Ginseng (Asian)

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Ginseng (Asian)

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Ginseng (Asian)

Common Names

  • Chinese ginseng
  • Ren shen
  • Korean ginseng
  • Red ginseng

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For Patients & Caregivers

Tell your healthcare providers about any dietary supplements you’re taking, such as herbs, vitamins, minerals, and natural or home remedies. This will help them manage your care and keep you safe.

How It Works

Data on Panax ginseng for various conditions are limited. Larger high quality studies are needed.

The active ingredients in P. ginseng are called ginsenosides, which show both stimulatory and inhibitory activity in animal nervous systems. Other animal studies suggest certain ginsenosides may stimulate the immune system or that ginseng may have antitumor effects. Although a few studies in humans suggest this effect may also occur, additional studies are needed.

In one study, Korean individuals who consumed ginseng extract had a decreased risk of all types of cancers. However, use of ginseng did not relieve fatigue in advanced cancer patients or surgical menopause symptoms in women with gynecologic cancers. Although ginseng may help improve markers for some conditions like heart disease or diabetes, these studies are also limited and additional trials for safety and effectiveness are needed.

Because ginseng was shown to have estrogenic effects, patients with hormone-sensitive cancers should consult their physicians before using it.

Purported Uses
  • To treat angina
    Lab studies suggest ginseng can increase nitric oxide, a vasodilator. However, clinical trials have not been conducted to determine if it is useful in treating angina.
  • To treat diabetes
    Small studies suggest ginseng may help increase the effect of insulin and reduce insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes, but larger high-quality studies are needed.
  • To stimulate the immune system
    Data suggests ginseng can stimulate some aspects of the immune system, but studies are limited and more research is necessary.
  • To treat sexual dysfunction
    Although ginseng has been used for erectile dysfunction, a large review determined the effect may be small and the quality of evidence for most studies is low.
  • To improve strength and stamina
    Evidence is lacking to support this use.
Patient Warnings
  • Use of Panax ginseng should be stopped at least 1 week before surgery.
  • Recommended doses of P. ginseng should not be exceeded, and products that aren’t standardized should be avoided.
Do Not Take If
  • You are taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors: If combined with MAOIs, Panax ginseng can cause manic-like symptoms.
  • You are taking insulin or sulfonylureas: P. ginseng may increase their effects, causing a drop in blood sugar.
  • You are taking warfarin, aspirin, or other blood thinners: P. ginseng may decrease their effects or increase side effects.
  • You are taking raltegravir: P. ginseng may increase its effects.
  • You are taking imatinib: A case report suggests P. ginseng use may increase the potential for liver toxicity with this drug.
Side Effects
  • Dry mouth
  • Fast heart rate
  • Nausea, vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Insomnia
  • Nervousness

Case reports

Mania: In a young man with no history of mental illness following chronic consumption of 250 mg of Panax ginseng capsules three times a day. Symptoms resolved when he stopped taking the herb.

Swollen breast tissue: In a 12-year-old boy after ingesting ginseng extract for body building.

Uncontrolled facial movements: In a 46-year-old woman who developed speech and eating difficulties as well as tongue-biting, following consumption of a formula containing black cohosh and ginseng. Symptoms resolved after discontinuing use of the formula.

Perioperative bleeding: In a 72-year-old woman following cardiac surgery, due to impaired clotting ability caused by high oral intake of ginseng before surgery.

Liver toxicity: In a 26-year-old man with chronic myelogenous leukemia who was on long-term imatinib. He had no complications with this medication until daily ingestion of Panax ginseng via energy drinks for 3 months, after which he experienced right upper quadrant pain. It is thought the interaction of ginseng with this drug played some role.

Special Point

Panax ginseng should not be confused with American ginseng or Siberian ginseng, which have different medicinal properties. It should also not be confused with Panax notoginseng which also has different properties, and is a key ingredient in the TCM formula Yunnan baiyao.

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For Healthcare Professionals

Brand Name
Ginsana®, G115®, Ginsai®
Scientific Name
Panax ginseng
Clinical Summary

Panax ginseng is an herb native to East Asia and Russia. It is also cultivated for its medicinal properties and the root is widely used as a “Yang” tonic in traditional medicine (1). Patients take ginseng to improve athletic performance, strength, and stamina, and as an immunostimulant. Some use it to treat diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and a variety of other conditions. Ginsenosides, the saponin glycosides, are thought responsible for medicinal effects of P. ginseng. They have both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the CNS, alter cardiovascular tone, and increase humoral and cellular-dependent immunity (2).

Studies in humans are limited. Although ginseng has been used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (4), the effect may be trivial and the quality of evidence for most studies is low (46). Other preliminary data suggest it can be helpful for type II diabetic patients (5), but more studies are needed.

