Does ginger help with weight loss?

If it does, the effect is small and the evidence is weak. A 2024 meta-analysis of 27 randomized trials in 1309 adults found ginger supplements lowered body weight by 3.4 lb (95% CI 1.5 to 5.2; metric: 1.52 kg, 0.66 to 2.37), and its authors rated the certainty low. A 2025 meta-analysis of 36 trials, the largest so far, concluded that ginger does not seem to improve body weight or BMI. These trials tested ginger supplements, powder or extract, not ginger in food.

Unsettled. Four meta-analyses pooled largely the same small trials and came out in different places. Two found weight fell, one found the change in weight was not significant, and the largest, from 2025, found no effect on weight or BMI. The trials were small and mostly run in Iran. When reviews of the same evidence disagree like this, the effect, if real, is too small to show up reliably.

What the trials found

The pooled analyses

The 2024 review, searched to August 2022, found falls of 3.4 lb (1.52 kg) in weight and 0.58 kg/m2 in BMI, with smaller falls in waist size and body fat. Its authors graded the certainty low for weight and very low for BMI and waist. Their dose-response analysis pointed to about 2 g a day for more than 8 weeks.

The 2025 review, of 36 trials with GRADE ratings, did not find a change in body weight or BMI. Its abstract also reports a fall in waist size of 0.26 in (95% CI -0.42 to -0.09; metric: 0.65 cm, -1.07 to -0.24) and in body fat of 1.49 percentage points. A 2022 review of 26 trials found a change in weight of -0.52 that did not reach statistical significance (95% CI -1.48 to 0.43), and its authors note that few trials measured weight at all.

The oldest review, from 2019, pooled 14 trials in 473 overweight or obese people and reported weight only on a standardized scale, -0.66, with an interval running to -0.01, which nearly touches no effect. A standardized scale cannot be turned back into kilograms. BMI did not change significantly. A 2026 umbrella review of 6 meta-analyses summed the range of reported weight falls as 0.95 to 3.4 lb (0.43 to 1.52 kg), at moderate to low certainty. Its search ended in January 2025, so it does not include the 2025 review that found nothing.

Single trials

In a 12-week double-blind trial in 80 overweight Korean adults, 480 mg a day of a steamed ginger extract took weight down by 2.2 lb (1.00 kg) from the start, while weight in the placebo group rose by a non-significant 1.4 lb (0.63 kg). That product was a proprietary extract standardized to one ginger compound, which is a long way from a slice of root in tea. In a 3-month double-blind trial in 66 women with excess body fat, 600 mg a day of ginger extract did not change resting energy expenditure, body measurements or blood pressure.

Who should be careful

In the Korean extract trial, 6 of 40 people on the extract and 2 of 40 on placebo reported adverse events over 12 weeks, a difference that was not statistically significant in a trial this small. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that ginger taken by mouth can cause abdominal discomfort, heartburn and diarrhea. The EU medicines agency lists stomach upset, belching, indigestion, heartburn and nausea as common with ginger root medicines, in 1 to 10 users in 100.

Not for everyone. If you take warfarin, a ginger supplement deserves a conversation with your prescriber. Among 171 warfarin users in Canada who kept a 16-week diary, ginger was one of the products linked with more self-reported bleeding. That is an observational signal, based on what people wrote down, and it did not show a change in blood clotting tests. NCCIH advises anyone on any medicine to talk with a clinician before using ginger.

The EU medicines agency advises avoiding ginger root medicines in pregnancy as a precaution, and does not recommend them under 18 or while breastfeeding. We found no weight trial of ginger in pregnancy or in children.

What expert bodies say

We found no health agency or guideline that recommends ginger for weight loss. The NCCIH page on ginger, updated in February 2025, does not mention weight at all.

How we searched

What would change this answer

• A larger, preregistered placebo-controlled trial of plain ginger powder at about 2 g a day, the dose the 2024 review pointed to, running 6 months or more, outside Iran, with weight as the main outcome. We found no such trial registered.
• An update of the reviews that explains why the 2024 and 2025 analyses of overlapping trials disagree.
• Any trial of ginger as people eat it, in food or tea, against an ordinary diet.

What ginger contains and the rest of its evidence is on the ginger root page.

