Michael Castleman
IN ASIA, ginseng has been revered for centuries as a total-body health enhancer. But the mounting excitement in the West is focused on a very specific benefit. “Many studies show that ginseng helps prevent and treat breast cancer,” says Christine Homer, M.D., author of Waking the Warrior Goddess: Dr. Christine Horner’s Program to Protect Against and Fight Breast Cancer (Basic Health Publications, 2005).
One clinical vote of confidence occurred last spring when researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville concluded that Panax ginseng increases both the length and quality of life for women with breast cancer. Among 1,455 women followed for six years after a breast cancer diagnosis, regular ginseng users had 30 percent less risk of dying from the disease and 29 percent less risk of dying from any other cause, compared with nonusers. The 2006 study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, noted that those women who consumed the most ginseng reported the greatest improvement in quality of life.
Scientists believe that ginseng counteracts the cancer-stimulating action of the body’s own estrogen. The herb is actually a phytoestrogen that binds to estrogen receptors in the body, locking out its hormonal counterpart; by itself, ginseng is too weak an estrogen to spur breast cancer.
Beyond the breast
Ginseng’s Latin name, Panax, comes from the Greek word for “panacea,” and its effects are impressively diverse. “The Chinese consider ginseng a tonic, something that strengthens the whole body,” says Efrem Korngold, O.M.D., a Chinese medicine practitioner in San Francisco and a Natural Health advisor. “Western medicine has been skeptical of ginseng, as though it’s too good to be true. The skeptics should study the research.”
In addition to breast cancer, ginseng may discourage a range of cancers. Researchers at the Korea Cancer Center in Seoul tracked ginseng use in 4,634 subjects for five years. Compared with those who used no ginseng, those who took it regularly had 60 percent less risk of developing any cancer. The results were published in 1998 in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
Overall, there seems to be a particularly positive effect on immune function. In the journal Pharmacy Research in 1996, University of Southern California researchers noted that ginseng increases production of interferon, the body’s own antiviral compound. In a related study in 2002, published in Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, Korean researchers discovered that ginseng also enhances the ability of white blood cells to manufacture pathogen-devouring cells called macrophages.
By boosting immune function, ginseng may improve the efficacy of vaccinations. According to a 1996 study in Drugs in Experimental and Clinical Research, Italian researchers gave 227 volunteers a placebo or 100 milligrams of ginseng daily. A month later, everyone received flu shots; 42 placebo takers caught the flu, but only 15 ginseng patients became sick–a highly significant difference.
Several studies also indicate that ginseng’s immune-friendliness may help prevent the common (and always aggravating) cold. In 2006, University of Connecticut researchers gave 43 adults over age 65 a placebo or 400 mg of ginseng per day. For the first two months, both groups caught the same number of colds. But during months three and four, the ginseng group became sick only half as often (32 percent versus 62 percent), and their cold symptoms lasted less than half as long (six days compared to 13 days).
Total impact
In keeping with its reputation as an adaptogen, e r whole-body tonic, ginseng has been found to enhance both mental and physical performance, aid fertility and virility in men, reduce fatigue, and lower blood sugar in diabetics.
INTELLIGENCE. In a 1996 Danish study, 112 middle-aged adults were given cognitive-function tests before and after taking a placebo or 400 mg per day of ginseng for eight weeks. The placebo group showed no change in brainpower, while those who took ginseng demonstrated significant improvement. British researchers conducted a similar study in 2002 using the same dose of ginseng, which again seemed to enhance memory and attentiveness.
STAMINA AND FATIGUE. When Italian researchers tested 50 male gym teachers, ages 21 to 47, on a treadmill, those taking ginseng had greater stamina than did the placebo group; another Italian study found that ginseng improves reaction time. And a 1999 Japanese study in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics showed that the herb helps relieve the fatigue some women experience during menopause.
DIABETES. In a 2000 study published in Archives of Internal Medicine, University of Toronto researchers gave ginseng (a relatively high dose of three grams) to diabetics before a meal. Blood sugar typically rises after eating, but 40 minutes after the meal, the ginseng takers showed a decrease in blood sugar levels.
REPRODUCTION AND SEX. While an Italian study showed that ginseng boosts sperm count, two Korean studies–published in 2002 in the Journal of Urology and in 1995 in the International Journal of Impotence Research–confirmed the herb’s reputed aphrodisiac effect. Apparently, ginseng increases production of nitric oxide, which plays a key role in sex-related blood flow into the genitals; taking 900 mg three times per day helped restore faltering erections.
WITH SO MANY BENEFITS, it’s no wonder that ginseng users taking as little as 200 mg daily continually report improved quality of life, mental health, and social functioning. After University of Connecticut investigators reviewed research on the herb as it relates to quality of life, their 2003 report, published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy & Therapeutics, found improvement in eight out of nine studies.
Those are darned good odds for a naturally healthier life.
Photograph by DAWN SMITH
RELATED ARTICLE: How to take it.
Asian or Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (P. quinquefolius) are botanically the same, while Siberian ginseng is a different plant. To use it in a healing tea, simmer one to three grams of the sliced root in 24 ounces boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes; the tea is traditionally cooled and served at room temperature, but you can drink it hot. if you want to try it in capsule form: Nationally recognized surgeon Christine Homer, M.D., recommends 200 to 400 milligrams daily, though daily doses of up to 600 mg are common. For health maintenance, ginseng should be taken in cycles, e.g., daily for two or three weeks followed by a two-week abstention.
Ginseng is distributed in both white and red varieties: The white is unprocessed root, while the red is steamed, then dried. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), red ginseng is considered “hot,” with stronger restorative action for disease recovery. The milder, white ginseng is “warm” and is thought to be preferable for long-term use. Western research draws no distinction between white and red ginseng; if you can’t decide which variety to take, consult a TCM practitioner. The herb causes no significant side effects, though caffeinelike jitters are possible; people with high blood pressure are advised to avoid ginseng without the guidance of a qualified herbalist.
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