RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Investigation of the effect of ginger on the lipid levels. A double blind controlled clinical trial. JF Saudi Medical Journal JO Saudi Med J FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City SP 1280 OP 1284 VO 29 IS 9 A1 Alizadeh-Navaei, Reza A1 Roozbeh, Fatemeh A1 Saravi, Mehrdad A1 Pouramir, Mehdi A1 Jalali, Farzad A1 Moghadamnia, Ali A. YR 2008 UL http://smj.org.sa/content/29/9/1280.abstract AB OBJECTIVES To study the effect of fine powder of ginger on lipid level in volunteer patients. METHODS This is a double blind controlled clinical trial study in 2 cardiac clinics Cardiac Disease Clinic, Babol, north of Iran, between April to May 2004. We randomly divided the patients with hyperlipidemia into 2 groups, treatment group (receiving ginger capsules 3 g/day in 3 divided doses) and placebo group (lactose capsule 3 g/day in 3 divided doses) for 45 days. All subjects with diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, nephrotic syndrome, and alcohol drinking, pregnancy and peptic ulcer were excluded. Lipid concentrations profile before and after treatment was measured by enzymatic assay. RESULTS Forty-five patients in the treatment group and 40 patients in placebo group participated in this study. There was a significant reduce in triglyceride, cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), levels of before and after study separately in each group (p<0.05). Mean changes in triglyceride and cholesterol levels of ginger group were significantly higher than placebo group (p<0.05). Mean reduction in LDL level and increase in high density lipoprotein level of ginger group were higher than the placebo group, but in VLDL level of placebo was higher than ginger (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The results show that ginger has a significant lipid lowering effect compared to placebo.