An aspect of the present invention relates to compositions comprising a gingerol, for example, compositions comprising gingerol in an amount greater than about 2% by weight. In some aspects of the invention, the composition comprises 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol, 6-shagaol, or combinations thereof. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for extracting a ginger species comprising, sequentially extracting a ginger species plant material to yield an essential oil fraction, a gingerol fraction, a phenolic fraction, and a polysaccharide fraction, wherein the essential oil and gingerol fractions are derived by extracting plant feedstock material by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, the phenolic fraction is extracted from the plant feedstock material or from the remainder of the essential oil and gingerol extractions by hydroalcoholic extraction, and the polysaccharide fraction is derived by water extraction of the remainder of the phenolic extraction.