Ginseng Red Purchase & Information
Alternative Names
Asiatic Ginseng, Asian Ginseng, Chinese Red Ginseng, Chinese Ginseng, Ginseng, Ginseng Japonais, Ginseng Chinois, Ginseng Blanc de Corée, Ginseng Asiatique, Ginseng Rouge, Ginseng Coréen, Ginseng Coréen Rouge, Ginseng Oriental, Ginseng Blanc, Ginseng de Corée, Ginseng Radix Alba, Ginseng Panax, Guigai, Ginseng Tibétain, Ginseng Sino-coréen, Hong Shen, Insam, Jinsao, Jen-Shen, Jintsam, Korean Panax, Korean Ginseng, Korean Ginseng Root, Korean White Ginseng, Korean Red Ginseng, Mandragore de Chine, Ninzin, Oriental Ginseng, Panax Ginseng Blanc, Panax Coréen, Red Japanese Ginseng, Renshen, Root Panax Ginseng, Red Chinese Ginseng, Red Ginseng, Radix Ginseng Rubra, Red Kirin Ginseng, Renxian, Red Panax Ginseng, Sheng Shai Shen, Tibetan Ginseng, White Panax Ginseng, White Ginseng CAUTION: Please refer to separate listings for Blue Cohosh, Canaigre, Codonopsis, Ginseng American, Ginseng Siberian,
Ginseng Himalayen, Ashwagandha
Scientific Name
Panax Ginseng
Why Do People Use Ginseng Red?
Commonly people use red ginseng (as ginseng powder) for following purposes:
Brain & Brain Related diseases People use red ginseng (panax ginseng) for improving the overall function of their brain. Ginseng powder is also used for boosting concentration, improving memory, enhancing cognitive functions and overall work efficacy. It is also commonly used for relieving brain related issues like anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches, dizziness and convulsions.
Infections, Allergies & General Ailments Ginseng panax is thought to help with a bunch of infections and allergies like cystic fibrosis associated with Pseudomonas infections, HIV/AIDS and swine flu. It is also used to treat common fever.
Respiratory Issues Red ginseng preparations, like ginseng powder, are also thought to cure a number of respiratory conditions. Such conditions include bronchitis (chronic), asthma, and COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
Gut Problems People also use ginseng panax for curing a number of gut problems. These problems include gastritis, loss of appetite, colitis, vomiting and dysentery.
Cancers A variety of cancers like skin cancer, breast cancer, cancer of the liver, ovarian cancer and cancer of the lung may respond to treatment the treatment with red ginseng.
Sexual Health Oral preparations of panax ginseng (like ginseng powder) are commonly believed to be good for both male and female sexual health. Males use it for infertility, impotence and dysfunction of erection. Moreover, they also use topical preparations of red ginseng to treat premature ejaculation.
Females use red ginseng for disorders related to childbirth and pregnancy and to lessen hot flushes associated with menopause.
Blood borne disorders Orally red ginseng is used to treat several blood borne conditions like bleeding disorders and anemia.
Nerve And Muscle Related Disorders Ginseng powder is also thought to have calming effect in case of nerve disorders like rheumatism, diabetes, fibromyalgia and neuralgia.
Skin Use of red ginseng is believed to have anti-aging potential.
Overall Health Its use is believed to increase overall well being and athletic performance.
Commercial Uses Panax ginseng is also used on commercial scale to make cosmetics, soaps and as a flavoring agent for beverages.
Is It Safe To Use?
Possibly Safe - When oral preparations of ginseng powder or red ginseng (ginseng panax) are used appropriately for a short period of time, it is usually safe- as long as it is used for not more than 6 months.
Topical preparations (like SS cream) of panax ginseng are safe to use when applied on the glans penis for not more than one hour. But if used repetitively for a long period of time, further evaluation becomes necessary to determine the safety of its use.
Possibly Unsafe When oral preparations of red ginseng are used for a long period of time, it possibly becomes unsafe because of its hormone like effects. Physician must tell the patients not to use it continuously for more than 3 month.
