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Oral intake of encapsulated dried ginger root powder hardly affects human thermoregulatory function, but appears to facilitate fat utilization

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Abstract

The present study investigated the impact of a single oral ingestion of ginger on thermoregulatory function and fat oxidation in humans. Morning and afternoon oral intake of 1.0 g dried ginger root powder did not alter rectal temperature, skin blood flow, O2 consumption, CO2 production, and thermal sensation and comfort, or induce sweating at an ambient temperature of 28 °C. Ginger ingestion had no effect on threshold temperatures for skin blood flow or thermal sweating. Serum levels of free fatty acids were significantly elevated at 120 min after ginger ingestion in both the morning and afternoon. Morning ginger intake significantly reduced respiratory exchange ratios and elevated fat oxidation by 13.5 % at 120 min after ingestion. This was not the case in the afternoon. These results suggest that the effect of a single oral ginger administration on the peripheral and central thermoregulatory function is miniscule, but does facilitate fat utilization although the timing of the administration may be relevant.

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Acknowledgments

The study was partly supported by Grant-in-aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Sciences and Technology of Japan (20590231). The authors cordially thank Sunsho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for manufacturing and providing ginger and placebo capsules used in this study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author’s contribution

Study conception and design: M.M. and O.S. Acquisition of data: M.M., K.M., and T.H. Analysis and interpretation of data: M.M., K.M., M.K., Y.T., and T.H. Drafting of manuscript: M.M., K.M., M.K., and O.S. Critical revision: M.M. and O.S.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Fundamental Nursing, School of Nursing, Shimane University, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, 693-8501, Japan

      Mayumi Miyamoto

    2. Department of Environmental Physiology, School of Medicine, Shimane University, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, 693-8501, Japan

      Mayumi Miyamoto, Kentaro Matsuzaki, Masanori Katakura, Toshiko Hara, Yoko Tanabe & Osamu Shido

    3. Department of Biosignaling and Radioisotope Experiment, Center for Integrated Research in Science, Shimane University, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, 693-8501, Japan

      Yoko Tanabe

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    1. Mayumi Miyamoto
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    Correspondence to Mayumi Miyamoto.

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    Kentaro Matsuzaki and Masanori Katakura equally contributed to this work.

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    Miyamoto, M., Matsuzaki, K., Katakura, M. et al. Oral intake of encapsulated dried ginger root powder hardly affects human thermoregulatory function, but appears to facilitate fat utilization. Int J Biometeorol 59, 1461–1474 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-015-0957-2

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