Small studies suggest ginseng may enhance immune functioning in various populations (19) (21) (47) or benefit patients with prehypertension or hypertension (42). It may also improve menopausal symptoms and markers for cardiovascular disease (30). Other data suggest ginseng helps alleviate idiopathic chronic fatigue (33) and cold hypersensitivity of hands and feet in women (39).

Ginseng has also been investigated for potential anticancer properties. Ginsenosides exhibit antiproliferative effects in vitro (25) (26). Epidemiological data in breast cancer patients show improved survival and quality of life with ginseng use (3), and reduced risk of endometrial cancer in breast cancer survivors (38). In addition, two case-controlled studies indicate a positive association between consumption and reduction in the incidence of all cancers (11) (12). Small randomized studies suggest safety and effectiveness of ginseng for reducing genotoxicity and improving quality of life in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (43), but did not find benefit against fatigue in advanced cancer patients (44). It also did not relieve surgical menopause symptoms in women with gynecologic cancers (48).

Because ginseng was shown to have estrogenic effects (23), patients with hormone-sensitive cancers should consult their physicians before using it. Panax ginseng should not be confused with American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) or Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), which have different medicinal properties. It should also not be confused with Panax notoginseng which also has different properties (52), and is a key ingredient in the TCM formula Yunnan baiyao.

Purported Uses
  • Angina
  • Diabetes
  • Immunostimulation
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Strength, stamina
Mechanism of Action

Animal studies suggest ginsenosides prolong drug-induced sleeping time in mice and exhibit additional depressant effects on the CNS (2). In addition, the ginsenoside Rb1 improves acetylcholine release and enhances postsynaptic uptake of choline (2). In other animal studies, ginseng saponins lowered total plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels (15). Ginseng may improve NO synthesis in endothelium of the heart, lung, kidneys, and in the corpus cavernosum (13).

In humans, oral intake of ginseng reduced post-exercise muscle injury and inflammation marked by reduced creatine kinase, beta-glucuronidase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (14).

Anticancer activity has been observed in vitro with several ginsenosides. Differentiation of HL-60 promyelocytic cells was induced in ginsenosides Rh2- and Rh3-treated cells (2). Rg3 exerted effects in part by blocking the nuclear translocation of the protein ß-catenin in colon cancer cells, most of which turned cancerous via activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway (25). Rp1 reduced breast cancer cell proliferation by decreasing stability of the insulin like growth factor 1 receptor protein in breast cancer cells (26).

Warnings
  • Ginseng use should be discontinued at least 1 week before surgery (16).
  • Recommended doses of P. ginseng should not be exceeded, and products that aren’t standardized should be avoided, especially when combined with anticoagulants or some CYP450 substrates (51).
Adverse Reactions

Dry mouth, tachycardia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, and nervousness (1)

Case reports

Mania: In a 26-year-old male with no history of mental illness following chronic consumption of 250 mg Panax ginseng capsules 3 times a day. His symptoms, including irritability, insomnia, flight of ideas, and rapid speech, were resolved following supplement discontinuation (17). Two other cases of ginseng-associated manic psychosis were also reported (35).

Gynecomastia: In a 12-year-old boy after ingesting ginseng extract for body building (31).

Uncontrolled facial movements: In a 46-year-old woman who developed speech and eating difficulties as well as tongue-biting, following consumption of a formula containing black cohosh and ginseng. Symptoms resolved after discontinuing use of the formula (34).

Pulmonary embolism: In a 41-year-old woman after taking panax pills (40).

Perioperative bleeding: In a 72-year-old woman following cardiac surgery due to severe coagulopathy induced by high oral intake of ginseng before surgery (45).

Liver toxicity: In a 26-year-old man with chronic myelogenous leukemia who was on long-term imatinib. He had no complications with this medication until daily ingestion of Panax ginseng via energy drinks for 3 months, after which he experienced right upper quadrant pain. It is thought the interaction of ginseng with this drug played some role (24).

Herb-Drug Interactions

Insulin and sulfonylureas: In humans, P. ginseng may increase the hypoglycemic effect of insulin and sulfonylureas (5).
Antiplatelets: P. ginseng may increase aspirin bioavailability (49).
Anticoagulants: Studies on whether P. ginseng can antagonize the effects of anticoagulants are mixed (6) (7) (8) (50) (51). Clinical relevance needs further assessment.
MAOIs: In humans, P. ginseng may cause manic-like symptoms when combined with MAOIs (9).
Imatinib: A case report indicates that P. ginseng may increase risk of hepatotoxicity (24).
CYP3A4 substrates: Certain ginsenosides can induce CYP3A4 and may increase the clearance of substrate drugs (28) (29). However, effects in humans may not be clinically significant (41).
Raltegravir: Elevated plasma levels of raltegravir, an antiretroviral drug, were reported in a patient following concurrent use of raltegravir and ginseng (32).