Possibly Unsafe For Children Panax ginseng is possibly unsafe for children because when used orally in infants, it can lead to death following intoxication. Moreover there is lack of reliable information that could tell about the safety of its usage in kids. Therefore its use should be avoided in children and infants.
Possibly Unsafe in Pregnancy The use of oral red ginseng powder should be avoided in pregnancy because Ginsenoside Rb1, a constituent of red ginseng, is found to have harmful effects on the fetus (it is teratogenic).
Avoid In Lactation There is lack of information regarding the suitability of the use of ginseng panax in lactating females. So its use should be avoided during lactation.
How Effective Is Ginseng Red?
Effective For: Red ginseng is possibly effective in following conditions:
Cognitive function - Taking oral preparations of panax ginseng might have positive influence on arithmetic skills, reaction time and abstract thinking in middle aged, healthy individuals. But red ginseng alone is ineffective in improving memory. However, a combination of red ginseng and ginkgo leaf extracts seem to improve memory in normal people aged 38-66 years. Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disease (COPD) Results of some studies have shown that oral use of panax ginseng can significantly improve the quality of life and lung function tests in patients of COPD, who used ginseng for 3-6 months as compared to placebo group. In fact the users of panax ginseng showed 53% improvement in their symptoms as compared to the placebo group. However, panax ginseng has got only minor effects on the values of forced expiratory volume 1 (FEV1).
Premature Ejaculation - Applying a multi-ingredient cream (SS cream) containing torlidis seed, panax ginseng, cinnamon bark, angelica root, asiasari root, clove flower, cstanches deserticola, toad venom and zanthoxyl species to the glans penis at least 1 hour before the act of intercourse and washing it off immediately after intercourse seems to save males from premature ejaculation.
Erectile Dysfunction - Taking red ginseng via oral route can improve sexual functions in males facing dysfunction of erection.
How Ginseng Red Works?
Ginseng root is the most commonly used part of ginseng and is often turned into a ginseng powder. Ginseng powder has got several active ingredients but most important of them are triterpenoids saponins, which are collectively known as panaxosides or ginsenosides. Ginsenosides is a term commonly used by the researcher of Asia and Russian researchers use the panaxosides. B vitamins and several flavanoids make some other important constituents of red ginseng. Moreover, red ginseng is also very rich in peptidoglycans panaxans, which are well known due to their blood sugar lowering effect. In some instances the individual components of ginseng (panax ginseng) function to counter each other. For instance ginsenoside Rg1 normally functions to elevated blood pressure and stimulates central nervous system (CNS). However, this effect of Rg1 is counteracted by ginsenoside Rb1, which functions to depress both blood pressure and CNS function. Ginsenosides also posses other functions like suppression of platelet aggregation and coagulation; enhancement of neuro-protection via improving the function of nerve growth factor function through nicotinic receptors and offering anti-asthmatic effects via stimulating the relaxation of bronchial smooth muscles through nitric oxide. However, research done on similar ginseng species like panax psudoginseng suggests that these ginsenosides may have little pharmacological values. It’s because Rb1 is not absorbed much from the gut after oral administration and Rg1 is eliminated too quickly from the body to inflict any effect.
Red ginseng is commonly used as a tonic to fight against stress. This activity of ginseng panax is attributed to its ability to affect hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. This result is the increase of the serum levels of cortisol and hehydoepiandrosterone (especially in females).
The immunity boosting effect of red ginseng is due to its ability to activate natural killer cells. Moreover, the anti-tumor activity of red ginseng is due to its ability to decrease the production of harmful chemicals like tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and minimize the damage done to the cell DNA. Moreover, it can also inhibit the propagation of induced skin tumors. The results of studies about anti-oxidant and free radical scavenging potential of red ginseng are not conclusive. Ginsenosides in ginseng panax have shown to put a stop the invasion of tumor cells and inhibit the exchange of sister chromatids in human lymphocytes. Water soluble polyacetylenic compounds make another important group of red ginseng. This group includes panaxydol, panaxytriol and panaxynol. Among these constituents, panaxydol possesses tumor suppressing activities due to its ability to arrest the cell division at G1 to S transition phase. Panax ginseng also shows inhibitory potential against peptic ulcers caused by hemagglutination produced by Helicobater pylori. Soap made from red ginseng, chestnuts, chicken and jujube (called samgyetang) appears to offer protection in experimental models of peptic ulcer.
