Black Ginger (aka. Thai ginseng; Kaempferia parviflora) is an herbaceous plant from the Ginger family with purple‑fleshed rhizomes and a basal rosette of oblong leaves close to the ground.
Its aromatic rhizomes are rich in polymethoxyflavones that give the cut tissue a characteristic dark violet to almost black appearance.
It is native to Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, and also occurs in parts of Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo, where it has been used for centuries in local traditional medicine systems.
The rhizomes’ intense dark‑purple pigments lend themselves to use as a natural colorant in some traditional preparations, and the plant is also grown ornamentally in tropical gardens.
➡️ In Thai traditional medicine, the rhizome is used as a tonic to enhance vitality, relieve fatigue, and improve male sexual performance, earning it a reputation as a “Thai Viagra.” It is given for colic, peptic and duodenal ulcers, gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhea and dysentery, and to warm the body and support circulation. Traditional uses also include relief of allergies, asthma, gout, fungal infections, and general body strengthening and carminative effects.
Through scientific investigation, the reported activities of Black Ginger and its methoxyflavones include cellular metabolism‑regulating, antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory, antiallergic, antimicrobial, antiviral (including HIV‑1, HCV, HCMV protease inhibition), vasodilatory and cardioprotective, neuroprotective, sexual enhancing (PDE5‑modulating), anti‑osteoarthritic, anti‑obesity, transdermal permeation‑enhancing, and anticancer and antimetastatic effects.
One 12‑week randomized placebo‑controlled trial of a standardized Black Ginger extract in overweight adults reported significant reductions in total body fat, especially in visceral fat area, along with improvements in some metabolic markers compared with placebo, suggesting that chronic supplementation may beneficially modulate energy metabolism and body composition. Preclinical data showing methoxyflavone‑driven increases in energy expenditure, AMPK activation, and improved glucose and lipid handling provide a plausible mechanistic basis for these clinical findings.
Black Ginger-
