What is Ginseng?

Ginseng is traditionally used as a medicinal herb in Korea, Japan and China (1, 2). For thousands of years, it has been used as a remedy for spiritlessness and fatigue (3). The most common species is Panax ginseng (Korean ginseng). The word “Panax” means “all healing” showing how it was believed to cure all illnesses. The most commonly found ginseng species are the Korean ginseng, Chinese ginseng, Japanese ginseng, and American ginseng. The herb Ginseng usually refers to the root of Panax ginseng Meyer. Naturally dried ginseng root is known as white ginseng. Red ginseng is prepared by steaming fresh ginseng root prior to drying to enhance efficacy, safety, and preservation (4).

What are the features of ginseng?

One of the reasons Ginseng is so popular as a medicinal herb is because of its antioxidant properties. These can be attributed to active compounds called ginsenosides which can be extracted from ginseng roots, leaves, stems and fruit. They are subdivided into more than 100 different kinds (5). Most pharmacological research in ginseng is based on the ginsenosides (6). Ginseng also contains polyacetylenes, polyphenolic compounds and acidic polysaccharides (7).

Health benefits

In many studies, ginsenosides have been presented as an effective treatment for organ damage and cell death, as well as for immunological and metabolic diseases (8-10). Ginseng also has vasorelaxation, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity (11)

Antioxidant activity

As a powerful natural antioxidant, ginseng decreases the damage from an acute or chronic inflammatory response by removing harmful free radicals (12). It is through their antioxidant activity of scavenging free radicals, that they have a cardioprotective effect (13-15)

Blood pressure

Ginsenosides improve vascular dysfunction (16, 17). Ginseng has a role in blood pressure regulation (18). Ginseng can restore low blood pressure to normal levels (19). It can also decrease blood pressure in cases where it is high (20).

Antifatigue activity

In a study looking at idiopathic chronic fatigue, it was found that ginseng reduced oxidative stress and fatigue in comparison to placebo (21). This antifatigue activity might partly be attributed to the antioxidant activity of ginseng.

Stress

Ginseng has a role in the regulation of stress (22-24). It does this by regulating the function of the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis (HPA axis) (25). It might have benefits in HPA axis disorders such as depression, asthma, hypertension and posttraumatic stress disorder (26). More research is needed to see if it is therapeutic.

Diabetes

Ginseng may be more effective in patients with type 2 Diabetes than in those with type 1 Diabetes. This is because type 2 Diabetes is somewhat associated with stress (27). More research is needed to see if ginseng is therapeutic in diabetes.

Immunity function

In various models of disease, it has been found that Ginseng can improve the function of a number of immune cells. This includes improving the function of macrophages (28, 29) and dendritic cells (30, 31). Ginseng also enhances antibody-mediated killing and T cell function (32, 33).

Cardiac function

Ginseng and ginsenosides have been shown to improve coronary blood flow in models (34).

Ginsenosides can also protect heart cells from oxidative stress (35). They may also help with ventricular hypertrophy and damage from ischemia and reperfusion (36). Ginseng is thought to preserve cardiac function after most heart muscle dysfunctions (reviewed in 37). Studies have shown that treatment with ginseng improved electrocardiogram, general symptoms, physical exercise capacity and metabolism in patients (38).

Brain function

Ginsenosides have been shown to promote neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, neuronal growth, and neurotransmission, thus protecting the nervous system from potential harm (39, 40).

  1. ginseng extract appears to provide protective effects against neurotoxicity models of Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease (reviewed in 41). They may also have a neuroprotective effect in Lou Gehrig’s disease (reviewed in 41). The mechanisms in most of these cases have not been fully elucidated and need further research.

Antibacterial activity

Ginseng can inhibit bacterial adhesion and their mechanisms of causing infection (42) The polysaccharides or sugars in ginseng interact with microbes and thus inhibit disease (42). In addition, the polyacetylenes from the ginseng root culture have direct bactericidal effects (43). The acidic sugars from ginseng are protective against infection with Helicobacter pylori which can cause gastric inflammation, ulceration and DNA damage (42, 44, 45). Ginseng also has bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus (46).

