Ginseng: Amazing Facts

HEALTH BENEFITS 

There are many health benefits associated with ginseng and its bioactive compounds. The major health benefits correlated with ginseng is improving the immune system and prevention of cancer, diabetes, and aging related functional declines (Baeg and So, 2013). Ginseng has been proven to manage immune cells like macrophages and cells. It has also been proven to beneficial in preventing and managing the diseases (Kang and Min, 2012). Ginseng has further been proven to decrease the chance of people getting the flu and other viruses. Ginseng protects the gastrointestinal walls and the organs from damage, illnesses, and tumors

1. Immune Function 

Ginseng, both dried and red ginseng, has been reported to exhibit immuno-regulation functions. Azike et al (2015) reported a study to determine if American ginseng induced the immune function in adult rats in response to lipopolysaccharide. Further investigation was done to focus on the bioactive compounds. To determine the immune function response, macrophage and cytokine (positive immune system cells) levels were monitored of the adult rats. Further, the inflammatory response of the rat was also analyzed. Rats treated with the American ginseng group had more cytokines in the blood plasma, specifically a higher tumor necrosis factor (TNF). The rats also stopped the lipopolysaccharide inflammation. In the culture, the macrophages were increased, and the inflammatory response from lipopolysaccharide also decreased. Therefore, the American red ginseng polysaccharide formula boosted the immune system and decreased the response to the lipopolysaccharide immune response (Azike et al, 2015). This study showed that ginseng boosted the immune system as more macrophages were developed to protect the immune system and the ginseng prevents further damage by reducing inflammation. In an animal study, red ginseng was studied for its immune system response (Jeon et al 2011). To determine if Korean red ginseng is successful in stopping myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which depress the immune system and function, mice that were prone to and possessed tumors consumed either 100 mg/kg Korean red ginseng or a placebo. Halfway through the study, the mice were given a solution to develop tumors. As a result, the mice with the Korean red ginseng tampered the myeloid-derived suppressor cells and expanded the number of T cells, which are integral to a successful immune system. It also circulated IL-2 and IFN-γ, which also improved immuno-function. The Korean red ginseng increased T cell activity by altering the myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Although it did not specifically kill or reduce the tumors, it did improve the immune function of the mice (Jeon et al, 2011). The red ginseng targeted the immune system depressors and directly changed them to prevent harm. Therefore, more cells that boost the immune system were available. This is insightful into how red ginseng approached problems in the modulation of immune system. In summary, the improvement of the immune system is one of the most notable health benefits of ginseng. The animal studies indicated that when the immune system was under attack, the ginseng provided the body with more support by boosting immuno-system. This was seen in the increase of T cells, macrophages, and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The ginseng also supported the rejection of inflammation and the myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which also improved immune systems in animals. However, these animal studies are not fully transferable to human immune systems, and further testing needs to be done to study the effect of ginseng on human immune system.

