Effect of Ginger Supplementation on Lipids and Inflammatory Markers in Diabetic Hemodialysis Patients

by | Jun 20, 2023 | 2023, Botanicals, Diabetes, Ginger, Kidney Health

Written by Harold Oster, MD. Results show that ginger supplementation may improve levels of triglycerides, albumin, and markers of inflammation in diabetic dialysis patients. 

ginger - botanicalsDiabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal failure in the United States1. Dialysis and diabetes are closely associated with inflammation and malnutrition2. These conditions and abnormal lipids are among the most important risk factors for mortality in dialysis patients, particularly in those with comorbidities such as diabetes3,4. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is an herbaceous plant with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and lipid-lowering properties5.

Parisa Veisi et al. studied the potential beneficial effect of ginger on inflammatory markers, nutritional status, and lipid profiles in dialysis patients with diabetes. Forty-four participants were randomized to receive 2000 mg of ginger powder in four capsules or an identical placebo daily for eight weeks. The two groups were matched for age, gender, and glucose control. Weight, body mass index, and waist and hip circumference were measured at the beginning and end of the study. A lipid profile and serum albumin, a marker for nutritional status, were tested at baseline and at the end of the study. The inflammatory markers, high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), were also tested.

The authors noted the following:

  • The baseline characteristics of the two groups did not differ significantly.
  • Three participants did not complete the study because they met prespecified exclusion criteria.
  • Not all the capsules were consumed by all the patients.
  • At the end of the study, triglycerides, hs-CRP, and NLR were reduced significantly in the group receiving ginger.
  • Albumin increased significantly in the ginger arm.
  • PLR and the remainder of the lipid profile did not change significantly.
  • None of the anthropometric indices changed significantly in either group.

Results of the study suggest that ginger (Zingiber officinale) supplementation improves triglycerides, albumin, and some markers of inflammation in diabetic patients undergoing hemodialysis. Limitations of the study include its short duration and incomplete adherence by the participants to the supplement protocol.

Source: Veisi, Parisa, Helya Rostamkhani, Bahram Niknafs, Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi, and Zohreh Ghoreishi. “Effect of Zingiber officinale on Lipid Profile and Some Inflammatory Markers in Diabetic Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2023 (2023).

© 2023 Parisa Veisi et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Posted June 20, 2023.

Harold Oster, MD graduated from medical school in Miami, Florida in 1992 and moved to Minnesota in 2004. After more than 25 years of practicing Internal Medicine, he recently retired. Dr. Oster is especially interested in nutrition, weight management, and disease prevention. Visit his website at haroldoster.com.

References:

  1. Lok CE, Oliver MJ, Rothwell DM, Hux JE. The growing volume of diabetes-related dialysis: a population based study. Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association – European Renal Association. Dec 2004;19(12):3098-103. doi:10.1093/ndt/gfh540
  2. Achinger SG, Ayus JC. Inflammation from dialysis, can it be removed? Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association – European Renal Association. Apr 2013;28(4):770-3. doi:10.1093/ndt/gfs480
  3. Qureshi AR, Alvestrand A, Divino-Filho JC, et al. Inflammation, malnutrition, and cardiac disease as predictors of mortality in hemodialysis patients. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN. Jan 2002;13 Suppl 1:S28-36.
  4. Kalantar-Zadeh K, Kopple JD. Relative contributions of nutrition and inflammation to clinical outcome in dialysis patients. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation. Dec 2001;38(6):1343-50. doi:10.1053/ajkd.2001.29250
  5. Anh NH, Kim SJ, Long NP, et al. Ginger on Human Health: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of 109 Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. Jan 6 2020;12(1)doi:10.3390/nu12010157