Ginseng

CAM (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, balances stress hormones)

ADHD³
Improves cognition, energy, and stress management in healthy adults²

Erectile dysfunction in med²
Sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women³

Features

Generic, Activating, Non-sedating, Natural, Elderly-Safe, Weight-Free, Tolerable, Sexual-free, Non-controlled, Bipolar-Safe, Child-Studied

Handout

Dosing

Start with Asian ginseng. There are two types of ginseng: American (Panax quinquefolius) and Asian (Panax ginseng). They have similar effects, but most trials used Asian ginseng (also called Panax, Red, or Radix). Avoid Siberian or Russian ginseng, a distant cousin that lacks the active ingredient.

The dose is the same for Asian and American ginseng. Ginseng is available as extract or powder. Extract is more potent, with a higher concentration of the active ginsenosides.

Ginseng powder: 1000-2000 mg daily, divided bid

Ginseng extract: 200-400 mg daily, divided bid

If the Asian form does not work, try Amerian ginseng. There are also products combine Asian and American (eg, PipingRock Super Ginseng Complex).

Most ginseng products are poor quality, so stick with one of the lab-tested options we recommend.

INTERACTIONS: May increase effects of anticoagulants. Avoid with MAOIs (serotonin syndrome).

Management

Improves working memory, energy, attention, processing speed, and stress reduction in healthy adults. Effects felt within hours but also build up over weeks, without causing tolerance or withdrawal.

TOLERABILITY: Well-tolerated. Mild, nervous excitability that improves after a few days; insomnia, headache, diarrhea, increased menstrual flow.

RISKS: Avoid in pregnancy. Anticoagulant (stop 2 weeks before surgery).

EMR Text

Cognition

Ginseng use based on trials where it improved cognition in various populations (Zeng M et al, Phytother Res 2024;38(12):6023-6034).

Ginseng side effects reviewed with patient.

ADHD

Ginseng use based on small, randomized controlled trials in ADHD (Kim Y et al, J Ginseng Res. 2024;48(5):437-448).

Ginseng side effects reviewed with patient.

Erectile dysfunction

Ginseng use based on randomized controlled trials in erectile dysfunction (Choi YD et al, Int J Impot Res. 2013;25(2):45-50).

Ginseng side effects reviewed with patient.

Sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women

Ginseng use based on randomized controlled trials where it improved sexual dysfunction in women (Ghorbani Z et al, Complement Ther Med. 2019;45:57-642019).

Ginseng side effects reviewed with patient.

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