Eight healthy male volunteers took part in a randomised double blind study of the effects of 2 g dried ginger or placebo capsules on platelet function. Bleeding time, platelet count, thromboelastography and whole blood platelet aggregometry were performed before, 3 h, and 24 h after 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 occurs with fresh ginger, and that upto 2 g of dried ginger is unlikely to cause platelet dysfunction when used therapeutically.