Panax ginseng also enhances lipid metabolism by improving the activity of lipoprotein lipase. This results in decreasing the serum value of cholesterol and triglycerides. However, the effects of red ginseng on cardiovascular performance are almost negligible. Some ginsenosides, due to their structural similarity to the cardiac glycosides, can interfere with the serum levels of digoxin. However, evidence whether red ginseng possesses any properties similar to cardiac glycosides is not available.
Panax ginseng has the ability to alter the level of blood glucose. Results of some studies have shown that red ginseng can alter gene expression in type 2 diabetes and can improve the sensitivity of tissues to insulin. Moreover, ginsenosides can directly trigger the release of insulin from pancreas. Other non-ginsenoside compounds have also been found to have significant effect on the level of blood glucose. Red ginseng and other ginsengs contain protopanaxadiol (PPD) ginsenosides, Rb1 and 2, and Rc and d. They are also rich in protopanaxatriol (PPT) ginsenosides, Rg1 and Re and f. The serum glucose and insulin lowering effects of ginseng powder are due to the higher concentrations of PPT and PPD. Panax ginseng has lower amounts of PPD and PPT as compared to American ginseng. Some studies, however, suggest that use of ginseng may even increase the amount of post-prandial glucose instead of decreasing it.
There is controversy regarding the estrogenic effects of ginseng panax (red ginseng). The results of some clinical studies have shown that it doesn’t possess any estrogen like activity like increasing the thickness of endometrium, levels of estradiol and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). However some studies suggest that the side effects of ginseng panax, like vaginal bleeding in postmenopausal women, are due to its estrogen like properties. Also the results of some experiments in animals suggested that when ovaries were removed in those animals, red ginseng increased the activity ceruloplasmin oxidase (activity of this oxidase is used to measure the function of estrogen in the liver).When it comes to fighting against cancer, ginseng panax fights breast cancer by the means of its constituents like ginsonside Rba, which act as phtoestrogens.
Panaxagin, is a protein derived from unprocessed ginseng panax. This protein has shown to have inhibitory activity against fungus. This inhibitory effect of panaxagin is mediated by its ability to inhibit the activity of ribosomes in fungus. Moreover, it can also inhibit HIV reverse transcriptase activity in HIV virus. It also bears anti-bacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and may be effective in cystic fibrosis but its efficacy in humans has not yet been discovered.
Increase in the penile vibratory threshold and decrease in the amplitude of somatosensory stimulated potential are the basic mechanisms through which topical creams containing ginseng panax inhibit premature ejaculation.
There is some preliminary evidence that ginseng panax root extract can have mild inhibitory effect (as much as 6%) on cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) in humans. But contradictory studies suggest that the inhibitory effect ginseng (red ginseng) is not that significant. It seems to have no effect on other liver enzymes like CYP3A4 and CYP1A2.
What Are The Side Effects /Adverse Reactions of Ginseng Red?
Its effectiveness can’t be properly stated against following conditions due to the lack of reliable evidence and more work is needed in these fields.
Bronchitis - Taking orally certain forms of ginseng (panax ginseng) extract (like G115) as an adjuvant to other treatments may help with acute symptoms of an attack of chronic bronchitis. When used as an adjuvant to anti-biotic therapy, it helps achieve greater reduction in the level of bronchial bacterial as compared to anti-biotic therapy.
Cancer - Some epidemiological studies point that oral intake of red ginseng can help decrease the incidence of cancers like the cancer of skin, lungs, liver, breast and ovaries.
