Summary: Does ginger increase testosterone? In rats, often yes, especially in animals that are diabetic or have been exposed to toxins. In people, there’s no good evidence yet: a 2018 review found no human studies that tested it properly. Where ginger does have decent human evidence is for nausea (especially in pregnancy), with smaller benefits for knee arthritis pain, post-workout muscle soreness and blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes.
Does ginger increase testosterone? It’s a common question, and plenty of “natural testosterone booster” products include ginger root. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is also one of the world’s most popular spices, with a long history in traditional medicine. Below, we look at what the studies actually show for testosterone and fertility, and then at the ginger benefits that have stronger evidence behind them.
What is ginger?
Ginger is the underground stem (the rhizome) of a tropical plant. You can buy it fresh, dried, powdered, as a tea, or as capsules and extracts. Its sharp taste comes from compounds called gingerols and shogaols, which make up roughly 1–3% of fresh ginger’s weight. Lab studies show these compounds act as antioxidants (they mop up unstable molecules that can damage cells) and have anti-inflammatory effects [1].
Ginger in food is a small amount. Most human studies used supplements, usually somewhere between about 500 mg and 2 g of dried ginger a day.
Does ginger increase testosterone? What the studies show
The short answer: in animals, sometimes; in people, we don’t know.
Animal studies
In one early study, rats given a water extract of ginger (600 mg per kg of body weight a day for 8 days) had higher testosterone levels, heavier testes and more cholesterol in their testes, which the body uses to make testosterone [2]. Many similar rat studies followed.
A 2018 systematic review pulled this research together [1]. It found that almost all of it was done in rats, and mostly in rats that were diabetic, had high blood pressure, or had been given a toxin (such as lead, aluminum or certain drugs) that lowers testosterone. In those animals, ginger tended to protect or restore testosterone, probably by reducing oxidative stress (cell damage from unstable molecules) in the testes and by improving blood sugar. Single ginger compounds tested on their own, such as 6-gingerol, didn’t raise testosterone in diabetic rats.
The doses matter too. 600 mg per kg in a rat is far more than anyone would get from food. And at very high doses (2,000 mg per kg a day for 35 days), one rat safety study found slightly smaller testes [3].
Human studies
The same 2018 review says plainly that “no human studies were conducted” on ginger and testosterone, and that the effect “is not yet confirmed in humans” [1]. We couldn’t find a well-designed human trial published since then either.
You may see a small 2012 study from Iraq quoted online, reporting a 17.7% rise in testosterone in infertile men. It was published in a local journal that isn’t indexed in major medical databases, the ginger dose wasn’t reported, and we couldn’t check how it was run, so we don’t count it as reliable evidence.
Another claim you’ll see is that ginger raises testosterone in men who do endurance training. That comes from a small study in a regional journal that we couldn’t verify either, so we’ve left it out.
Ginger and sperm health
Fertility is where ginger has slightly more human data, but it’s still thin. A 2019 review of more than 35 studies (again mostly in animals) concluded that ginger improves sperm count, movement and shape in animals, but that the effects “require additional approval in men” [4].
The best human trial so far gave 100 men having fertility treatment either 250 mg of ginger powder twice a day or a placebo for 3 months [5]. Men taking ginger had less sperm DNA fragmentation (damage to the genetic material inside sperm), but there was no difference in sperm count or movement. The study wasn’t designed to look at testosterone, and it didn’t measure whether more couples got pregnant.
Ginger benefits with better evidence
If ginger doesn’t have good evidence for testosterone, what does it do? These are the areas where human trials point to a real (if often modest) effect.
Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy
This is ginger’s best-supported use. The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says ginger “may be helpful for nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy” [6]. A 2026 umbrella review (a review of 18 earlier reviews) found that ginger supplements, usually 450–1,950 mg a day, reduced nausea compared with placebo, with less consistent results for vomiting [7]. It also noted that many of the earlier reviews were of low quality. A large 2016 review in JAMA listed ginger among the treatments that improved mild symptoms compared with placebo [8].
If you’re pregnant, talk to your doctor or midwife before taking ginger supplements. Advice differs: NCCIH says they “may be safe” in pregnancy [6], while Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center advises avoiding them during pregnancy and breastfeeding [9].
Other types of nausea
For motion sickness, most studies haven’t found ginger helpful, and for chemotherapy nausea it’s uncertain whether ginger adds anything to standard treatment [6]. After surgery, a 2021 meta-analysis of 14 trials (1,506 patients) found lower nausea scores in the hours after an operation with ginger [10], but NCCIH still calls the evidence uncertain [6].
Digestion
In a small trial of 24 healthy volunteers, 1.2 g of ginger roughly halved the time it took the stomach to empty half a bowl of soup (about 13 minutes versus 27 minutes with placebo) [11]. Not every study agrees: an earlier trial of 16 people using a different measuring method found no effect on stomach emptying [12].
Blood sugar in type 2 diabetes
A 2026 meta-analysis of 13 trials in people with type 2 diabetes found ginger lowered fasting blood sugar by about 16 mg/dL (0.9 mmol/L) and HbA1c (a measure of average blood sugar over 2–3 months) by about 0.4 percentage points [13]. It also lowered triglycerides slightly. But the results varied a lot between studies, and the authors said the size of these effects was “of limited clinical importance”. Ginger didn’t change LDL cholesterol or body weight.
One of the trials, in 64 people taking 2 g a day for 2 months, found better insulin sensitivity but no change in fasting blood sugar or HbA1c [14]. So ginger isn’t a substitute for diabetes medication. If you take medication for diabetes, check with your doctor first, as ginger could add to its blood-sugar-lowering effect [9].
