Ginseng
Research reviewed: Up until 03/2026
Ginseng (Panax ginseng) is a dietary supplement with 14 published peer-reviewed studies involving 1,340 participants, researched for Energy & Fatigue, Cognitive Function, Immune Support.
Evidence at a Glance
Strength is scored by study design, sample size, study type, and outcomes
Energy & Fatigue
StrongCognitive Function
StrongImmune Support
StrongResearch Visualised
Visual breakdown of the clinical data.
Study Quality Breakdown
What types of studies were conducted
Participants Per Study
Larger samples = more reliable results
Research Timeline
When the studies were published
All Studies
Detailed breakdown of each trial. Click to expand.
Energy & Fatigue
To investigate the effect of Panax ginseng on fatigue in cancer survivors
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To investigate the effect of Panax ginseng on fatigue in cancer survivors
Dose
2000 mg/day
Participants
364 cancer survivors
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Significant improvement in fatigue scores vs placebo (p<0.003). General fatigue subscale improved by 14 points vs 8.8 in placebo group.
How They Measured It
MFSI-SF fatigue scale
To assess efficacy of ginseng for fatigue in randomised clinical trials
Study Type
Systematic review and meta-analysis
Purpose
To assess efficacy of ginseng for fatigue in randomised clinical trials
Dose
Various
Participants
Pooled from multiple RCTs
Duration
Various
Results
Ginseng significantly reduced fatigue across multiple conditions vs placebo (SMD -0.67, p<0.01).
How They Measured It
Standardised fatigue scales across RCTs
To investigate acute effects of wild ginseng extract on exercise performance, cognitive function and fatigue
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, crossover
Purpose
To investigate acute effects of wild ginseng extract on exercise performance, cognitive function and fatigue
Dose
2000 mg single dose
Participants
20 healthy adults
Duration
Single acute dose crossover
Results
Ginseng significantly improved endurance performance, cognitive scores, and reduced fatigue vs placebo.
How They Measured It
Exercise capacity (VO2max), cognitive tests, fatigue VAS
To evaluate ginseng and ginseng herbal formulas for symptomatic management of fatigue
Study Type
Systematic review and meta-analysis
Purpose
To evaluate ginseng and ginseng herbal formulas for symptomatic management of fatigue
Dose
Various
Participants
Multiple RCTs pooled
Duration
Various
Results
Ginseng formulas significantly reduced fatigue, particularly in cancer-related and idiopathic fatigue.
How They Measured It
Fatigue scales, meta-analytic methods
To assess ginseng supplementation for influenza vaccination response
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess ginseng supplementation for influenza vaccination response
Dose
100 mg twice daily ginseng extract
Participants
227 healthy adults
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Ginseng group had significantly higher antibody titres and lower incidence of influenza vs placebo.
How They Measured It
Antibody titres post-vaccination, flu incidence
Cognitive Function
To investigate the cognition-enhancing effect of Panax ginseng in volunteers with mild cognitive impairment
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To investigate the cognition-enhancing effect of Panax ginseng in volunteers with mild cognitive impairment
Dose
4500 mg/day Korean red ginseng
Participants
90 Korean volunteers with mild cognitive impairment
Duration
24 weeks
Results
Significant improvement in ADAS-cog and attention scores vs placebo (p<0.01).
How They Measured It
MMSE, ADAS-cog, cognitive battery
To systematically evaluate the effects of ginseng on cognitive function improvement via RCTs
Study Type
Systematic review and meta-analysis
Purpose
To systematically evaluate the effects of ginseng on cognitive function improvement via RCTs
Dose
Various
Participants
Multiple RCTs pooled
Duration
Various
Results
Ginseng supplementation significantly improved multiple cognitive domains including attention and memory.
How They Measured It
Cognitive performance tests, meta-analysis
To assess effects of Korean red ginseng on cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease patients
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess effects of Korean red ginseng on cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease patients
Dose
4500 mg/day
Participants
61 Alzheimer's disease patients
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Significant improvements in ADAS-cog and MMSE scores vs placebo (p=0.032 and p=0.008).
How They Measured It
ADAS-cog, MMSE
To assess Panax ginseng effect on cognitive performance in young healthy adults
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess Panax ginseng effect on cognitive performance in young healthy adults
Dose
200 mg or 400 mg standardised extract
Participants
256 healthy volunteers
Duration
8 days crossover
Results
400 mg dose significantly improved speed of attention and quality of memory vs placebo.
How They Measured It
Serial subtraction, Corsi Blocks, Stroop task
Immune Support
To evaluate Korean red ginseng on immune cell function in healthy adults
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate Korean red ginseng on immune cell function in healthy adults
Dose
1800 mg/day Korean red ginseng
Participants
39 healthy adults
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Significant enhancement of NK cell activity and T-cell immune response vs placebo.
How They Measured It
NK cell activity, T-cell proliferation, cytokines
To evaluate Korean red ginseng effect on blood pressure in hypertensive adults
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate Korean red ginseng effect on blood pressure in hypertensive adults
Dose
5 g/day Korean red ginseng
Participants
62 hypertensive adults
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Significant reduction in systolic BP (by 5.6 mmHg) vs placebo.
How They Measured It
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure
To assess Panax ginseng effect on sexual function in men with erectile dysfunction
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess Panax ginseng effect on sexual function in men with erectile dysfunction
Dose
900 mg 3x daily Korean red ginseng
Participants
45 men with erectile dysfunction
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Korean red ginseng significantly improved IIEF scores and penile rigidity vs placebo (p<0.05).
How They Measured It
IIEF questionnaire
To evaluate ginseng supplementation on menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate ginseng supplementation on menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women
Dose
3 g/day red ginseng
Participants
72 postmenopausal women
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Significant reduction in menopausal symptoms vs placebo; particularly improved hot flash frequency.
How They Measured It
Kupperman index, FSH, oestradiol
To assess effects of Panax ginseng on blood glucose and insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess effects of Panax ginseng on blood glucose and insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes
Dose
2 g/day ginseng extract
Participants
19 type 2 diabetic patients
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Ginseng reduced fasting blood glucose by 19% and HbA1c improved significantly vs placebo.
How They Measured It
Fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ginseng research
There are currently 14 peer-reviewed studies on Ginseng (Panax ginseng), involving 1,340 total participants. Research covers Energy & fatigue, Cognitive function, Immune support. The overall evidence strength is rated as Very Strong.
The evidence is currently rated as "Very Strong Evidence". This rating is based on study design quality (randomisation, blinding, placebo controls), sample sizes, study types (14 human studies), and reported outcomes.
Ginseng has been researched for: Energy & fatigue, Cognitive function, Immune support. Each area has its own body of evidence which you can explore in the study breakdowns above.
Yes, 14 out of 14 studies are human trials. Human trials carry more weight in our evidence scoring system.
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