Dosage (OneMSK Only)
References
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  3. Cui Y, Shu XO, Gao YT, et al. Association of ginseng use with survival and quality of life among breast cancer patients. Am J Epidemiol 2006;163:645-53.
  4. de Andrade E, de Mesquita AA, Claro Jde A, et al. Study of the efficacy of Korean Red Ginseng in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Asian J Androl. Mar 2007;9(2):241-244.
  5. Ma SW, Benzie IF, Chu TT, et al. Effect of Panax ginseng supplementation on biomarkers of glucose tolerance, antioxidant status and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic subjects: results of a placebo-controlled human intervention trial. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2008 Nov;10(11):1125-7.
  6. Lee SH, Ahn YM, Ahn SY, et al. Interaction between warfarin and Panax ginseng in ischemic stroke patients. J Altern Complement Med. Jul 2008;14(6):715-721.
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  19. Cho YK, et al. Long-term intake of Korean red ginseng in HIV-1-infected patients: development of resistance mutation to zidovudine is delayed. Int Immunopharmacol 2001;1:1295-305.
  20. Cardinal BJ, Engels HJ. Ginseng does not enhance psychological well-being in healthy, young adults: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. J Am Diet Assoc 2001;101:655-60.
  21. Scaglione F, et al. Efficacy and safety of the standardized ginseng extract G115 for potentiating vaccination against common cold and-or influenza syndrome. Drugs Exp Clin Res 1996;22:65-72.
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  23. Lee Y, Jin Y, Lim W, et al. A ginsenoside-Rh1, a component of ginseng saponin, activates estrogen receptor in human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2003 Mar;84(4):463-8.
  24. Bilgi N, Bell K, Ananthakrishnan AN, et al. Imatinib and Panax ginseng: A potential interaction resulting in liver toxicity. Ann Pharmacother. 2010 May;44(5):926-8.
  25. He BC, Gao JL, Luo X, et al. Ginsenoside Rg3 inhibits colorectal tumor growth through the down-regulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. Int J Oncol. 2011 Feb;38(2):437-45.
  26. Kang JH, Song KH, Woo JK, et al. Ginsenoside Rp1 from Panax ginseng Exhibits Anti-cancer Activity by Down-regulation of the IGF-1R/Akt Pathway in Breast Cancer Cells. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2011 Sep;66(3):298-305.
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  30. Kim SY, Seo SK, Choi YM, et al. Effects of red ginseng supplementation on menopausal symptoms and cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women: A double-blind randomized controlled trial. Menopause. 2012 Apr;19(4):461-6.
  31. Kakisaka Y, Ohara T, Tozawa H, et al. Panax ginseng: A newly identified cause of gynecomastia. Tohoku J Exp Med. 2012;228(2):143-5.
  32. Mateo-Carrasco H, Gálvez-Contreras MC, Fernández-Ginés FD, Nguyen TV. Elevated liver enzymes resulting from an interaction between Raltegravir and Panax ginseng: A case report and brief review. Drug Metabol Drug Interact. 2012;27(3):171-5.
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  39. Park KS, Park KI, Kim JW, Yun YJ, Kim SH, Lee CH, Park JW, Lee JM. Efficacy and safety of Korean red ginseng for cold hypersensitivity in the hands and feet: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014 Dec 2;158 Pt A:25-32.
  40. Yigit M, Cevik E. A rare cause of pulmonary embolism: Panax. Am J Emerg Med. 2015 Feb;33(2):311.e1-2.
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  43. Kim HS, Kim MK, Lee M, Kwon BS, Suh DH, Song YS. Effect of Red Ginseng on Genotoxicity and Health-Related Quality of Life after Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2017 Jul 19;9(7). pii: E772.
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  46. Lee HW, Lee MS, Kim TH, et al. Ginseng for erectile dysfunction. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Apr 19 2021;4(4):Cd012654.
  47. Kim IK, Lee KY, Kang J, et al. Immune-modulating Effect of Korean Red Ginseng by Balancing the Ratio of Peripheral T Lymphocytes in Bile Duct or Pancreatic Cancer Patients With Adjuvant Chemotherapy. In Vivo. May-Jun 2021;35(3):1895-1900.
  48. Chung YS, Lee IO, Lee JY, et al. Effects of Korean Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) on Menopausal Symptoms in Premenopausal Women After Gynecologic Cancer Surgery: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med. Jan 2021;27(1):66-72.
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