Ginseng Benefits and Side Effects
Ginseng Benefits and Side Effects
Ginseng dietary supplement: the benefits of a ginseng cure
Ginseng is a plant known for its general tonic effect.
Moreover, because of this stimulating effect, it is recommended to consume it in the morning.
Research shows that ginseng is an ally to help stimulate the immune system, fight physical and intellectual fatigue, or help convalescents regain strength.
It is the ginsenosides, the active substances in ginseng, that give it its therapeutic power.
The recommended dose of ginseng varies according to the ailment to be relieved. The advice of your doctor is therefore required. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you must consult your doctor.
Ginseng dosage
Stimulation of the immune systemStandardized extract (4% to 7% ginsenosides). Take 100 mg to 200 mg twice daily.
Physical or intellectual fatigue, convalescence, stimulation of sexual function.
* Standardized extract (4% to 7% ginsenosides). Take 200 mg, 1 to 3 times daily.
* Tincture (1:5 - g/ml). Take from 5 ml to 10 ml per day.
* Dried root. Take 500 mg to 2 g of roots in capsule form or as a decoction (boil 1 g to 2 g of roots in 150 ml of water for 10 to 15 minutes). Dosages can be up to 3 g, 3 times a day.
Diabetes
Although several studies indicate that each species of ginseng can help control blood sugar levels, the dosages and types of preparations have varied too much to establish a treatment protocol.
Duration of the different treatments
- According to Commission E, treatment usually lasts 3 months.
- In the Russian tradition, however, it is recommended that ginseng be taken for 10 to 15 days and then a break of 2 weeks before resuming treatment, if necessary.
- In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are no time limits to treatment, especially in the case of weakened people who are advised to use it on a long-term or even chronic basis.
Furthermore, the World Health Organization recommends taking ginseng in the morning because of its stimulating effect.
Indications for Ginseng
Likely Effectiveness* Stimulate the immune system.
* Treating erectile dysfunction, treating type 2 diabetes.
* Stimulate memory, improve physical performance,
promote general well-being, relieve menopausal symptoms, prevent and treat cancer.
* Tone the body of tired or weakened people, restore the capacity for physical work and intellectual concentration, help convalescents regain strength.
* Treating diabetes and sexual dysfunction, boosting the immune system, preserving the health of aging people, especially postmenopausal women.
Description of Ginseng
Ginseng is the most famous medicinal plant in Asia. Chinese doctors consider Asian Ginseng to be a tonic for Qi, the source of "Vital Energy".They attribute to it the property of increasing the strength and volume of "Blood" (the concept of "Blood" in TCM is broader than in modern Western medicine, increasing vitality and appetite, calming the "Spirit" and providing "Wisdom".
It is believed to act on the whole body in many subtle ways and contribute to overall health and wellness.
Korean Red Ginseng
According to practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Asian ginseng is "hot", while American ginseng is "cold".
This means, in short, that the Asian species is stimulating and nourishes Yang energy, while the American species has a calming effect and nourishes Yin10.
The known active molecules of ginsengs are ginsenosides (from the saponin family). Very many ginsenosides have been identified to date and they are present in different proportions in the 2 species.
Almost all the ginseng in world trade is now grown in the field, under shade. Under these conditions, the plant produces a marketable root after 3 to 5 years.
China, Korea, the United States, and Canada are the main producing countries.
Cultivation in wooded areas, particularly in maple groves, is currently being experimented in Quebec.
In a forest environment, the plant can take 7 years or more to produce a root that has commercial value.
History of Ginseng
The generic name Panax comes from the Greek words pan, meaning "all", and Akos, meaning "to heal". The term ginseng comes from the Chinese words Gin, which means "man", and Seng, which means "essence".
Asian ginseng has been part of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) pharmacopeia for at least 2,000 years. The North American species (Panax quinquefolius) was introduced to China around 1718 after being discovered in the Montreal area by a Jesuit missionary.
Chinese herbalists quickly adopted it, emphasizing its great similarity with Asian ginseng while recognizing its specificity.
Chinese interest in wild North American ginseng led to a frantic harvest of the plant, which threatened its survival. In addition, commercial logging has created an additional threat.
Wild ginseng is now considered an endangered species by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and its harvesting is prohibited.
In the United States, it is either prohibited or tightly controlled in several states. Wild Asian ginseng is also a rare plant in Asia.
Little is known about the use that Native Americans made of native ginseng before its near extinction. It seems that one tribe used it to fortify the health of the elderly while another used it to increase female fertility.
Finally, according to a legend, the plant allowed for painless childbirth.
Ginseng Research
In 1947, a prominent Russian researcher named Lazarev formulated the concept of "adaptogen" to describe a type of effect that might be similar to the Chinese concept of "tonic".According to Lazarev's definition, an adaptogen increases, in a general and non-specific way, the body's resistance to the various stresses that affect it.
While causing minimal adverse effects, and adaptogenic product exerts a non-specific normalizing action on several organs or many physiological functions.
The concept fits well with the various effects of ginseng, which have been observed in clinical studies.
For example, it can, depending on the needs of the body, raise or lower body temperature and blood pressure, make you lose or gain weight, stimulate or calm the central nervous system, etc.
The known active molecules are ginsenosides (from the saponin family).
It is easy to understand that such a concept, although very interesting, does not fit well in the context of modern medical research and lends itself more or less well to the usual protocols of classical clinical trials.
The variation in the quality and active ingredient content of the different ginsengs used in clinical trials could also explain their contradictory results.
Stimulation of the immune system. Numerous tests in different animals indicate that ginseng can stimulate the immune system.
