Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37891539›Full record

Trial reportBMC complementary medicine and therapies2023

The effects of ginger supplementation on common gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Sahar Foshati, Maryam Poursadeghfard, Zahra Heidari, Reza Amani

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. A Standardized Extract ofBiomedicines · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Sahar FoshatiNutrition Research Center, Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2669-670X
Maryam PoursadeghfardClinical Neurology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Zahra HeidariDepartment of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Reza AmaniDepartment of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. r_amani@nutr.mui.ac.ir.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0074-4080
Isfahan University of Medical Sciences · IRShiraz University of Medical Sciences · IR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGastrointestinal (GI) symptoms affect more than 80% of individuals with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Ginger is widely known for its GI relieving properties. Therefore, we investigated the effect of ginger supplementation on common GI symptoms in RRMS patients.

methodsThis study was a 12-week double-blind parallel randomized controlled trial with a 3-week run-in period. The intervention (n = 26) and control (n = 26) groups received 500 mg ginger and placebo (as corn) supplements 3 times a day along with main meals, respectively. At the beginning and end of the trial, the frequency and severity of constipation, dysphagia, abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating, belching, flatulence, heartburn, anorexia, and nausea were assessed using the visual analogue scale ranging from 0 to 100 mm. Totally, 49 participants completed the study. However, data analysis was performed on all 52 participants based on the intention-to-treat principle.

resultsIn comparison with placebo, ginger supplementation resulted in significant or near-significant reductions in the frequency (-23.63 ± 5.36 vs. 14.81 ± 2.78, P < 0.001) and severity (-24.15 ± 5.10 vs. 11.39 ± 3.23, P < 0.001) of constipation, the frequency (-12.41 ± 3.75 vs. 3.75 ± 1.82, P < 0.001) and severity (-13.43 ± 4.91 vs. 6.88 ± 2.69, P = 0.001) of nausea, the frequency (-9.31 ± 4.44 vs. 1.56 ± 4.05, P = 0.098) and severity (-11.57 ± 5.09 vs. 3.97 ± 3.99, P = 0.047) of bloating, and the severity of abdominal pain (-5.69 ± 3.66 vs. 3.43 ± 3.26, P = 0.069).

conclusionGinger consumption can improve constipation, nausea, bloating, and abdominal pain in patients with RRMS.

trial registrationThis trial was prospectively registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials ( www.irct.ir ) under the registration number IRCT20180818040827N3 on 06/10/2021.

Indexed as

Gastrointestinal DiseasesMultiple SclerosisMultiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-RemittingZingiber officinaleAbdominal PainConstipationDietary SupplementsFlatulenceHumansIranNauseaAbdominal painBloatingConstipationGingerMultiple sclerosisNausea

Identifiers

PMID37891539
PMCPMC10605938
OpenAlexW4387975455

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.