Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and Arthritis / joint pain: evidence and sources

Background : Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease that can greatly affect quality of life in middle-aged and elderly individuals. Nutritional supplements are increasingly used for KOA due to their low risk, but direct comparative evidence on their efficacy and safety remains scarce. This study aimed to systematically compare the effectiveness and safety of seven common nutritional supplements for KOA. Methods : A systematic review and network meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library were searched through December 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating use of eggshell membrane, vitamin D, Boswellia, curcumin, ginger, krill oil, or collagen, versus placebo, in adults with KOA. Primary outcomes included changes in scores for WOMAC pain, stiffness and function, and pain visual analog scale (VAS). Adverse events were also assessed. Bayesian network meta-analyses estimated ranking probabilities for each intervention. Results : In total, 39 RCTs (42 studies; 4599 patients) were included. Compared with placebo, Boswellia showed significant improvements in WOMAC pain (mean difference [MD] = 10.58, 95% CI: 6.45 to 14.78, p p p p Conclusions : Nutritional supplements, particularly Boswellia, appear to be effective and well-tolerated for improving KOA symptoms and function. These results suggest that certain supplements may be useful as part of non-pharmacological KOA management. However, further large-scale, well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to confirm these findings, particularly those that include more standardized dosages and formulations, as well as to evaluate their long-term efficacy.

Conflicting evidence exists concerning the effects of nutrient intake in osteoarthritis (OA). A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were performed using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library up to November 2021 to assess the effects of nutrients on pain, stiffness, function, quality of life, and inflammation markers. We obtained 52 references including 50 on knee OA. Twelve studies compared 724 curcumin patients and 714 controls. Using the standardized mean difference, improvement was significant with regard to pain and function in the curcumin group compared to placebo, but not with active treatment (i.e., nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroitin, or paracetamol). Three studies assessed the effects of ginger on OA symptoms in 166 patients compared to 164 placebo controls. Pain was the only clinical parameter that significantly decreased. Vitamin D supplementation caused a significant decrease in pain and function. Omega-3 and vitamin E caused no changes in OA parameters. Herbal formulations effects were significant only for stiffness compared to placebo, but not with active treatment. A significant decrease in inflammatory markers was found, especially with ginger. Thus, curcumin and ginger supplementation can have a favorable impact on knee OA symptoms. Other studies are needed to better assess the effects of omega-3 and vitamin D.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberacae) is a medicinal plant that has been widely used in Chinese, Ayurvedic and Tibb-Unani herbal medicines all over the world, since antiquity, for a wide array of unrelated ailments that include arthritis, rheumatism, sprains, muscular aches, pains, sore throats, cramps, constipation, indigestion, vomiting, hypertension, dementia, fever, infectious diseases and helminthiasis. Currently, there is a renewed interest in ginger, and several scientific investigations aimed at isolation and identification of active constituents of ginger, scientific verification of its pharmacological actions and of its constituents, and verification of the basis of the use of ginger in some of several diseases and conditions. This article aims at reviewing the most salient recent reports on these investigations. The main pharmacological actions of ginger and compounds isolated therefrom include immuno-modulatory, anti-tumorigenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-lipidemic and anti-emetic actions. Ginger is a strong anti-oxidant substance and may either mitigate or prevent generation of free radicals. It is considered a safe herbal medicine with only few and insignificant adverse/side effects. More studies are required in animals and humans on the kinetics of ginger and its constituents and on the effects of their consumption over a long period of time.