| Recently, the beneficial effects of ginger on obesity is taken into consideration. Albeit, it seems
that the anti‐obesity effect of ginger and its mechanism of action has not yet been reviewed.
Therefore, the aim of this study was to systematically review the effect of Zingiber officinale
Roscoe on obesity management. Databases including PubMed, Scopus, Google scholar, and
Science Direct were searched from 1995 until May 2017 using the definitive keywords.
Searching was limited to articles with English language. All of the relevant human and animal
studies and also in vitro studies were included. Review articles, abstract in congress, and also
other varieties of ginger were excluded. Eligibility of included articles were evaluated by 3
reviewers, which also extracted data. Articles were critically assessed individually for possible risk
of bias. Twenty‐seven articles (6 in vitro, 17 animal, and 4 human studies) were reviewed. Most of
the experimental studies supported the weight lowering effect of ginger extract or powder in
obese animal models, whereas the results of the available limited clinical studies showed no
changes or slight changes of anthropometric measurements and body composition in subjects
with obesity. Ginger could modulate obesity through various potential mechanisms including
increasing thermogenesis, increasing lipolysis, suppression of lipogenesis, inhibition of intestinal
fat absorption, and controlling appetite. This review article provides some convincing evidence
to support the efficacy of ginger in obesity management and demonstrates the importance of
future clinical trials. |