Antiviral activity

In lab models, ginseng has the ability to neutralize the influenza virus and can promote the immune system to combat disease improving survival from infection with the influenza virus in combination with treatment (47). Ginseng also has inhibitory effects on viruses such as the rotavirus, murine norovirus (MNV) and feline calicivirus (FCV) (48, 49).

Precaution with Ginseng

There are few side effects with ginseng. The most common side effect is insomnia. Other less common ones are menstrual problems, breast pain, increased heart rate, high or low blood pressure, headache, loss of appetite, diarrhea, itching, rash, dizziness and mood changes. If you experience any of these, please stop taking ginseng and seek advice from a doctor. Do not take ginseng if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Please avoid giving ginseng to children or infants as not enough is known about safe doses of ginseng for them. If you have any serious medical conditions, consult a doctor before taking ginseng as it has a very broad spectrum of effects on the body in terms of blood pressure, weight, heart function, brain function, and immunity.

MapleLife Ginseng

MapleLife produces Panax Ginseng root supplements that have high quality and potency. MapleLife is a highly reputable company in the field and their products come highly recommended. In addition, their products are available at a fair price. With the many benefits of ginseng listed here, one should try these supplements to improve their health. It is recommended that taking one pill a day is a good start to make sure there are no side effects experienced.

 

References

  1. Attele AS, Wu JA, Yuan CS. Ginseng pharmacology: multiple constituents and multiple actions. Biochem Pharmacol 1999;58:1685e93.
  2. Choi HK, Seong DH, Rha KH. Clinical efficacy of Korean red ginseng for erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res 1995;7:181e6.
  3. Mahady GB, Gyllenhall C, Fong HH, Farnsworth NR. Ginsengs: a review of safety and efficacy. Nutr Clin Care 2000;3:90e101.
  4. Baek SH, Bae ON, Park JH. Recent methodology in gin- seng analysis. J Ginseng Res 2012;36:119-134.
  5. Kim DH. Chemical diversity of Panax ginseng, Panax quinquifolium, and Panax notoginseng. J Ginseng Res 2012;36:1e15.
  6. World Health Organization. WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1999.
  7. Kim MK, Lee JW, Lee KY, Yang DC. Microbial conver- sion of major ginsenoside Rb1 to pharmaceutically active minor ginsenoside Rd. J Microbiol 2005;43:456-462.
  8. Nah SY, Kim DH, Rhim H. Ginsenosides: are any of them candidates for drugs acting on the central nervous system? CNS Drug Rev 2007;13:381e404.
  9. Helms S. Cancer prevention and therapeutics: Panax ginseng. Altern Med Rev 2004;9:259e74.
  10. Nguyen CT, Luong TT, Lee SY, Kim GL, Kwon H, Lee HG, Park CK, Rhee DK. Panax ginseng aqueous extract prevents pneumococcal sepsis in vivo by potentiating cell survival and diminishing inflammation. Phytomedicine 2015;22:1055e61.
  11. Bolli R. Superoxide dismutase 10 years later: a drug in search of a use. J Am Coll Cardiol 1991;18:231e3.
  12. Thatte U, Bagadey S, Dahanukar S. Modulation of programmed cell death by medicinal plants. Cell Mol Biol 2000;46:199e214.
  13. Li J, Ichikawa T, Jin Y, Hofseth LJ, Nagarkatti P, Nagarkatti M, Windust A, Cui T. An essential role of Nrf2 in American ginseng-mediated anti-oxidative actions in cardiomyocytes. J Ethnopharmacol 2010;130:222e30.
  14. Deng HL, Zhang JT. Anti-lipid peroxilative effect of ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1. Chin Med J (Engl) 1991;104:395e8.
  15. He F, Guo R, Wu SL, Sun M, Li M. Protective effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2007;50:314e20.
  16. Wang T, Yu XF, Qu SC, Xu HL, Sui DY. Ginsenoside Rb3 inhibits angiotensin II induced vascular smooth muscle cells proliferation. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2010;107:685e9.
  17. Rhee MY, Kim YS, Bae JH, Nah DY, Kim YK, Lee MM, Kim HY. Effect of Korean red ginseng on arterial stiffness in subjects with hypertension. J Altern Complement Med 2011;17:45e9
  18. Baek EB, Yoo HY, Park SJ, Chung YS, Hong EK, Kim SJ. Inhibition of arterial myogenic responses by a mixed aqueous extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza and Panax notoginseng (PASEL) showing antihypertensive effects. Korean J Physiol Pharmacol 2009;13:287e93.
  19. Jeon BH, Kim CS, Park KS, Lee JW, Park JB, Kim KJ, Kim SH, Chang SJ, Nam KY. Effect of Korea red ginseng on the blood pressure in conscious hypertensive rats. Gen Pharmacol 2000;35:135e41.
  20. Vuksan V, Stavro M, Woo M, Leiter LA, Sung MK, Sievenpiper JL. Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng) can lower blood pressure in individuals with hy- pertension: a randomized controlled trial. In: Proceedings of the 9th Inter- national Ginseng symposium. Geumsan: Korean Society of Ginseng; 2006. p. 35e6.
  21. Kim, H.-G., Cho, J.-H., Yoo, S.-R., Lee, J.-S., Han, J.-M., Lee, N.-H., … Son, C.-G. (2013). Antifatigue effects of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. PloS One, 8(4), e61271. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0061271
  22. Rege NN, Thatte UM, Dahanukar SA. Adaptogenic properties of six rasayana herbs used in Ayurvedic medicine. Phytother Res 1999;13:275e91.
  23. Kim EH, Kim IH, Lee MJ, Thach Nguyen C, Ha JA, Lee SC, Choi S, Choi KT, Pyo S, Rhee DK. Anti-oxidative stress effect of red ginseng in the brain is mediated by peptidyl arginine deiminase type IV (PADI4) repression via estrogen re- ceptor (ER) beta up-regulation. J Ethnopharmacol 2013;148:474e85.
  24. Dang H, Chen Y, Liu X, Wang Q, Wang L, Jia W, Wang Y. Antidepressant effects of ginseng total saponins in the forced swimming test and chronic mild stress models of depression. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2009;33: 1417e24.
  25. Park JH, Cha HY, Seo JJ, Hong JT, Han K, Oh KW. Anxiolytic-like effects of ginseng in the elevated plus-maze model: comparison of red ginseng and sun ginseng. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2005;29:895e900.
  26. Choi JY, Woo TS, Yoon SY, Ike Campomayor Dela P, Choi YJ, Ahn HS, Lee YS, Yu GY, Cheong JH. Red ginseng supplementation more effectively alleviates psychological than physical fatigue. J Ginseng Res 2011;35:331e8.
  27. Hong BN, Ji MG, Kang TH. The efficacy of red ginseng in type 1 and type 2 diabetes in animals. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2013;2013: 593181.
  28. Guilliams TG, Edwards L. Chronic stress and the HPA axis. The Standard 2010;9:1e12.
  29. Tomas C, Newton J, Watson S. A review of hypothalamicepituitaryeadrenal axis function in chronic fatigue syndrome. ISRN Neurosci 2013;2013.
  30. Choi JY, Woo TS, Yoon SY, Ike Campomayor Dela P, Choi YJ, Ahn HS, Lee YS, Yu GY, Cheong JH. Red ginseng supplementation more effectively alleviates psychological than physical fatigue. J Ginseng Res 2011;35:331e8.
  31. Xu C, Teng J, Chen W, Ge Q, Yang Z, Yu C, Yang Z, Jia W. 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol, an active ginseng metabolite, exhibits strong antidepressant-like effects in animal tests. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2010;34:1402e11
  32. Nguyen CT, Luong TT, Lee SY, Kim GL, Kwon H, Lee HG, Park CK, Rhee DK. Panax ginseng aqueous extract prevents pneumococcal sepsis in vivo by potentiating cell survival and diminishing inflammation. Phytomedicine 2015;22:1055e61.
  33. Churchill JD, Gerson JL, Hinton KA, Mifek JL, Walter MJ, Winslow CL, Deyo RA. The nootropic properties of ginseng saponin Rb1 are linked to effects on anxiety. Integr Physiol Behav Sci 2002;37:178e87.
  34. Li J, Ichikawa T, Jin Y, Hofseth LJ, Nagarkatti P, Nagarkatti M, Windust A, Cui T. An essential role of Nrf2 in American ginseng-mediated anti-oxidative actions in cardiomyocytes. J Ethnopharmacol 2010;130:222e30.
  35. Guo J, Gan XT, Haist JV, Rajapurohitam V, Zeidan A, Faruq NS, Karmazyn M. Ginseng inhibits cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and heart failure via NHE-1 inhibition and attenuation of calcineurin activation. Circ Heart Fail 2011;4: 79e88.
  36. Tsutsumi YM, Tsutsumi R, Mawatari K, Nakaya Y, Kinoshita M, Tanaka K, Oshita S. Compound K, a metabolite of ginsenosides, induces cardiac protec- tion mediated nitric oxide via Akt/Pi3k pathway. Life Sci 2011;88:725e9.
  37. Kim, J.-H. (2018). Pharmacological and medical applications of Panax ginseng and ginsenosides: a review for use in cardiovascular diseases. Journal of Ginseng Research, 42(3), 264–269. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JGR.2017.10.004
  38. Zhang D, Yasuda T, Yu Y, Zheng P, Kawabata T, Ma Y, Okada S. Ginseng extract scavenges hydroxyl radical and protects unsaturated fatty acids from decomposition caused by iron-mediated lipid peroxidation. Free Radic Biol Med 1996;20:145e50.
  39. Liao B, Newmark H, Zhou R. Neuroprotective effects of ginseng total saponin and ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 on spinal cord neurons in vitro. Exp Neurol 2002;173:224e34.
  40. Lee E, Kim S, Chung KC, Choo MK, Kim DH, Nam G, Rhim H. 20(S)-Ginsenoside Rh2, a newly identified active ingredient of ginseng, inhibits NMDA receptors in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Eur J Pharmacol 2006;536:69e77.
  41. Cho, I.-H. (2012). Effects of Panax ginseng in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Journal of Ginseng Research, 36(4), 342–353. https://doi.org/10.5142/jgr.2012.36.4.342
  42. Lee JH, Shim JS, Lee JS, Kim MK, Chung MS, Kim KH. Pectin-like acidic polysaccharide from Panax ginseng with selective antiadhesive activity against pathogenic bacteria. Carbohydr Res 2006;341:1154-1163.
  43. Fukuyama N, Shibuya M, Orihara Y. Antimicrobial poly- acetylenes from Panax ginseng hairy root culture. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2012;60:377-380.
  44. Lee JH, Park EK, Uhm CS, Chung MS, Kim KH. Inhibi- tion of Helicobacter pylori adhesion to human gastric adenocarcinoma epithelial cells by acidic polysaccharides from Artemisia capillaris and Panax ginseng. Planta Med 2004;70:615-619.
  45. Park S, Yeo M, Jin JH, Lee KM, Jung JY, Choue R, Cho SW, Hahm KB. Rescue of Helicobacter pylori-induced cytotoxicity by red ginseng. Dig Dis Sci 2005;50:1218- 1227.
  46. Ahn JY, Song JY, Yun YS, Jeong G, Choi IS. Protection of Staphylococcus aureus-infected septic mice by suppres- sion of early acute infl ammation and enhanced antimicro- bial activity by ginsan. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 2006;46:187-197.
  47. Quan FS, Compans RW, Cho YK, Kang SM. Ginseng and Salviae herbs play a role as immune activators and modu- late immune responses during influenza virus infection. Vaccine 2007;25:272-282.
  48. Lee MH, Lee BH, Jung JY, Cheon DS, Kim KT, Choi CS. Antiviral effect of Korean red ginseng extract and ginsenosides on murine norovirus and feline calicivi- rus as surrogates for human norovirus. J Ginseng Res 2011;35:429-435.
  49. Bae EA, Shin JE, Park SH, Kim DH. Inhibitory effect of ginseng polysaccharides on rotavirus infection. J Micro- biol Biotechnol 2004;14:202-204.