteoarthritis; muscle soreness; dietary supplement; analgesic; quality of life knee; hip osteoarthritis; muscle soreness; dietary supplement; analgesic; quality of life

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Broeckel, J.; Estes, L.; Leonard, M.; Dickerson, B.L.; Gonzalez, D.E.; Purpura, M.; Jäger, R.; Sowinski, R.J.; Rasmussen, C.J.; Kreider, R.B. Effects of Ginger Supplementation on Markers of Inflammation and Functional Capacity in Individuals with Mild to Moderate Joint Pain. Nutrients 2025, 17, 2365. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17142365

AMA Style

Broeckel J, Estes L, Leonard M, Dickerson BL, Gonzalez DE, Purpura M, Jäger R, Sowinski RJ, Rasmussen CJ, Kreider RB. Effects of Ginger Supplementation on Markers of Inflammation and Functional Capacity in Individuals with Mild to Moderate Joint Pain. Nutrients. 2025; 17(14):2365. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17142365

Chicago/Turabian Style

Broeckel, Jacob, Landry Estes, Megan Leonard, Broderick L. Dickerson, Drew E. Gonzalez, Martin Purpura, Ralf Jäger, Ryan J. Sowinski, Christopher J. Rasmussen, and Richard B. Kreider. 2025. "Effects of Ginger Supplementation on Markers of Inflammation and Functional Capacity in Individuals with Mild to Moderate Joint Pain" Nutrients 17, no. 14: 2365. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17142365

APA Style

Broeckel, J., Estes, L., Leonard, M., Dickerson, B. L., Gonzalez, D. E., Purpura, M., Jäger, R., Sowinski, R. J., Rasmussen, C. J., & Kreider, R. B. (2025). Effects of Ginger Supplementation on Markers of Inflammation and Functional Capacity in Individuals with Mild to Moderate Joint Pain. Nutrients, 17(14), 2365. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17142365

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop