Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has a long history of use in traditional medicine systems, such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, for a variety of ailments, including digestive issues and inflammation. Its application in cancer support, however, draws increasingly on scientific interest, particularly due to its bioactive compounds like gingerols and shogaols.

Laboratory and animal studies have shown that ginger extracts can inhibit the growth of various cancer cells, including those from colorectal, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancers. These effects are attributed to ginger’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and pro-apoptotic (promoting cell death in cancer cells) properties. For example, some studies report that 6-gingerol can suppress pathways involved in cancer cell proliferation and metastasis.

Despite these promising preclinical results, clinical evidence in humans is limited and primarily focused on ginger’s ability to reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, rather than direct anti-cancer effects. Very few human trials have evaluated ginger as an adjunct therapy for cancer itself, and those that exist are small and preliminary. There is not yet sufficient robust human data to recommend ginger as an effective treatment for cancer, but its safety profile and potential benefits in managing chemotherapy side effects make it of interest in integrative oncology.