The short answer
The evidence points two ways. Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb guide says ginger (adrak) may add to the sugar-lowering effect of diabetes medicines and insulin, though how much this matters is not known. In a 12-week trial of 41 people with type 2 diabetes, ginger powder lowered fasting sugar and HbA1c compared with placebo.
A larger 90-day trial in people on diabetes tablets found no clear difference from placebo. Neither trial counted how often sugar went too low. If you take metformin, insulin or a sulfonylurea such as glimepiride and use ginger supplements, tell your prescribing doctor, and ask whether you should check your sugar more often.
Metformin is sold in India as Glycomet, glimepiride as Amaryl, and the two together as Glycomet-GP. Insulins include Actrapid and Lantus.
At a glance
| What was seen | How it may work | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ginger may add to the sugar lowering of diabetes medicines and insulin[1] | Added sugar lowering | Lower sugar; clinical importance not known | Theoretical by mechanism |
| Lower fasting sugar and HbA1c than placebo with ginger powder over 12 weeks[2] | Sugar lowering | Could add to diabetes medicines | RCT |
| No clear difference from placebo over 90 days in people on diabetes tablets[3] | None detected | No added effect shown | RCT |
No listing is not a clearance. A missing interaction here never means a combination is safe.
The evidence, study by study
Placebo-controlled trial in type 2 diabetes, 2015 RCT
Forty-one adults with type 2 diabetes who were not on insulin took ginger powder (2 g a day) or placebo for 12 weeks. Fasting sugar fell by 19.4 mg/dL with ginger and rose by 1.6 with placebo, and HbA1c fell by 0.77 percentage points against a rise of 0.02. The trial was small, lost some participants, and excluded anyone whose medicines changed, so it says nothing about low sugar.[2]
Placebo-controlled trial in people on diabetes tablets, 2020 RCT
Adults taking diabetes tablets were given ginger (1.2 g a day) or placebo for 90 days, and 103 finished. Fasting sugar fell 29.6 mg/dL with ginger and 9.3 with placebo, but the difference between the groups was not significant, and nor was the HbA1c change. Sugar fell in the placebo group too, so the drop with ginger is not proof of an effect. Two people had stomach side effects, and the report gives conflicting numbers for how many were randomised.[3]
What your doctor may watch for
- Blood sugar readings, and any episode of low sugar, especially if you also use insulin or a sulfonylurea. The metformin label warns that low sugar is more likely with these.[4]
- Stomach upset or diarrhoea.[3]
What to tell your prescribing doctor
You can read this out, or show them this page:
“I take diabetes medicine (names and doses), and I am taking, or planning to take, ginger (supplement, capsules, powder or tea, and how much). Ginger may add to the sugar-lowering effect of these medicines. Should I check my sugar more often, and what reading should make me call you?”
Withheld until review
Questions people ask
Related
Ginger (adrak) and warfarin
Two women on blood thinners had a high INR after ginger supplements, and ginger users on warfarin reported more bleeding. One small study found no change.
ConditionType 2 diabetes (sugar): what Ayurveda offers
Some herbs, such as methi and karela, lowered HbA1c a little in trials. Taken with diabetes medicines, they can add to the risk of low sugar.
InteractionFenugreek (methi) with metformin or insulin
Methi lowered blood sugar further when added to diabetes medicines in two trials. How often that causes low sugar was not measured well.
InteractionKarela (bitter gourd) and diabetes medicines
Added to metformin and dapagliflozin, a karela extract lowered HbA1c further in a 2026 study. With insulin or sulfonylureas, low sugar is the worry.
Sources
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. About Herbs: Ginger.
- Khandouzi N, Shidfar F, Rajab A, Rahideh T, Hosseini P, Mir Taheri M. The effects of ginger on fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c, apolipoprotein B, apolipoprotein A-I and malondialdehyde in type 2 diabetic patients. Iran J Pharm Res. 2015;14(1):131-140. PMID 25561919.
- Carvalho GCN, Lira-Neto JCG, Araújo MFM, Freitas RWJF, Zanetti ML, Damasceno MMC. Effectiveness of ginger in reducing metabolic levels in people with diabetes: a randomized clinical trial. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. 2020;28:e3369. PMID 33053078.
- Metformin hydrochloride tablets (immediate release), US prescribing information (DailyMed, NuCare Pharmaceuticals).
Updated 4 November 2026
Taking ginger with other medicines? A vaidya can check your full list.
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