Objectives

To assess the daily ginger consumption and explore its correlation with chronic diseases among adults and further analyze the different level of ginger intake on the effect of the prevalence of chronic diseases.

Methods

We examined the prevalence rate of chronic diseases (diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, cerebrovascular disease, fatty liver, anaemia and tumor), as well as the daily ginger intake in a large cross-section study. A total of 4628 participants, including 1823 men and 2805 women aged 18–77 years completed a face-to-face dietary and health questionnaires, extracted diagnoses and investigation results from Health Records. The associations between the level of ginger intake (0-2g/d, 2g-4g/d, 4-6g/d) and the prevalence of chronic diseases were analyzed by using chi-square statistical test and unconditional logistic model.

Results

Overall, daily ginger consumption was associated with decreasing risk of hypertension (OR=0.92, 95% CI: 0.86-0.98), coronary heart disease (OR=0.87, 95% CI: 0.78-0.96) in the over 18 years old adults. The differences were also observed in the over 40 years old adults: hypertension (OR=0.92, 95% CI: 0.87-0.99), coronary heart disease (OR=0.87, 95% CI: 0.78-0.97). However, after 20 years, no association was seen for hypertension, there was still a difference between ginger consumption and coronary heart disease in the over 60 years old human (OR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.73-0.96). Again, the probability of illness (Pi, hypertension or coronary heart disease) accordingly decreased when the level of daily ginger intake increased.

Conclusions

These data indicate that ginger has a potential preventive property against some chronic diseases, especially hypertension and coronary heart disease as well as its ability to reduce the probability of illness.

Highlights

• 1.

  Ginger had a potential preventive property against hypertension and coronary heart disease.

• 2.

  The probability of illness accordingly decreased when the level of daily ginger intake increased.

• 3.

  We provided a preliminary suggestion that daily intake of 2-4g/d ginger could prevent chronic diseases.