Sources

1. ev-giwl-01 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = 1309
   The meta-analysis showed a significant association between ginger supplementation and a reduction in body weight (WMD, -1.52 kg; 95%CI, -2.37, -0.66; P < 0.001), BMI (WMD, -0.58 kg/m2; 95%CI, -0.87, -0.30; P < 0.001), WC (WMD, -1.04 cm; 95%CI: -1.93, -0.15; P = 0.021), and percent body fat consumption (WMD, -0.87%; 95%CI, -1.71, -0.03; P = 0.042).
   
   Who: adults in RCTs of ginger supplementation, searched to August 2022
   Effect: body weight WMD -3.4 lb (95% CI -5.2 to -1.5; metric: -1.52 kg, -2.37 to -0.66); BMI WMD -0.58 kg/m2 (-0.87 to -0.30); GRADE low for weight, very low for BMI and waist
   Certainty: GRADE low or very low; dose-response suggests 2 g/day for over 8 weeks; trials small and mostly Iranian.
   Nutr Rev, 2024 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
2. ev-giwl-02 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · GRADE-based systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = 36 trials
   Ginger supplementation does not seem effective in improving major measurements/indices of weight, including body weight and BMI.
   
   Who: adults in RCTs of ginger supplementation
   Effect: waist WMD -0.26 in (95% CI -0.42 to -0.09; metric: -0.65 cm, -1.07 to -0.24); body fat WMD -1.49% (-2.65 to -0.32); body weight and BMI not changed
   Certainty: The largest and newest pool; its conclusion contradicts the 2024 review. Longer trials linked to more weight change.
   Complement Ther Med, 2025 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
3. ev-giwl-03 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = 473
   Fourteen RCTs with 473 subjects were included in our meta-analysis. The results indicated that the supplementation with ginger significantly decreased body weight (BW) (SMD -0.66; 95% CI, -1.31, -0.01; P = 0.04), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (SMD -0.49; 95% CI, -0.82, -0.17; P = 0.003), hip ratio (HR) (SMD -0.42; 95% CI, -0.77, -0.08; P = 0.01), fasting glucose (SMD -0.68; 95% CI, -1.23, -0.05; P = 0.03) and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) (SMD -1.67; 95% CI, -2.86, -0.48; P = 0.006), and significantly increased HDL-cholesterol levels (SMD 0.40; 95% CI, 0.10, 0.70; P = 0.009).
   
   Who: overweight and obese subjects in RCTs, searched to November 2017
   Effect: body weight SMD -0.66 (95% CI -1.31 to -0.01); waist-to-hip ratio SMD -0.49 (-0.82 to -0.17); BMI SMD -0.65 (-1.36 to 0.06), not significant
   Certainty: Confidence interval for weight nearly touches zero; standardized effect, no kilograms reported in the abstract.
   Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
4. ev-giwl-04 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = 26 trials
   However, the small number of sample studies that investigated reductions in body weight (-0.52 (-1.48 to 0.43)) were not statistically significant.
   
   Who: participants in randomized controlled trials of ginger, searched to December 2021
   Effect: BMI -0.49 (95% CI -0.79 to -0.18); body weight -0.52 (-1.48 to 0.43), not significant; doses above 1500 mg/day for over 8 weeks did better for weight
   Certainty: Few trials reported weight; subgroup findings on dose are exploratory.
   Curr Pharm Des, 2022 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
5. ev-giwl-05 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized trials · n = 6 meta-analyses
   Across 6 meta-analyses, ginger supplementation significantly reduced body weight (range of reported WMD: − 0.43 to − 1.52 kg) and BMI (range of reported WMD: − 0.27 to − 0.65 kg/m²) with moderate-to-low certainty.
   
   Who: 6 meta-analyses of ginger trials reporting body weight and BMI
   Effect: body weight WMD range -0.95 to -3.4 lb (-0.43 to -1.52 kg); BMI WMD range -0.27 to -0.65 kg/m2; waist and body fat significant in only 1 meta-analysis each
   Certainty: Search to January 2025, so it misses the 2025 null meta-analysis (41101746); overlapping trials across reviews.
   Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome, 2026, Ginger supplementation and metabolic health: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized trials · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the fulltext
6. ev-giwl-06 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial · n = 80
   After 12 weeks of intervention, the GGE03 group showed a significant reduction in body weight compared to baseline (−1.00 ± 1.88 kg, p = 0.007), while the placebo group showed a nonsignificant increase (0.63 ± 1.92 kg, p = 0.090).
   
