EFFECT OF DRIED GINGER ON HUMAN PLATELET-FUNCTION

Eight healthy male volunteers took part in a randomised double blind s tudy of the effects of 2 g dried ginger or placebo capsules on platele t function. Bleeding time, platelet count, thromboelastography and who le blood platelet aggregometry were performed before, 3 h, and 24 h af ter the capsules. There were no differences between ginger and placebo in any of the variables measured. It is concluded that the effect of ginger on thromboxane synthetase activity is dose dependent, or only o ccurs with fresh ginger, and that upto 2 g of dried ginger is unlikely to cause platelet dysfunction when used therapeutically.