Breast Cancer - Studies conducted in China showed that people who used red ginseng in any form, like ginseng powder, had an overall reduced risk of mortality, especially mortality related to breast cancer. Moreover, breast cancer recurrence was also significantly less in those individuals. However, those individuals were more likely to have been treated with certain drugs like tamoxifen.
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) - When given intravenously, ginseng (panax ginseng) significantly improved ejection fraction (the percentage of blood that heart throws out with each beat) in such patients. Moreover, it can have synergistic effects when used with other drugs for CHF like digoxin.
Common Cold - There is evidence that taking G115 (a form of ginseng panax) orally can decrease the chances of a person to get common cold.
Influenza There are certain studies that suggest that taking G115 orally for four weeks before getting influenze shots and continuing it for at least eight more weeks after the vaccination can decrease the incidence of flu.
Diabetes - The studies regarding the effective of the use of red ginseng for diabetes are conflicting. Some studies suggest that taking 200 mg panax ginseng orally on daily basis can help with type 2 diabetes by decreasing the fasting level of glucose and by decreasing the level of A1C (HbA1C). However, other studies suggest that daily oral consumption of either 250-200 mg of Panax ginseng ginsenosides (AIPOP, Gangdown-Do, Korea) or 3 to 8 grams of Korean red ginseng extract (Spectrum Laboratories, Gardena, CA) doesn’t improve any parameter of diabetes like glucose level after meals (post-prandial glucose level), sensitivity of insulin and improved beta cell function.
How Ginseng Red Interacts With Other Herbs and Supplements?
Anti-platelet/Anti-coagulant Herbs and Drugs - Ginseng panax, when used along with drugs, herbs or supplements that can alter aggregation of platelet, can theoretically increase the tendency of bleeding in some individuals. Such herbs include garlic, clove, gingko, angelica and danshen.
Bitter Orange - Theoretically speaking, the concomitant use of ginseng panax and bitter oranges can prolong QT interval due to symptathomimetic effects. Another herb called Ephedra has sympathomimetic activity and has been reported to increase the risks of fatal ventricular arrhythmias due to its additive effects when used with red ginseng.
Country Mallow - Theoretically, due to its ephedrine content and sympathomimetic activity, when used along with ginseng panax, it can increase the risk of the prolongation of QT interval.
Ephedra - Supplements that contain ephedra can increase QT interval when used with ginseng panax. This can lead to life threatening ventricular failure.
Supplements and Herbs with Hypoglycemic Potential - Ginseng panax lowers blood sugar so when used with other herbs, which can decrease glucose level, the results can be a hypoglycemic shock. Some products that should be used with caution long with red ginseng include willow bark, goat’s rue, bitter melon, kudzu, ginger, fenugreek and others.
How Ginseng Red Interacts With Drugs?
Anti-coagulant and anti-platelet drugs - Although the effect is moderate but be careful about this combination. Lab studies (in vitro) have shown that ginsenoside in ginseng panax may decrease the aggregation of platelets. However, human researchers (in vivo) haven’t proved this point. The decreased oral bioavailability of Rb1 and fast elimination of Rg1, as recorded in animal models, may be responsible for the discrepancy of ginseng panax’s anti-coagulant activity in vitro and in vivo. Till proved otherwise, ginseng panax should be used with caution in patients that are receiving anti-platelet or anti-coagulant drugs like aspirin, dalteparin (Fragmin), ticlopidine (Ticlid), clostazol (Pletal), heparin, clopidogrel (Plavix), enoxaparin (Lovenox) and others.
Anti-diabetic Drugs - The interaction is moderate but be careful while using this combination. Due to its glucose lowering effect, consuming ginseng powder along with anti-diabetic drugs like rosiglitazone (Avandia), glimepiride (Amaryl), pioglitazone (Actos), glyburide (DiaBeta), and Insulin can lead to hypoglycemia.
Caffeine - Although the interaction is rated moderate but be careful. Caffeine can exaggerate the stimulant effects of red ginseng.
Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) SUBSTRATES - This interaction is rated moderate too. Researches are contradictory whether or not ginseng panax inhibits CYP450 2D6. Some studies suggest that it inhibit the activity of CYP450 2D6 by 6% but other studies suggest that it doesn’t inhibit the activity of this cytochrome at all. Until this confusion is cleared, the use of red ginseng along with substrates of CYP450 requires caution. Some substrates of CYP450 include trazodone (Desyrel), amitriptyline (Elavil), tramadol (Ultram), clozapine (Clozaril), ondansetron (Zofran), codeine, meperidine , olanzapine (Zyprexa), desipramine (Norpramin), flecainide (Tambocor), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), donepezil (Aricept), methadone (Dolophine), fentanyl (Duragesic), fluoxetine (Prozac) and others.
Ethanol (Alcohol) - The interaction is moderate but be careful while using this combination. Using 3 grams/65 kg body weight of ginseng powder before the consumption of alcohol can enhance the clearance of alcohol from the body. By increasing the activity of alcohol and aldehyde dehydogenase, red ginseng decreases the level of alcohol by as much as 35% as compared to individuals not taking ginseng panax with alcohol.
Furosemide (Lasix) - The interaction between ginseng panax and furosemide is moderate but caution should be observed. Use of red ginseng can antagonize the action of diuretics. There is one case where use of germanium-containing ginseng product lead to furosemide resistance.
Immunosuppressant Drugs - This interaction is moderate as well and should be used with care. When used with immunosuppressant drugs, ginseng powder can interfere with the activity of immunosuppressants. It’s because of the immune stimulating properties of red ginseng. Immunosuppressant drugs include prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone), muromonab-CD3 (OKT3, Orthoclone OKT3), azathioprine (Imuran), sirolimus (Rapamune), basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), tacrolimus (FK506, Prograf), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), mycophenolate (CellCept), daclizumab (Zenapax), and other corticosteroids.
Insulin - Ginseng panax has glucose lowering potential of its own. That’s why it can potentiate the action of insulin. Although this interaction is moderation but caution should be observed.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) - The interaction between red ginseng and MAOIs is moderate. When ginseng powder is used along with some of the MAOIs, like phenelzine (Nardil), this combination can lead to headaches, hypomania, insomnia and tremors.
Stimulant Drugs - Theoretically ginseng panax can lead to moderate additive effect of stimulant drugs.
Warfarin (Coumadin) - This interaction is of moderate nature but caution should be observed. There has been a report of a case where use of red ginseng powder lead to decreased effectiveness of warfarin. However, it’s not exactly known if ginseng panax was responsible for this decrease in the effectiveness of warfarin. The results of animal and human researches have shown that red ginseng has no effect on the pharmacokinetics of warfarin. However, it may increase the clearance of warfarin from the body.
How Ginseng Red Interacts With Foods?
Alcohol - Due to its ability to increase the activity of alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase, using as much as 3 grams/65 kg of body weight ginseng panax can increase the clearance of alcohol from the body- it can cause as much as 35% decrease.
Coffee/Tea - Red ginseng, theoretically, should increase the stimulant effects of tea and coffee.
How Ginseng Red Interacts With Lab Tests?
Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) and Thrombin Time (TT)
Red ginseng, theoretically, should increase the values of a 5PTT and TT.
Digoxin Serum Assay - Ginseng panax can alter the serum measurements of digoxin. It falsely increases the concentration of digoxin when Abbot Digoxin III assay and fluorescence polarization Immunoassay (FPIA) are used. Contrarily, it can falsely decrease the concentration of digoxin when micropiparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA) is employed. This ability of red ginseng to interfere with the lab results is due to some the presence of some ginsenosides that resemble cardiac glycosides (like digoxin). This interference is not recorded when methods like Randox digoxin assay, the Roche Tina-Quant turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay, enzyme multiplied immunoassay (EMIT), the Beckman Synchron LX assay, or chemiluminescent assay (CLIA) are used.
Glucose - The effects of red ginseng on glucose values depend on a number of variables like plants parts used, preparation method and batches. However, ginseng panax may decrease the fasting serum glucose value and thus may decrease result value as well.
