What is Ginseng? 

Alternate Names:  The two most common types of ginseng are Panax ginseng, also called Asian, Korean or Chinese ginseng,  and Panax quinquefolius, also called American, Canadian, or North  American ginseng. 

According  to traditional Chinese medicine, each type of  ginseng is thought  to have unique healing properties. American ginseng has more "cooling" properties, which make it valuable for fever and respiratory tract disorders. Asian ginseng has "heating" properties, which  are good for improving circulation. 

The active compounds in ginseng  are believed to be steroid-like components called "ginsenosides". 

Why Do People Use Ginseng? 

The word Panax comes the Greek word meaning "all-healing". In much of Asia,  ginseng is prized as a revitalizer for the whole body. This is partly due to the shape of the  root, which resembles the human body. 

Mental  and Physical Performance 

• Ginseng is known as an adaptogen, which means it increases resistance to physical, chemical,  and biological stress  and builds energy and general vitality. 

mmune Function 

• A study examined 323  people who had had at least two colds  in the prior year. Participants were instructed to take two capsules per day of either  the North American  ginseng extract  or a placebo for a period  of four months. 

• The mean  number of colds per person was  lower in the ginseng group than in the placebo group. The proportion  of subjects with two  or more colds during the four-month period  was significantly lower  in the  ginseng group than  in the placebo group, as were the total symptom score and the total number  of days cold symptoms were reported for all colds.

Diabetes 

• In one study, Panax  ginseng in dosages  of 100  or 200 milligrams were given to 36 people with newly-diagnosed non-insulin dependent diabetes. After eight weeks, there were  improvements in fasting blood glucose levels, mood,  and psychophysical performance. The 200 milligram dose also resulted  in improved hemoglobin A1C levels (a test  that measures how well blood sugar has been controlled during the previous three months). 

Erectile Dysfunction 

• In one  research study  of 90 men with erectile dysfunction, 60%  of the participants reported improvement  in their symptoms compared  with 30% of those using the placebo. Unlike prescription drugs for erectile dysfunction which are usually taken when needed, ginseng only appears  to be useful for erectile dysfunction if taken on  a continuous basis. 

Dosage 

• The dosage often used in  research studies is 200 mg a day  of a standardized  ginseng extract.

• Some traditional herbalists recommend using  ginseng for no more than three weeks at a time, followed by a one  to two week rest  period.

Side Effects and Safety of Ginseng 

Pregnant or nursing women or children should avoid ginseng. People  with hormone-dependent illnesses such  as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, or cancers  of the breast, ovaries, uterus, or prostate should avoid Panax  ginseng because it may have estrogenic effects. 

Panax  ginseng may decrease  the rate  and force  of heartbeats, so it shouldn't be used by people  with heart disease unless under the supervision of  a healthcare providers. 

Ginseng may lower blood sugar levels, so it shouldn't be taken by people with diabetes unless under a doctor's supervision. Ginseng may worsen insomnia. 

Side effects of ginseng may include nervousness, agitation, insomnia, diarrhea, headaches,  high blood pressure,  and heart palpitations. 

Herb-Drug Interactions 

Ginseng can increase the effect of blood-thinners (antiplatelet or anti-clotting drugs), such as clopidogrel, ticlopidine (Ticlid), warfarin (Coumadin), heparin,  and aspirin, which  may result in uncontrolled bleeding or hemorrhage. Certain herbs, such as danshen, devil's claw, eleuthero, garlic, ginger, horse chestnut, papain, red clover,  and saw palmetto,  can also increase the risk of bleeding if combined with ginseng. 

Ginseng may affect  heart rhythm  and can increase potential side effects  from theophylline (and similar asthma drugs), albuterol, clonidine, sildenafil citrate (Viagra). 

Panax ginseng may interact with insulin  and other drugs for diabetes, such as metformin (Glucophage), glyburide (Glynase), glimepiride (Amaryl),  and glipizide (Glucotrol XL). 

Ginseng  may interfere with the metabolism of monoamine oxidase inhibitors such as phenelzine sulfate (Nardil), tranylcypromine sulfate (Parnate) and isocabaxazid (Marplan). It's also believed  to affect levels of neurotransmitters (chemicals that carry messages from nerve cells to other cells)  and may interact with antipsychotic drugs such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine)  and fluphenazine (Prolixin). 

Ginseng stimulates  the central nervous system, so it may increase the effects  of prescription drugs  that do the same (such as medications  for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, narcolepsy,  and obesity. The combination may raise heart rate and blood pressure. 

Ginseng  has been found  to interfere with the metabolism  of drugs processed  by an enzyme called cyp3A4.  Ask your doctor  to check if  you are taking medications of this type.