American ginseng

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a medicinal plant that originally comes from North America, where it has been used by Indigenous peoples in traditional medicine for centuries. It belongs to the Araliaceae family and is particularly valued for its adaptogenic properties, meaning it helps the body adapt to stress and improve overall well-being. American ginseng contains active compounds known as ginsenosides, which are responsible for its health benefits.

What benefits does American ginseng offer?

American ginseng is often regarded as an adaptogenic herb that can support the body in coping with stress. There are several scientific studies that point to various health benefits of American ginseng:

Stress and fatigue reduction: American ginseng is frequently used to relieve exhaustion and increase the body's resistance to stress. Studies show that the ginsenosides contained in the plant have an adaptogenic effect that could reduce both physical and mental fatigue (1,2).

Cognitive performance: Some research suggests that American ginseng could improve memory performance and cognitive function, particularly in older adults. This is attributed to its antioxidant properties and its ability to promote blood circulation (3,4,5).

Immunomodulation: American ginseng can also strengthen the immune system. There is evidence that it can increase the activity of immune cells and improve the body's defenses against infections, including colds and flu (6,7).

Blood sugar regulation: Some studies have shown that American ginseng can contribute to lowering blood sugar levels and improving insulin sensitivity, which potentially makes it useful in supporting diabetes management (8,9).

How does American ginseng work?

The medicinal properties of American ginseng are mainly attributed to the ginsenosides, a group of compounds found in the root. These ginsenosides act in different ways in the body: they regulate hormone levels, influence the release of stress hormones such as cortisol, and promote blood flow. In addition, they have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help prevent cell damage caused by free radicals (10,11).

How effective is American ginseng?

The effectiveness of American ginseng is supported to varying degrees depending on the area of application. While there are some promising studies on its benefits for stress management, cognitive function, and immune support, larger clinical trials are needed to conclusively confirm its effectiveness. For blood sugar regulation, however, there appears to be more scientific support, especially for people with type 2 diabetes (8,9,12).

Safety and side effects

American ginseng is generally considered safe when taken in moderate amounts. Possible side effects include mild stomach discomfort, headaches, and sleep disturbances, especially at higher dosages. People with high blood pressure should be cautious, as ginseng can increase blood pressure in some cases.

Precautions and warnings

  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding: There are not enough studies on the safe use of American ginseng during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so women should refrain from taking it during these phases.
  • Interactions with medications: American ginseng can intensify the effect of medications used for blood sugar control, which could lead to an excessive drop in blood sugar. Caution should also be exercised when taking anticoagulants at the same time.

Dosage

The recommended dosage of American ginseng varies depending on the product and application. Dosages of 100 to 400 mg of ginseng extract daily are commonly used. It is advisable to follow the dosage instructions on the product label and to consult a physician or alternative practitioner if in doubt.

Sources:

  1. Reay, J. L., Kennedy, D. O., & Scholey, A. B. (2005). Single doses of Panax ginseng (G115) reduce blood glucose levels and improve cognitive performance during sustained mental activity. Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 19(4), 357–365. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881105053286
  2. Arring, N. M., Millstine, D., Marks, L. A., & Nail, L. M. (2018). Ginseng as a Treatment for Fatigue: A Systematic Review. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 24(7), 624–633. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2017.0361
  3. Scholey, A., Ossoukhova, A., Owen, L., Ibarra, A., Pipingas, A., He, K., Roller, M., & Stough, C. (2010). Effects of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) on neurocognitive function: an acute, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Psychopharmacology, 212(3), 345–356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-010-1964-y
  4. Rami Lee, Ji-Hun Kim, Won-Woo Kim, Sung-Hee Hwang, Sun-Hye Choi, Jong-Hoon Kim, Ik-Hyun Cho, Manho Kim, Seung-Yeol Nah, Emerging evidence that ginseng components improve cognition in subjective memory impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and early Alzheimer's disease dementia, Journal of Ginseng Research, Volume 48, Issue 3, 2024, Pages 245-252, ISSN 1226-8453,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgr.2024.02.002.
  5. Kennedy, D. O., & Scholey, A. B. (2003). Ginseng: potential for the enhancement of cognitive performance and mood. Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior, 75(3), 687–700. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0091-3057(03)00126-6
  6. Predy, G. N., Goel, V., Lovlin, R., Donner, A., Stitt, L., & Basu, T. K. (2005). Efficacy of an extract of North American ginseng containing poly-furanosyl-pyranosyl-saccharides for preventing upper respiratory tract infections: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 173(9), 1043–1048. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.1041470
  7. McElhaney JE, Goel V, Toane B, et al. "Efficacy of COLD-fX in the prevention of respiratory symptoms in community-dwelling adults: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled trial." Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2006.
  8. Vuksan, V., Sievenpiper, J. L., Koo, V. Y., Francis, T., Beljan-Zdravkovic, U., Xu, Z., & Vidgen, E. (2000). American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Archives of internal medicine, 160(7), 1009–1013. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.160.7.1009
  9. Jing-Wei Shao, Jia-Li Jiang, Jun-Jie Zou, Ming-Yue Yang, Fang-Min Chen, Yong-Jie Zhang, Lee Jia, Therapeutic potential of ginsenosides on diabetes: From hypoglycemic mechanism to clinical trials, Journal of Functional Foods, Volume 64, 2020,103630, ISSN 1756-4646, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2019.103630.
  10. Im D. S. (2020). Pro-Resolving Effect of Ginsenosides as an Anti-Inflammatory Mechanism of Panax ginseng. Biomolecules, 10(3), 444. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10030444
  11. Shao, Z. H., Xie, J. T., Vanden Hoek, T. L., Mehendale, S., Aung, H., Li, C. Q., Qin, Y., Schumacker, P. T., Becker, L. B., & Yuan, C. S. (2004). Antioxidant effects of American ginseng berry extract in cardiomyocytes exposed to acute oxidant stress. Biochimica et biophysica acta, 1670(3), 165–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2003.12.001
  12. Liu T, Wang D, Zhou X, Song J, Yang Z, Shi C, Li R, Zhang Y, Zhang J, Yan J, Zhu X, Li Y, Gong M, Wang C, Yuan C, Cui Y, Wu X, Study on the mechanism of American ginseng extract for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus based on metabolomics, Frontiers in Pharmacology (2022), https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.960050DOI=10.3389/fphar.2022.960050