Black ginger: what the trials found

Black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora) · evidence checked 2026-10-26

What the research shows

Grades are calculated from the studies listed, by fixed rules.

• Black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora) extract reduces belly fatEstablished

  Three placebo-controlled, double-blind trials in overweight adults found less belly or body fat after 12 weeks, on capsules of a standardised extract or a purified compound from it. Two list employees of the extract’s makers as authors; the third’s abstract does not say who paid for it. None tested a drink.

  • Double-blind randomized trial, 76 people, 12 weeks (2018) — primary outcome: improved. Funded by the manufacturer.
  • Double-blind randomized trial, 80 people, 12 weeks (2021) — primary outcome: improved. Funder not checked.
  • Double-blind randomized trial, 108 people, 12 weeks (2025) — primary outcome: improved. Funded by the manufacturer.
• Black ginger improves strength and staminaEarly evidence

  Placebo-controlled trials over 8–12 weeks found some fitness tests improved and others did not, and none named one main outcome. A single dose before exercise did nothing. The results are mixed enough to count only as early evidence.

  • Double-blind randomized trial, 35 people (2010) — secondary outcome: no difference from placebo. Funder not checked.
  • Double-blind randomized trial, 45 people, 8 weeks (2012) — secondary outcome: improved. Funder not checked.
  • Double-blind randomized trial, 60 people, 12 weeks (2015) — secondary outcome: improved. Funder not checked.
  • Double-blind randomized trial, 194 people, 12 weeks (2022) — secondary outcome: improved. Funder not checked.
• Black ginger extends lifespanLab studies only

  One published study found the extract lengthened the lives of roundworms in a lab. There is no study of lifespan in people.

  • Animal study, size not stated (2021) — primary outcome: improved. Funder not checked.
• Rasāsvāda’s black ginger drink is backed by a 2025 lifespan studyNo real evidence

  “Meet the only drink in the U.S. made with black ginger—a powerful Thai root that’s been used for centuries and is now backed by modern science. / A 2025 study by Ora Biomedical found that Rasāsvāda’s…”

  Rasāsvāda · Facebook ad, seen Oct 2026

  The company says longevity scientists at Ora Biomedical found its drinks raised median lifespan 32% in C. elegans, a roundworm. We could not find that study published. A worm result is not evidence about people, and we found no trial of the drink itself.