by Dr. Joseph Mercola, Mercola:
Story at-a-glance
- Studies have highlighted ginger’s benefits for treating various cancers due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunoregulatory effects
- Active compounds in ginger, including gingerol, shogaol, zingerone and paradol, exhibit antitumor properties by inhibiting cancer cell growth and promoting apoptosis in multiple cancer types
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- Studies indicate ginger’s effectiveness against breast and cervical cancers, with extracts demonstrating cytotoxic benefits against cancer cells while sparing healthy cells
- Ginger helps alleviate chemotherapy side effects, reducing nausea and vomiting in cancer patients, and enhancing the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs
- Beyond cancer protection, ginger promotes healthy aging and guards against neurological diseases, cardiovascular issues and obesity, while offering anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing benefits
Medicinal plants are becoming more widely appreciated for their ability to protect and even help treat diseases, and one of the most popular ones is ginger (Zingiber officinale). Traditionally used to help reduce inflammation and relieve pain, ginger is now recognized for its protective effects against cancer.
With more than 2 million cancer cases expected to arise in the U.S. this year,1 it is important to find alternative therapies that are helpful against this disease. In recent years, multiple studies have provided evidence of ginger’s cancer-fighting benefits.
Ginger’s Pharmacodynamic Effects Against Colorectal Cancer
There were more than 1.9 million new diagnoses and 935,000 deaths associated with colorectal cancer worldwide in 2020, making it the cancer with the highest incidence rate and second-highest mortality rate.2 Many recent studies have found that ginger has therapeutic actions against this type of cancer, mainly due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunoregulatory effects. One study notes:
“Indisputable evidence show that among all natural products, ginger (Zingiber officinale), which is extensively used in foods and beverages as a spice worldwide, is a unique source of bioactive compounds that can show both chemo-preventive and chemotherapeutic effect against different types of cancers and has attracted the interest of medical scientists recently.”3
A 2024 review published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology4 highlighted ginger’s ability to help inhibit and treat colorectal cancer by inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, inducing cell cycle blockage, promoting apoptosis (programmed cell death) and suppressing cancer cell invasion and migration. The review, which looked at clinical studies and animal and in vitro experiments, also noted that ginger helps enhance the anticancer effects of chemotherapy drugs.
An animal study that explored ginger’s effects on colorectal cancer was also published in 2022 in the journal Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry.5 The researchers induced colorectal cancer in rats using dimethylhydrazine, a cancer-causing chemical. They then divided the test subjects into those given the cancer drug cisplatin and those treated with ethanolic ginger extract.
Remarkably, after 21 weeks of treatment, they found not only did ginger extract work better than cisplatin, but it also didn’t damage the kidneys or liver, indicating its safety.
“This study proved that the antitumor activity of GE against the DMH induced-CRC is superior to cisplatin. GE was also safer than cisplatin and did not elicit hepatotoxicity or nephrotoxicity. GE induced apoptosis and has carcinostatic activity,” the study authors concluded.6
Studies Investigate the Cancer-Protective Compounds in Ginger
Ginger’s unique and multifaceted composition is responsible for its benefits against cancer. This root crop contains more than 60 active compounds with strong biological activity and pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, which all contribute to its ability to help suppress tumor formation.7,8
A 2023 study published in the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology9 investigated the components of ginger that give it its antitumor effects against cancers of the digestive tract, including gastric, liver, laryngeal, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. These beneficial components include:
