The Benefits and Side Effects of Ginseng
What do more than 100 clinical trials on red ginseng, white ginseng, and American ginseng show about their benefits and side effects?
For more on supplement industry hijinks, see Dangers of Dietary Supplement Deregulation ( ) and Supplement Regulation and Side Effects: Efforts to Suppress the Truth ( ).
New subscribers to our e-newsletter always receive a free gift. Get yours here: .
Have a question about this video? Leave it in the comment section at and someone on the NutritionFacts.org team will try to answer it.
UPDATE: We are currently testing the removal of the comment section across all video pages until October, and it will either be reinstated thereafter or removed permanently based on the results. Please feel free to continue your discussions by commenting on our YouTube channel and social media accounts, where we will have Health Support volunteers available to address questions.
Want to get a list of links to all the scientific sources used in this video? Click on Sources Cited at . You’ll also find a transcript and acknowledgements for the video, my blog and speaking tour schedule, and an easy way to search (by translated language even) through our videos spanning more than 2,000 health topics.
Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM
Captions for this video are available in several languages; you can find yours in the video settings. View important information about our translated resources:
• Subscribe:
• Donate:
• Podcast :
• Books:
• Shop:
• Facebook:
• Twitter:
• Instagram:
Haven’t watched the vid but I’ll bet it’s great 👍
Regulations aren’t all bad.
As a practitioner of Chinese medicine we would never prescribe any type of ginseng except for the right condition and constitution of the patient. As one example, American ginseng has a more cool nature than Korean or red ginseng. Someone who already runs hot and/or has HBP or other excess conditions would likely get worse taking red ginseng. Women experiencing hot flashes or night sweats as a symptom of menopause would definitely feel worse taking red ginseng.
Yeah but that knowledge is lost by never being passed down to newer generations, or only known by the very old and few.
You should first put your hypothesis to trial, according to statistical methods, then we can listen to you.
@@PaulSebastianManole sad but true. It’s also a case of Western science methods differing from Eastern or often more holistic approaches. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, but Western medicine tends to be more reductionistic.
@@revolutionarydefeatism Chinese medicine including food therapy, and traditional diets of mostly plant-based ~ and herbal medicine has been practiced for thousands of years effectively and successfully. Your comment was dismissive while I simply shared what practitioners of Chinese medicine understood ~ that results will vary according to the person’s condition and constitution. If the wrong recommendations are made, the patient doesn’t get better and could get worse. In early days, doctors who served the emperor were not paid if the emperor got sick!
Your dismissive and disrespectful comment only hurts you in the end. It perpetuates this arrogant attitude towards anyone or anything that deviates from standard conventional thinking. Of course I’m not the one getting funded to conduct trials. Not my area of expertise. But that doesn’t at all invalidate what I share. But think what you want. You and those quick to agree with such snarky comments have to live with yourselves and your closed off minds and attitudes.
In Chinese medicine aggression and frustration are symptoms of Liver Qi stagnation and lack of flow.
@@revolutionarydefeatism In fact, it would be considered malpractice to give everyone medicine to lower their blood pressure, especially those with already low blood pressure. Same principle.
Similarly, you don’t do a random clinical trial on a drug for hypertension using people who don’t have hypertension!
Ginseng is not a panacea for all that ails you and practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine never claimed otherwise.
So common sense! Hardly need a clinical trial for that!
Good stuff Doc. tnx
Sounds like it’s best to avoid it… fake supply & ingredients & awful side effects = no thank you.
My dad used to grow ginseng and dry it before selling it. Good information, thank you.
I buy the whole dried root, red (specially treated) is my favorite. I take it as an occasional tonic. I don’t recommend a lay person use it for any illness because it can make it much worse. It is good for when *recovering* from surgery and illness though. I found that American ginseng is great for when you need to work late such as cramming overnight for exams or projects.
Wow that’s really good to know. I take panax ginseng only when I’m about to do an intense cardio workout as my stamina increases like 10x it feels. I never found much benefit outside of that though and it’s good to know that there can be adverse effects to regular use of it.
Only to inferior, unreliable products, listen carefully.
So it seems like a bit of Korean ginseng is good for buddy?
I see that American ginseng can be problematic, but seemed like the Korean was good?
I understand Dr. Greger said to hold off on non-American until they cab be proven safe, but if the Korean ginseng tests didn’t find danger, isn’t that the green light?
It’s hard not to like ginseng !
Can you cover new fatty acid C15? 🙏🏾
I’d be curious to know your findings on eleuthero, sometimes incorrectly called “siberian ginseng.” From “Extreme Alpinism” by Mark Twight (although he doesn’t list any papers):
“Eleutherococcus senticosus – This supplement is among the adaptogens — plant-based chemicals that increase immune and metabolic function. Eleutherococcus senticosus is a member of the Aralia family of herbs. Much of the testing on Eleutherococcus senticosus, often referred to as EC, has been done in the former Soviet Union. These tests, when combined with my four years of personal experience and the testimony of other athletes, suggest that EC can deliver great benefits. Many studies show improved cognitive function, accelerated reflexes, and increased endurance. Double-blind European tests confirm 40 to 45 percent increases in endurance, perhaps based on EC’s effect of sparing glycogen while increasing oxidation of fatty acids. Blood tests indicate a more even and consistent glucose metabolism, which results in fewer sugar-related highs or lows. EC’s active ingredients are glycosides, closely linked to sugar molecules.”
👍 Whole food plant based for the environment and health; vegan for the victims!
❤
Apologies for not understanding the direction of advice (the advice went back and forth a lot), but should we take Red Ginseng or Not? And if so, for what?
Unless I have it wrong, this appears to be a discussion of processed ginseng supplements, and not fresh ginseng. What about the actual fresh ginseng root? good we’re bad for us?
The alternative health information in the 90s always said ginseng was to be taken only for a certain amount of time and then stopped to give the body a rest from it. The difference between positive benefits shown in the four week study and negative effects from the four month study didn’t surprise me — how has everyone managed to forget what used to be (I thought) widely accepted? How about some people running studies who are actually familiar with the material under evaluation? Thanks Doc and staff 🥦❤
I grow my own. Laughing–it was growing there when I got the place, but you can buy the seeds and grow your own to avoid adulteration. It’s not easy to cultivate though, must have shade. Nice having my own supply. I don’t “take it” regularly. A few times per year. Probably doesn’t help much, but also shouldn’t hurt any at my low dosage.
Perhaps my good health has more to do with the food I choose to eat.
Should I better buy an extract or the normal plant? What about Ginkgo?
Interesting! Thank you for sharing <3
The panax ginseng is so bad for you in case you’re on any antidepressants/anxiety drugs.