The data are convincing in humans as well. In subjects vaccinated against influenza, standardized extracts of Asian ginseng (G115®, 100 mg, twice daily) and American ginseng (COLD-fX®, 200 mg, twice daily) significantly reduced the risk of contracting a respiratory infection compared to placebo.
A trial was conducted in Canada with 270 people who were susceptible to colds. Taking a standardized extract of American ginseng (COLD-fX®, 400 mg daily for 4 months) was more effective than a placebo in reducing the intensity and duration of symptoms.
In addition, only 10% of people in the experimental group had more than one cold, compared to 23% in the placebo group. A smaller trial of the same product showed similar results in elderly people who were vaccinated.
A few researchers wanted to know if Asian ginseng had a stimulating effect on the immune system of athletes. 6-8 The results are not convincing so far.
In sedentary men, American ginseng (1,125 mg standardized extract) also had no effect on immunity, measured after moderate exercise.
Possible effectiveness of Sexual function. Many medicinal preparations derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of various sexual dysfunctions contain ginseng.
The authors of a review published in 2008 reviewed 7 placebo-controlled clinical trials, 6 of which involved red Asian ginseng. They concluded that red ginseng may be useful for erectile dysfunction, but the evidence is weak.
In addition, a placebo crossover trial conducted in Korea showed promising results in improving sexual function in menopausal women.
Type 2 diabetes. The data is interesting, but not precise enough at the moment. Several trials have been done to test the effect of ginseng on blood glucose levels in people with and without diabetes.
According to a synthesis published in 2006, the plant had a beneficial effect on most of these studies.
However, as the authors point out, these data do not make it possible to establish a treatment protocol. Indeed, during these trials, the dosages used, the products used, and the effects observed varied greatly.
Improved physical performance. Again, clinical trials have produced conflicting results. The majority of them, especially the most recent ones, have been inconclusive.
The author of a summary published in 2009 points out that we are still waiting for a proper trial to demonstrate the effectiveness of ginseng in athletes who want to improve their performance.
More recently, a trial on amateur runners was not conclusive during an endurance test in hot and humid conditions: the subjects had taken a single dose of a ginseng extract.
Effectiveness of uncertain General well-being. The authors of a synthesis published in 2003 reviewed 9 trials.
In spite of certain effects observed, ginseng, alone or in combination with vitamins or minerals, did not give clearly conclusive results in terms of the quality of life of various subjects (healthy people, menopausal, and diabetics).
Uncertain efficacy Menopause. Ginseng is traditionally used to relieve menopausal symptoms. The only large trial involved 384 menopausal women.
A standardized Asian ginseng extract taken for 16 weeks was no more effective than a placebo in reducing hot flashes in participants, but it did improve their psychological well-being very slightly.
In a preliminary trial of 12 women with severe menopausal symptoms, taking 6 g of Asian Red Ginseng per day for 1 month reduced fatigue, insomnia, and depression in participants...
In both studies, the researchers found that ginseng had no hormonal effects.
Precautions
Caution
Self-medication for diabetes can lead to serious problems. When you start treatment that changes your blood glucose levels, you need to monitor your blood glucose levels very closely.
It is also necessary to tell your doctor so that he or she can review the dosage of conventional blood-glucose-lowering medications if necessary.
It is important to distinguish between Asian and American species of ginseng, as they have specific effects (see History and Research sections).
It is advisable to consult a naturopathic doctor, a certified herbalist, or a knowledgeable health care professional to select the appropriate species.
Contraindications
Commission E recommends avoiding Asian ginseng (P. ginseng) in cases of high blood pressure.Although it appears that the plant does not have estrogenic action, some sources continue to recommend caution for patients who have suffered from hormone-dependent cancer or who are at high risk of developing this type of cancer.
According to a recent review, there are insufficient data to conclude that ginsengs are safe for pregnant and lactating women. They, therefore, recommend caution.
What are the side effects of ginseng?
At recommended dosages, ginsengs are essentially free of adverse effects.An analysis of the adverse event data from all clinical studies indicates that there were no more adverse events in treated subjects than in controls.
It should be noted that in 1979, a study of 133 subjects taking Asian ginseng reported several adverse effects in 14 people: hypertension, nervousness, irritability, insomnia, diarrhea, etc., which were not reported in the control group.
The author named this phenomenon ginseng abuse syndrome (GAS), but his study was discredited for lack of rigor, because, among other things, the subjects who reported these adverse effects consumed very large quantities of ginseng (up to 15 g per day) and many also ingested a lot of caffeine. No further cases of GAS have been reported since.
Interactions
With herbs or supplements
Ginseng can increase the effect of foods, plants, or supplements with stimulating properties (coffee, tea, guarana, chocolate, etc.).
Ginseng can increase the effect of plants or supplements with hypoglycemic properties (psyllium, glucomannan, fenugreek, for example).
With medication
Ginseng could interact with anticoagulants. However, two studies published in 2004 on healthy volunteers taking ginseng and warfarin (Coumadin®) came to opposite conclusions.
In the first, the researchers concluded that there was no interaction, while the second found that taking ginseng reduced the effect of the anticoagulant drug.
Patients taking warfarin or other anticoagulants at the same time as ginseng should notify their doctor.
Ginseng may interact with blood-lowering drugs.
Theoretically, ginseng could theoretically interact with central nervous system stimulants and monoamine oxidase inhibitor-type antidepressants (2 reported cases).
Quality of ginseng supplements. From 1995 to 2000, analyses revealed wide variability in the ginsenoside content of commercially available supplements, particularly in Sweden, France, the United States, and Ontario.
