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Functional ginger extract found to aid with dyspepsia disorder

DolCas Biotech, which produces a patented functional ingredient called Ginfort, has demonstrated the “significant potential” of its ingredient to alleviate Functional dyspepsia (FD), according to a new study published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements.

The double-blind study was conducted on 57 subjects over the course of four weeks who were suffering from the malady. Researchers found that subjects taking Ginfort supplements experienced a positive response and lesser symptoms in 79% of the subjects, while the placebo was found to be 21% effective.

Functional dyspepsia is considered a disorder, and it is a condition that affects the upper digestive tract eliciting a sense of pain, burning and an uncomfortable sense of fullness. This gastric disorder affects close to 20% of the global population and is influenced by lifestyle factors such as cigarette smoking, alcohol, stress, and certain medications.

In the study, participants were allocated either 200mg of Ginfort, twice daily, or to the equivalent dose in a dibasic calcium-inactive placebo. Nine functional dyspepsia related symptoms were assessed including upper abdominal pain, upper abdominal discomfort, postprandial fullness, upper abdominal bloating, early satiety, excessive belching, nausea, vomiting, and heartburn.

By the end of the four-week study, 64% of those receiving a dose of Ginfort reported results that allowed researchers to determine that the supplement provided “a collective elimination” of the three major symptoms of FD: postprandial fullness, upper abdominal bloating, and early satiation. The remaining six symptoms similarly showed statistically significant rates of elimination over the placebo group.

Ginger has long been considered a functional food with medicinal effects thanks to its volatile oils called gingerols and shagaols. Ginfort encapsulates and delivers 26% of active gingeroid compounds, including gingerols and shagaols, in a manner that makes them highly bioavailable and contributes to the improvements in digestion suggested by this study.

With no widely accepted conventional treatment for FD, Ginfort presents an opportunity for people to find relief with a plant-based functional solution. The supplement’s formulation earned the "Best Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSME) 2021 Award" from the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology for its unique and superior extraction technology.