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Current Nutrition & Food Science

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ISSN (Print): 1573-4013
ISSN (Online): 2212-3881

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Systematic Review Article

Effect of Ginger Supplementation on Liver Enzymes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Author(s): Nargeskhatoon Shoaibinobarian, Roya Riahi, Motahar Heidari-Beni* and Roya Kelishadi

Volume 21, Issue 4, 2025

Published on: 29 August, 2024

Page: [441 - 447] Pages: 7

DOI: 10.2174/0115734013300552240809043637

Price: $65

Abstract

Background: Ginger (Zingiber officinale), as one of the herbal medicines, has high antioxidant activity. It may have protective effects against hepatotoxicity. This study seeks to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the impact of ginger on liver enzymes.

Methods: The present systematic review and meta-analysis study adhered to the guidelines outlined in the PRISMA 2020 statement. A comprehensive literature search was carried out in the Medline database (PubMed), Google Scholar, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library until the conclusion of February 2021. All interventional animal studies were included. The selected studies were the ones that examined the impact of ginger on serum liver enzymes.

Results: Out of 741 articles, 39 studies were incorporated into the systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled results suggested that ginger significantly reduced alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (standardized mean difference (SMD): 2.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.12 to 2.93), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (SMD: 3.03, 95% CI: 2.48 to 3.58), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (SMD: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.60 to 2.60).

Conclusion: Ginger has favorable effects on liver enzymes. It shows potential as a beneficial complementary therapy for higher levels of ALT, AST, and ALP because of its useful effects and negligible side effects.

Keywords: Alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, (Zingiber officinale), hepatotoxicity, confidence interval, drug metabolism.

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Graphical Abstract

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