Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Of the 44 study participants, those who took 2 grams of ginger daily for 12 weeks had significant improvements in inflammatory proteins, liver enzymes, insulin resistance, and overall health compared to the control group.

ginger - botanicalsNonalcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide and occurs predominantly in obese, sedentary people and patients with type II diabetes 1. It is usually associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity, insulin resistance 2, hypertension, dyslipidemia and impaired fat me­tabolism 3, and it can increase mortality risk due to the associated cardiovascular disease 4.

There is currently no effective therapy for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease other than lifestyle modification 5 that focuses on blood sugar control and minimizing cell damage 6,7. Alternative therapies in the form of cinnamon supplementation 8 and vitamin E combined with phosphatidylcholine 9 may benefit those with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

The study involved 44 patients (20 males, 24 females) aged 44 to 47 with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. They were assigned to take either 2 grams of ginger (23 patients) or a placebo (21 patients) per day for 12 weeks. They were also given advice on modifying their diet and a physical activity program based on the National Institutes for Health and the North American Association for the Study of Obesity 10. Blood samples were taken before and after the study to measure for liver health.

After 12 weeks, the following benefits were seen on inflammatory proteins (hs-CRP, TNF-alpha), liver enzyme health (ALT, GGT), insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR), and overall liver health (steatosis score):

GingerPlacebop - value
ALT
(Units/Liter)
16.7% decrease
(36.59 to 30.5)
10.8% decrease
(34.53 to 30.82)
0.045
GGT
(Units/Liter)
25% decrease
(40.32 to 30.26)
6% decrease
(44.45 to 41.82)
0.001
HOMA-IR25.3% decrease
(2.93 to 2.19)
11.6% decrease
(2.69 to 2.38)
0.022
Steatosis score17% decrease
(307.81 to 255.77)
3.9% decrease
(287.45 to 276.36)
< 0.001
hs-CRP
(nanograms/milliliter)
26% decrease
(4.62 to 3.42)
7.4% decrease
(4.79 to 4.44)
0.016
TNF-alpha
(picograms/mL)
24.8% decrease
(4.68 to 3.52)
5% decrease
(3.03 to 2.88)
0.01

For the researchers, “ginger supplementation could increase the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions (diet modification and physical activity) compared with life­style interventions alone for treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease” but that “wheth­er these effects will be sustained and/or augmented with longer treatment durations remains to be determined.”

Source: Eslamparast T., Poustchi H., Synbiotic supplementation in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;99:535–42.

© 2014 American Society for Nutrition

Posted August 3, 2016. 

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com

References:

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  3. Musso G, Gambino R, Cassader M, Pagano G. Meta-analysis: natural history of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and diagnostic accuracy of non-invasive tests for liver disease severity. Ann Med. 2011;43(8):617-649.
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  9. Loguercio C, Andreone P, Brisc C, et al. Silybin combined with phosphatidylcholine and vitamin E in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized controlled trial. Free radical biology & medicine. 2012;52(9):1658-1665.
  10. NHLBI. The Practical Guide Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. In:2000.