2. Cancer 

A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effects of ginseng consumption on risk of cancer in human (Jin et al, 2016). These studies were found from various databases and within 24 years of each other. They were thoroughly analyzed to determine the overall risks and confidence intervals. Nine human epidemiological studies were pooled and analyzed with total 7,436 cases and 334,544 subjects. People had a 16% reduced risk of cancer if they consumed ginseng; the only result that was not fully consistent was gastric cancer. This conclusion considered potential bias, but still found a considerable decrease in the risk. They further analyzed certain areas of cancer and found the odds ratio (the odds that one person who consumed ginseng vs. another person who did not consume ginseng would have cancer) of different cancers in the body. The colon and rectal cancer odds ratio was .77, the liver cancer was .77, the gastric cancer was .83, and the lung cancer odds ratio was .77, which indicated a clear decrease in the risk of each of these cancers with ginseng consumption. Therefore, people who ingested ginseng had a statistically significant lower risk of overall cancer than someone who did not (Jin et al, 2016). Another epidemiological study was conducted to determine the correlation to ginseng and anti-carcinogenic results in humans. In this study, people filled out the same survey about their identifications and utilization frequency of ginseng, alcohol, and smoking. It was determined that the odds ratio of cancer correlated to ginseng consumption was .56 overall, .37 for fresh ginseng users, .30 for people who consumer white ginseng extract, .30 for people who consume white ginseng powder, and .20 in the subjects who consumed red ginseng. Subjects who ate sliced, fresh ginseng, white ginseng tea, and other fresh ginseng juice, did not have those same anti-carcinogenic effects. However, the more people consumed ginseng and the amount of times ginseng was consumed, did influence the anti-carcinogenic effects; the more it is consumed in a shorter period of time, the more preventative cancer effects exist. The anti-carcinogenic effects were expansive and appeared in the mouth, the stomach, the lungs, ovaries, and other parts of the body. With ginseng consumption, the odds ratio of cancer in those places did decrease. And common cancers associated with smoking, like lung, liver, and mouth cancer did decrease with ginseng consumption. There was a 5 year check-in, and the people who ingested ginseng had a smaller risk compared to those who did not eat ginseng. Specifically, out of the 24 people who consumed red ginseng, none faced a cancer inflicted death. The chance for gastric and lung cancer were also lowered. Therefore, ginseng lowered the risk of cancer growth and development in many places of the body. Therefore, ginseng had a general anti-carcinogenic effect in the human body as seen in the epidemiological study (Yun et al, 2001b). Yu et al reported that the ginseng age correlates to the effectiveness of the ginseng as an anti-carcinogen. In order to find the anti-carcinogenic effects of the various kinds of ginseng, newborn mice were injected with .5 mg of benzo[a]pyrene, a carcinogen known to be relevant to human cancer, in order to induce lung tumors. Different ginseng and forms of it were given and after 9 weeks, the growth and spread of the tumors were analyzed. Both the root extracts and crushed ginseng had the same anticarcinogenic effects within the kind of ginseng. Fresh ginseng aged over 6 years, white ginseng (dried ginseng) that was either 5 or 6 years old, and red ginseng that was 4, 5, or 6 years old exhibited anti-carcinogenic effects (Yun et al., 1996). For the fresh ginseng, the prevalence of lung cancer changed from 41.3% to 27.8% with 6 year old ginseng powder. The ginseng extract caused the prevalence to decreased from 63.9% to 44.1% from 6 year old fresh ginseng extract. For the white ginseng powder group of mice, the prevalence went from 45% to 25.3% with the 6 year old ginseng powder, and from 41.3% to 26.5% for the 6 year old white ginseng extract. Finally, the red ginseng group of mice altered the prevalence of the lung tumors from 48.6% to 25.4% with 6 year old red ginseng powders and from 47.5% to 26.3% with 6 year old red ginseng root. The additional anti-carcinogenic effects of the 5 year old white ginseng and red ginseng that was 4 and 5 years old were found to be statistically significant. The dosages between the extract and powder were also very similar to not provide known differences in effectiveness between the two forms of ginseng, but there were slight differences between their effectiveness (Yun et al., 1996). Certain ginsenosides like Rb2, Rc, Rd, Rg1,Re, and Rf were not found in red ginseng as much as the white and fresh ginseng, and that difference became more stark as the ginseng aged more. However, this study displayed that the longer the cultivation age of the ginseng, the more effective it was as an anti-carcinogen and that red ginseng was the most effective anti-carcinogen between the different kinds of ginseng (Yun et al, 1996). In the previously mentioned study that inoculated 2000 mice with multiple carcinogens, and then measured the effectiveness of different kinds of ginseng and bioactive compounds, there was a subset of the study that focused on the anti-carcinogenic effects of red ginseng. With the red ginseng extract being administered to a group of the mice that had already been injected by the carcinogens, there was a 22% decrease of tumor growth of the urethane chemical induced carcinogen. Red ginseng extract decreased aflatoxin B1 carcinogen induced lung cancer in mice by 75%. . Both of these results were statistically significant and indicated that the administration of red ginseng can decrease the progression of carcinogenesis. The anti-carcinogenic effect of ginseng was further confirmed by prior studies by the author that found similar anti-carcinogenic in fresh and dried ginseng (Yun et al, 2001a). Overall, this study indicated that red ginseng has higher activity to limit tumor growth and the spread of the cancer. In summary, there are many studies and evidence that ginseng has anti-carcinogenic effects. The animal studies contained clear data that indicated the anti-carcinogenic effects of ginseng. There was statistically significant data that the rates of lung cancer, tumor growth, and spread of the cancer decreased from ginseng groups when compared to the control. The studies on consumption of ginseng in humans was scarcer, but the meta-analysis indicated that ingesting ginseng lowered the risks of cancer. The epidemiological study was harder to draw distinct conclusions from, but still indicated that the consumption of ginseng lowered the risk of cancers.

