Thursday Jan 17, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- Taking ginger powder supplements help patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, a study released in Complementary Therapies in Medicine suggests.

The study led by Hassan Mozaffari-Khosravia from Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd, Iran shows that type 2 diabetics taking 3 1-gram of ginger powder capsules per day for eight weeks improved fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity.

Early studies have shown that spirulina, cinnamon, curcumin and bitter melon are effective dietary supplements that can be used to prevent and or treat type 2 diabetes mellitus.  Ginger powder is not as well-known as those dietary supplements for its anti-diabetic effect.

The current trial was intended to examine the effect of ginger powder on insulin resistance and glycemic indices in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

For the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 88 participants diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomly assigned to take either ginger powder in a dose of 3 1-gram capsules per day or placebo for eight weeks.

At the baseline and the end of the trial, HbA1c, fasting blood sugar (FBS), fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), insulin sensitivity (S%), and the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI),  fructosamine, and β-cell function (β%) were assessed.

The researchers found the following:

1) Taking ginger powder decreased fasting blood sugar by 10,5%, compared to an increase of 21% in those who took placebo;

2) Similarly, decreased HbA1c levels were found in those taking ginger powder;

3) Statistically significant difference was found in fasting insulin level, s%, and HOMA-IR between the group taking ginger powder and the placebo group

4) Insulin sensitivity was found increased in both groups, but insulin sensitivity was significantly higher in the participants taking ginger powder.

The researchers concluded "daily consumption of 3 one-gram capsules of ginger powder for 8 weeks is useful for patients with type 2 diabetes due to FBS and HbA1c reduction and improvement of insulin resistance." (David Liu)  

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