{"ok":true,"entry":{"slug":"ginseng","kind":"supplement","name":"ginseng","aliases":["Panax ginseng","Korean red ginseng","American ginseng","Cheong Kwan Jang"],"brands_sg":["California Gold Nutrition","Swanson Vitamins","NOW Foods","Imperial Elixir"],"class":"herb / adaptogen","tags":["energy","immune"],"use_for":"general fatigue — small effect in one 2023 review","use_after":"daily","use_duration":"most trials ran under 3 months, under 200 people","take_with":null,"pros":["2023 review of 19 studies: small effect on fatigue","nccih: short-term use up to 6 months appears safe","3-week red ginseng rct: fatigue score fell vs placebo"],"cons":["nccih: mostly no gain in athletic performance","insomnia is the commonest side effect (nccih)","may lower blood sugar and interfere with clotting"],"dose_note":"the korean red ginseng trial gave 960 mg a day of extract to 46 healthy adults for three weeks; its methods section describes 500 mg tablets, so the two figures in the paper do not line up and neither should be read as a recommended amount — nccih gives no dose and notes most trials were small and shorter than 3 months","dosage":{"ul":null,"unit":"mg","fda_dv":null,"rda_ai":null,"ul_status":"none_established","population":"general adult","hsa_max_daily":null},"ul_status":"none_established","sg_class":null,"cautions":["diabetes — nccih: ginseng might lower blood sugar; speak to your doctor first","autoimmune disorders — nccih: ginseng may worsen them","pregnancy or breastfeeding — some experts advise against use","infants and children — some experts advise against use"],"clashes":[{"src":["nccih_ginseng_bloodsugar"],"note":"nccih: ginseng might lower blood sugar levels; consult a provider if you have diabetes","with":"diabetes medicines"},{"src":["nccih_ginseng_interactions"],"note":"nccih: might interact with certain medications; no specific drug is named","with":"medicines generally"}],"sources":[{"id":"nccih_ginseng_fatigue","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/asian-ginseng","label":"NCCIH — Asian Ginseng (What Have We Learned: fatigue)","quote":"A 2023 review of 19 studies (2,413 participants) suggested two notable results: Asian ginseng alone may have a small beneficial effect on general fatigue (not related to specific diseases)","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_ginseng_howmuch","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/asian-ginseng","label":"NCCIH — Asian Ginseng (How Much Do We Know)","quote":"Most of the clinical trials have been small, with fewer than 200 participants, and shorter than 3 months. Larger multicenter studies that last longer than 3 months are needed to improve the clinical evidence","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_ginseng_flu","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/asian-ginseng","label":"NCCIH — Asian Ginseng (What Have We Learned: flu risk)","quote":"A very small amount of preliminary research suggests that Asian ginseng extract may help reduce the risk of developing the flu but not the severity or duration of symptoms.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_ginseng_athletic","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/asian-ginseng","label":"NCCIH — Asian Ginseng (What Have We Learned: athletic performance)","quote":"The majority of research shows that Asian ginseng does not improve athletic performance.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_ginseng_safety","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/asian-ginseng","label":"NCCIH — Asian Ginseng (Safety: duration and who should avoid it)","quote":"Short-term oral use (by mouth, up to 6 months) of Asian ginseng in recommended amounts appears to be safe for most people … some experts recommend against its use for infants, children, and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_ginseng_sideeffects","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/asian-ginseng","label":"NCCIH — Asian Ginseng (Safety: side effects)","quote":"Insomnia (trouble sleeping) is the herb’s most common side effect. Uncommon side effects that have been reported include severe rash, liver damage, and severe allergic reactions.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_ginseng_bloodsugar","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/asian-ginseng","label":"NCCIH — Asian Ginseng (Safety: autoimmune disease, clotting, blood sugar)","quote":"Asian ginseng may worsen autoimmune disorders and interfere with blood clotting … Some evidence suggests that Asian ginseng might lower blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, consult your health care provider before using Asian ginseng.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nccih_ginseng_interactions","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/asian-ginseng","label":"NCCIH — Asian Ginseng (Safety: drug interactions)","quote":"Asian ginseng might interact with certain medications. If you take any type of medicine, talk with your health care provider before using Asian ginseng or other herbal products","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"lee2025","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC12125682","label":"Anti-fatigue effects of Korean Red Ginseng extract in healthy Japanese adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (Lee et al., J Ginseng Res 2025)","quote":"Forty-six participants were randomly divided into two groups (KRG and placebo). KRG (960 mg) or placebo capsules were administered for 3 weeks … a significant decrease in the fatigue VAS score compared to the placebo group (p = 0.035)","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"lee2025_dose","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC12125682","label":"Lee et al., J Ginseng Res 2025 — methods (tablet composition)","quote":"The efficacy of daily doses of 500 mg of KRG extracts was evaluated … The main constituents of the KRG extracts (500 mg/tablet) tablet were red ginseng powder (480 mg)","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"hsa_prohibited_2025","url":"https://file.go.gov.sg/hsa-chp-prohibited-restricted-ing-guidelines.pdf","label":"HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev 001 (Oct 2025)","quote":"The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list [ginseng / Panax not listed in Annex A or B]","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"iherb_sg","url":"https://sg.iherb.com/c/ginseng","label":"iHerb Singapore — Ginseng category (default order, 1 - 48 of 108 results)","quote":"California Gold Nutrition, EuroHerbs®, Panax Ginseng Extract … 250 mg … Swanson Vitamins, Full Spectrum® Korean Red Ginseng Root, 400 mg … NOW Foods, Panax Ginseng, 500 mg … Imperial Elixir, Ginseng and Royal Jelly","accessed":"2026-08-27"}],"brand_certs":null,"updated_at":"2026-08-29T16:16:19.87501+08:00"},"disclaimer":"kozen-x is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. it lists what published sources have written down. absence of a record is not the same as safe."}