Knee arthritis and muscle soreness
A meta-analysis of 5 trials (593 people with osteoarthritis) found ginger was “modestly efficacious”, with small reductions in pain and disability [15]. A 2022 meta-analysis of 3 trials found ginger reduced pain but not other symptoms [16]. NCCIH notes much of this research is low quality, and that ginger rubbed on the skin hasn’t been shown to help [6].
For gym-goers, one study is worth knowing about. In two small trials (74 people in total), taking 2 g of ginger a day for 11 days reduced arm muscle pain the day after a hard eccentric workout (where the muscle lengthens under load) by about 25% compared with placebo [17]. That’s a modest effect from one research group, but it fits with the arthritis findings.
Side effects and safety
Ginger has been used safely in many studies when taken by mouth [6]. Possible side effects include:
- Heartburn, stomach discomfort and diarrhea [6]
- Mouth and throat irritation [6]
In the arthritis trials, people taking ginger were about twice as likely to stop because of side effects as those on placebo, mostly due to mild stomach upset [15].
Bleeding risk: lab studies suggest ginger can affect how blood platelets clump together, but human studies haven’t given a clear answer [18]. Memorial Sloan Kettering advises against ginger supplements if you take warfarin or other blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder or gallstones, and recommends stopping them two weeks before surgery [9].
Ginger in normal food amounts is a different matter: these cautions are about concentrated supplements.
So, does ginger increase testosterone?
Not that we can show in people. The testosterone claims rest on rat studies, mostly in animals with diabetes or toxin damage, using doses far beyond what’s in food. Human trials haven’t tested it properly. If low testosterone is a concern, it’s worth seeing your doctor for a blood test rather than relying on ginger or a “booster” blend.
Ginger is still a useful spice. Its best-supported benefit is easing nausea in pregnancy, and there are smaller, less certain benefits for knee arthritis pain, post-workout soreness and blood sugar. If you’re curious about other herbs sold for testosterone, see our reviews of ashwagandha and fenugreek, and our look at why zinc deficiency can lower testosterone.
This article is for general information only and isn’t medical advice. Talk to your doctor or another qualified health professional before starting a new supplement. See our medical disclaimer.
References
- Banihani SA. Ginger and testosterone. Biomolecules. 2018;8(4):119. doi:10.3390/biom8040119
- Kamtchouing P, Mbongue Fandio GY, Dimo T, Jatsa HB. Evaluation of androgenic activity of Zingiber officinale and Pentadiplandra brazzeana in male rats. Asian Journal of Andrology. 2002;4(4):299-301. PubMed 12508133
- Rong X, Peng G, Suzuki T, et al. A 35-day gavage safety assessment of ginger in rats. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. 2009;54(2):118-123. doi:10.1016/j.yrtph.2009.03.002
- Banihani SA. Effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on semen quality. Andrologia. 2019;51(6):e13296. doi:10.1111/and.13296
- Hosseini J, Mardi Mamaghani A, Hosseinifar H, et al. The influence of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on human sperm quality and DNA fragmentation: a double-blind randomized clinical trial. International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine. 2016;14(8):533-540. PubMed 27679829
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Ginger. Updated February 2025. nccih.nih.gov/health/ginger
- Tahergorabi Z, Eslami M, Arab-Zozani M. Treatment of nausea and vomiting with Zingiber officinale in pregnancy: an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-synthesis. Phytotherapy Research. 2026;40(9):5538-5550. doi:10.1002/ptr.70405
- McParlin C, O’Donnell A, Robson SC, et al. Treatments for hyperemesis gravidarum and nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: a systematic review. JAMA. 2016;316(13):1392-1401. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.14337
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. About Herbs: Ginger. Updated June 2022. mskcc.org
- Lu C, Chen X, Yan X, et al. The preventive and relieving effects of ginger on postoperative nausea and vomiting: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2021;125:104094. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.104094
- Wu KL, Rayner CK, Chuah SK, et al. Effects of ginger on gastric emptying and motility in healthy humans. European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2008;20(5):436-440. doi:10.1097/MEG.0b013e3282f4b224
- Phillips S, Hutchinson S, Ruggier R. Zingiber officinale does not affect gastric emptying rate: a randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Anaesthesia. 1993;48(5):393-395. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2044.1993.tb07011.x
- Chen X, Cheng S, Zhang D, et al. Meta-analysis of the effects of ginger supplementation on glycemic control, blood pressure and lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes. Systematic Reviews. 2026;15(1). doi:10.1186/s13643-026-03251-5
- Mahluji S, Attari VE, Mobasseri M, et al. Effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on plasma glucose level, HbA1c and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic patients. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 2013;64(6):682-686. doi:10.3109/09637486.2013.775223
- Bartels EM, Folmer VN, Bliddal H, et al. Efficacy and safety of ginger in osteoarthritis patients: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. 2015;23(1):13-21. doi:10.1016/j.joca.2014.09.024
- Mathieu S, Soubrier M, Peirs C, et al. A meta-analysis of the impact of nutritional supplementation on osteoarthritis symptoms. Nutrients. 2022;14(8):1607. doi:10.3390/nu14081607
- Black CD, Herring MP, Hurley DJ, O’Connor PJ. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reduces muscle pain caused by eccentric exercise. Journal of Pain. 2010;11(9):894-903. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2009.12.013
- Li H, Liu Y, Luo D, et al. Ginger for health care: an overview of systematic reviews. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2019;45:114-123. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2019.06.002
