Ginseng

Ginseng is a type of plant whose roots are often used in traditional medicine, especially in Asia. It contains natural compounds thought to have various health benefits. For menopause, ginseng is sometimes used because it's believed to help alleviate common symptoms such as fatigue, hot flashes, and mood swings.

Why is it Relevant?

Ginseng is sometimes used in menopause because it's believed to help with symptoms such as hot flushes, while potentially boosting energy and quality of life. Studies suggest that ginseng might reduce oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant enzyme activity, which helps combat free radicals (1, 2, 3).

One study found that ginseng may improve sexual function and overall well-being in menopausal women (4). Another study concluded that it could reduce hot flushes (5).

Why Don't we use it?

Studies show that while ginseng has been linked to some benefits during menopause, the findings are inconsistent and often contradict one another. These inconsistencies aren't clearly linked to the type of ginseng used, how much is given, who takes it, or the quality of the ginseng. Additionally, studies suggesting ginseng helps with menopause symptoms often have a high risk of bias, meaning their results might not be as reliable as they appear (6, 7).

Furthermore, ginseng is associated with a variety of potential side effects, including diarrhoea, insomnia, headaches, rapid heartbeat, and blood pressure changes (8). It's side effects are especially concerning for women, as ginseng has also been linked to vaginal bleeding and breast tenderness (9).

Ginseng has also been found to interact with a high number of medications, and a lot of these interactions are not well-studied, raising further safety concerns (8, 10).

References

  1. Kim HG, Yoo SR, Park HJ, et al. Antioxidant effects of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer in healthy subjects: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Food Chem Toxicol. 2011;49(9):2229-2235. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2011.06.020
  2. Kim HG, Yoo SR, Park HJ, Lee NH, Shin JW, Sathyanath R, Cho JH, Son CG. Antioxidant effects of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer in healthy subjects: A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Food Chem Toxicol. 2011;49(9):2229-2235. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2011.06.020
  3. Seo SK, Hong Y, Yun BH, et al. Antioxidative effects of Korean red ginseng in postmenopausal women: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;154(3):753-757. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.04.051
  4. Ghorbani Z, Mirghafourvand M, Mohammad-Alizadeh Charandabi S, Javadzadeh Y. The effect of ginseng on sexual dysfunction in menopausal women: A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. *Complementary Therapies in Medicine*. 2019;45:57-64. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2019.05.015
  5. Kim SY, Seo SK, Choi YM, Jeon YE, Lim KJ, Cho SH, Choi YS, Lee BS. Effects of red ginseng supplementation on menopausal symptoms and cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Menopause. 2012;19(4):doi:10.1097/gme.0b013e31823e31b3.
  6. Kim MS, Lim HJ, Yang HJ, Lee MS, Shin BC, Ernst E. Ginseng for managing menopause symptoms: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.J Ginseng Res. 2013;37(1):30-36. doi:10.5142/jgr.2013.37.30
  7. Lee HW, Choi J, Lee Y, Kil KJ, Lee MS. Ginseng for managing menopausal woman's health: A systematic review of double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Medicine. 2016;95(38):e4914. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000004914.
  8. Lee NH, Son CG. Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Ginseng. *J Acupunct Meridian Stud*. 2011;4(2):85-97. doi:10.1016/S2005-2901(11)60013-7
  9. Yang M, Lee HS, Hwang MW, Jin M. Effects of Korean red ginseng (Panax Ginseng Meyer) on bisphenol A exposure and gynecologic complaints: single blind, randomized clinical trial of efficacy and safety. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2014 Jul 25;14(1):265. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-265.
  10. Kim SJ, Choi S, Kim M, Park C, Kim GL, Lee SO, Kang W, Rhee DK. Effect of Korean Red Ginseng extracts on drug-drug interactions. *J Ginseng Res*. 2018;42(3):370-378. doi:10.1016/j.jgr.2017.08.008
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