Effect of Zingiber officinale Supplementation on Obesity Management with Respect to the Uncoupling Protein 1 ‐3826A>G and ß3‐adrenergic Receptor Trp64Arg Polymorphism

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) supplementation on some obesity‐associated parameters, with nutrigenetics approach. Accordingly, 80 eligible obese women (aged 18–45 years) were randomly assigned to receive either ginger (2‐g ginger rhizomes powder as two 1‐g tablets per day) or placebo supplements (corn starch with the same amount) for 12 weeks. Subjects were tested for changes in body weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumferences, body composition, appetite score, and dietary intake. Moreover, participants were genotyped for the ‐3826A>G and Trp64Arg polymorphisms of uncoupling protein 1 and ß3‐adrenergic receptor genes, respectively. Over 12 weeks, ginger supplementation resulted in a slight but statistically significant decrease in all anthropometric measurements and total appetite score as compared with placebo group, which were more pronounced in subjects with the AA genotype for uncoupling protein 1 and Trp64Trp genotype for ß3‐adrenergic receptor gene. However, there was no significant difference in changes of body composition and total energy and macronutrients intake between groups. In conclusion, our findings suggest that ginger consumption has potential in managing obesity, accompanying with an intervention–genotype interaction effect. However, further clinical trials need to explore ginger's efficacy as an anti‐obesity agent in the form of powder, extract, or its active components. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.