Caffeine - Ginseng powder improves the glucose level and decrease the value of HbA1c is patients with type 2 diabetes.
How Ginseng Red Interacts With Diseases and Conditions?
Autoimmune diseases - Ginseng panax seems to improve the function of immune system. That’s why theoretically the use of red ginseng may worsen autoimmune disorders. Therefore patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and multiple sclerosis (MS) should be advised to use ginseng powder with caution.
Bleeding Disorders - Use of red ginseng has shown to decrease blood coagulation. Therefore, it is contraindicated in conditions like thrombosis and hemorrhage.
Cardiac Conditions - Ginseng panax can cause slight elevation in QT interval and decrease the diastolic pressure of blood in healthy individuals on the day of commencement of therapy. However, it has not effects when used for a long time. Its use in cardiovascular diseases has not yet been thoroughly studies. So make sure to use it with caution.
Diabetic patients should use it with caution because it can cause hypoglycemia and can increase the risk of hypoglycemic episodes.
Hormone Sensitive Cancers/Conditions - Some studies suggest that ginseng panax can have estrogen like effects. This activity of red ginseng is due to the presence of ginsenosides in it. Thus women who have hormone sensitive conditions should avoid taking ginseng powder. Such conditions include cancer of the breast, ovaries and uterus, uterine fibroid, and endometriosis.
Insomnia - Consuming high doses of ginseng panax or red ginseng powder can cause insomnia. So people suffering from insomnia should use it with caution.
Organ Transplant Recipients - Avoid concurrent use with immunosuppressive drugs because red ginseng has the ability to boost the immune system.
Schizophrenia - Ginseng powder, in high doses, has been reported to cause insomnia and agitation. So people suffering from schizophrenia should use it with caution.
What Should Be the Dose/Administration of Ginseng Red?
ORAL
• For treating ailments like flu or cold, use 100 mg of ginseng powder daily for at least 4 weeks before getting influenza shots and continue using red ginseng till eight weeks thereafter.
• For diabetes use 200 mg panax ginseng orally. Daily dose of 250-200 mg of Panax ginseng ginsenosides (AIPOP, Gangdown-Do, Korea) or 3 to 8 grams of Korean red ginseng extract (Spectrum Laboratories, Gardena, CA) has also been used for the same purpose.
• For acute attacks of chronic bronchitis, use 100 mg of ginseng powder for 9 days combined with standard therapy.
• For treating erectile dysfunction, use 900 mg ginseng panax daily.
• For the cure of COPD, use 100 mg to 6 grams of red ginseng on daily basis for up to 3 months.
TOPICAL
To control premature ejaculation apply ginseng panax on glans penis 1 hour before intercourse and wash it off immediately thereafter.
Comments
Ginseng panax is being used for several medicinal purposes for over 2 thousand years. According to some estimates, 6 million Americans use red ginseng on daily basis. In 1976, a 400 year old root of Machurian ginseng, which came from the mountains of China, was sold for more than $10,000 per ounce. The contents of commercial preparation can differ greatly but most of the preparation contain very small of panax ginseng.
You may hear people referring ginseng to as red or white ginseng. This different depends on how ginseng is prepared. Red ginseng is prepared by steam curing the root of ginseng. When treated at high temperature and pressure, values more than conventionally used ones, can increase the production of constituents that are otherwise almost negligible in red ginseng preparations. These constituents include Rg 3, 5, 6, Rh 2, 3, 4 and Rs3. It is occasionally promoted that ginseng is a stimulants. But in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) ginseng panax is rather used as a sedative. In China high doses are typically used for cardiovascular issues.
General Certificate of Analysis (COA)
Specification sheet links below are a standard copy of the COA less the batch or lot number and manufactures dates. Specification sheet can be dated and should only be considered as a general information. Please contact and request an up to date COA if needed for specific updated information before placing order by filling out the contact form with product name and SKU number. If ordering quantities of twenty five kilos or more contact for availability.