3. Diabetes 

Ginseng has been found to have beneficial effects on diabetes and high blood pressure. In one study, 36 people with diabetes were either given 1.5 grams of Korean ginseng with concentrated amounts of the ginsenoside Rg3 or a placebo every day at random for 8 weeks (Chen et al., 2019). The average blood sugar levels declined by .56% in the subset of people who ate the ginseng and the blood glucose content after not eating or drinking was lessened by 21.40 mg/dL in relation to the control group. Therefore, there was a notable difference for the diabetic patients that consumed Korean ginseng as it lessened the blood sugar and the fasting blood glucose content (Chen et al., 2019). Subjects that had type 2 diabetes or trouble regulating glucose participated in a 12 week double-blind, random trial with a placebo. The group that ingested 5 grams of Korean red ginseng every day for the trial had notable glucose decrease. Blood serum glucose decreased by 1.23 ± .59 mmol/L and a reduction of .97 ± .30 mmol/L for whole blood glucose levels was found. These were determined through a glucose test using the patient’s saliva. The patients were also found to be a third more receptive and responsive to insulin, which also helps regulate glucose. Therefore, this study determined that Korean red ginseng decreased glucose in the blood, but also improved insulin reactivity (Chen et al., 2019). Vuksan and others reported a study on American ginseng on diabetics in humans (Vuksan et al, 2019). In this study, 24 people with type 2 diabetes of different characteristics, including average blood sugar, participated in a double-blind, random study. They were given either 3 grams of ginseng every day or a placebo solution preserving their daily life and routines for 8 weeks. There was a 4 week cleanse period, and then they did the next 8 weeks with the opposite solution than what the patient was unknowingly given. The American ginseng decreased the average blood sugar levels by .29% and the blood glucose levels after no food or drink by .7 mmol/L. Furthermore, the subjects’ blood pressures lowered by 5.6 mmHg, and the addition of the American ginseng had no negative repercussions on the health of all the subjects involved. Therefore, the extract of American ginseng did provide safe, anti-diabetic results for patients with type 2 diabetes (Vuksan et al, 2019). From these three studies, the ginseng assisted in the regulation of glucose in subjects with diabetes. However, in two double-blind studies done with non-diabetic and healthy subjects, subjects consumed either the Korea red ginseng extracts or the placebo. There was no difference found in the management of glucose between the ginseng consumers and the control group. This indicate that there were no anti-diabetic effects when red ginseng was ingested by healthy individuals (Yuan et al, 2012). Therefore, more testing is needed to see if ginseng or red ginseng extracts have antidiabetic effects on only diabetic subjects or ineffective in health individuals.

4. Aging 

There is a large market in the beauty and wellness category for ginseng products due to the anti-aging characteristics attributed to ginseng. In an animal study, the extracts of an American ginseng were given to young mice with leukemia induced by leukemic cells. The mice that were given the 20 mg of the extracts of American ginseng lived significantly longer than the mice in the control group. The ginseng extracts increased the amount of natural killer cells of mice with and without leukemia. This study demonstrated that supplementation of American ginseng did improve and extend the lifespan of mice with leukemia (Miller et al, 2011). Another symptom of aging is wrinkles. This study aimed to analyze the effects of enzyme-enriched ginseng extract on wrinkles around the eye, in order to determine ginseng’s anti-aging effects. 23 randomly selected people were given the enzyme-enriched ginseng solution and the rest of the subjects were given a placebo solution. The group that did receive the ginseng had a distinctive lower global photo-damage score which scores the wrinkling of a person’s skin. Therefore, the subjects who used the ginseng solution had less wrinkles than the people who had the placebo. The skin of the group that used the ginseng solution was less textured and irregular. After the study, a survey was conducted and the people who used the ginseng solution thought that their solution was more effective, moisturizing, and softening on average than the group with the placebo. There were no negative health or skin effects from the solution. In conclusion, the ginseng solution did provide lessening of wrinkles around the eyes for the subjects, as well as texture and roughness reduction (Hwang et al, 2015). More research in this area are needed, especially on the safety and efficacy of ginseng on the skin.