title: The effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on glycemic markers in patients with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the functional foods which contains biological compounds including gingerol, shogaol, paradol and zingerone. Ginger has been proposed to have anti-cancer, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, hypolipidemic and analgesic properties. Here, we report the effect of ginger supplementation on glycemic indices in Iranian patients with type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial was conducted on 20-60 -year-old patients with type 2 diabetes who did not receive insulin. Participants in the intervention and control groups were received 3 g of powdered ginger or placebo (lactose) (in capsules) daily for 3 months. Glycemic indices, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), C-reactive protein (CRP), serum paraoxonase, dietary intake and physical activity were measured at the beginning and end of the study, and after 12 h fasting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparison of the indices after 3 months showed that the differences between the ginger and placebo groups were statistically significant as follows: serum glucose (-19.41 ± 18.83 vs. 1.63 ± 4.28 mg/dL, p < 0.001), HbA1c percentage (-0.77 ± 0.88 vs. 0.02 ± 0.16%, p < 0.001), insulin (-1.46 ± 1.7 vs. 0.09 ± 0.34 μIU/mL, p < 0.001), insulin resistance (-16.38 ± 19.2 vs. 0.68 ± 2.7, p < 0.001), high-sensitive CRP (-2.78 ± 4.07 vs. 0.2 ± 0.77 mg/L, p < 0.001), paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) (22.04 ± 24.53 vs. 1.71 ± 2.72 U/L, p < 0.006), TAC (0.78 ± 0.71 vs. -0.04 ± 0.29 µIU/mL, p < 0.01) and MDA (-0.85 ± 1.08 vs. 0.06 ± 0.08 µmol/L, p < 0.001) were significantly different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This report shows that the 3 months supplementation of ginger improved glycemic indices, TAC and PON-1 activity in patients with type 2 diabetes.
authors.forename: Farzad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shidfar
authors.forename: Asadollah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajab
authors.forename: Tayebeh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rahideh
authors.forename: Nafiseh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khandouzi
authors.forename: Sharieh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.forename: Shahrzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shidfar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D020939:Zingiber officinale / Q000737:chemistry*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011208:Powders; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011208:Powders