   Who: adults aged 18 to 60 years with BMI 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2
   Effect: body weight -1.00 +/- 1.88 kg vs +0.63 +/- 1.92 kg on placebo (between groups p = 0.001); body fat -1.18 points vs +0.37
   Certainty: Proprietary extract standardized to 1-dehydro-6-gingerdione, not kitchen ginger; per-protocol analysis of 73.
   Nutrients, 2026 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the fulltext
7. ev-giwl-07 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · secondary analysis of a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (NCT02570633) · n = 66
   Ginger extract consumption for 3 mo did not change the REE, anthropometric, and clinical data of female adults with excess adiposity.
   
   Who: female participants with high body adiposity, aged 18 to 60 years
   Effect: no group x time difference in resting energy expenditure, body composition or blood pressure
   Certainty: Secondary analysis; normal mean BMI 23.3 with high body fat.
   Nutrition, 2022 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
8. ev-giwl-08 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial · n = 80
   During the study period, adverse events were reported by eight participants (six in the GGE03 group and two in the placebo group), with no significant difference in incidence between groups (p > 0.05).
   
   Who: overweight adults aged 18 to 60 years
   Effect: adverse events 6 vs 2 participants, no significant difference; all mild; no serious events; laboratory values normal
   Certainty: Small trial, 12 weeks; safety of longer use not tested.
   Nutrients, 2026 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the fulltext
9. ev-giwl-09 · Observational data · prospective longitudinal cohort · n = 171
   The CAM therapies associated with an increased risk of self-reported bleeding included cayenne, ginger, willow bark, St. John's wort, and coenzyme Q(10).
   
   Who: 171 adults on warfarin anticoagulation, Canadian hospital, 16-week diary
   Effect: ginger use associated with increased risk of self-reported bleeding
   Certainty: Self-reported exposure and bleeding; no INR effect shown for ginger.
   Pharmacotherapy, 2007 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
10. ev-giwl-10 · Position of an expert body · agency fact sheet · n = —
    Ginger can have side effects such as abdominal discomfort, heartburn, diarrhea, and mouth and throat irritation when taken orally.
    
    Who: people taking ginger by mouth
    Effect: possible abdominal discomfort, heartburn, diarrhea, mouth and throat irritation
    Certainty: No frequencies given; the fact sheet says nothing about weight loss.
    NCCIH, Ginger: Usefulness and Safety (fact sheet), last updated February 2025 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the section
11. ev-giwl-11 · Position of an expert body · agency fact sheet · n = —
    If you take any type of medicine, talk with your health care provider before using ginger or any other herbal products; some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways.
    
    Who: people taking medicines
    Effect: check with a health care provider before use
    Certainty: Interactions named in general terms only.
    NCCIH, Ginger: Usefulness and Safety (fact sheet), last updated February 2025 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the section
12. ev-gid-17 · Position of an expert body · EU herbal monograph · n = —
    Gastrointestinal disorders: Stomach upset, eructation, dyspepsia, heartburn and nausea.
    
    Who: users of ginger root medicinal products
    Effect: common (>= 1/100 to < 1/10)
    Certainty: Frequency from a monograph, not from a separate study.
    European Medicines Agency, HMPC, European Union herbal monograph on Zingiber officinale Roscoe, rhizoma, Revision 1 (EMA/HMPC/885789/2022), adopted 7 May 2025 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the section
13. ev-gid-18 · Position of an expert body · EU herbal monograph · n = —
    As a precautionary measure it is preferable to avoid the use during pregnancy.
    
    Who: pregnant and breastfeeding women; children and adolescents
    Effect: avoid in pregnancy (precaution)
    Certainty: The monograph records 300-1000 pregnancies without defects; the restriction is precautionary. NCCIH words it more softly (may be safe).
    European Medicines Agency, HMPC, European Union herbal monograph on Zingiber officinale Roscoe, rhizoma, Revision 1 (EMA/HMPC/885789/2022), adopted 7 May 2025 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the section