Red Ginseng Benefits

Red ginseng, also known as Panax ginseng and Asian or Korean ginseng, is a root grown for its medicinal properties. Red ginseng is available as an extract or in pill and capsule form. This supplement is not advised for children or individuals taking MAOIs, blood thinners, stimulants, and cardiac or blood pressure medications. Discuss alternative and complementary therapy with your physician before beginning treatment.

Cancer

Red ginseng has been shown to prevent and combat various cancers. The Department of Pharmacy at the Research Institute for Drug Development in Korea concluded in 2009 that red ginseng provides anticancer activity by reducing cancer cell growth and replication. In June 2010, the "Journal of Medicinal Food" determined from case-controlled studies that red ginseng provided significant preventive effects on cancers in human males.

Heart Disease

Cardiac medicine recognizes the benefits of red ginseng. The Department of Cardiology at Korea University in Seoul published a study demonstrating ginseng's ability to increase development of new blood vessels and improve coronary flow reserve. In 2010, "Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin" suggested red ginseng also reduces excess blood fat levels.

Sexual Arousal

Treatment for conditions such as erectile dysfunction and decreased sexual arousal with red ginseng are being investigated. In November 2002, "The Journal of Urology" reported that 60 percent of study participants reported erection improvement, and clinical indicators showed significant erectile function improvement for ginseng versus placebo. Menopausal women were studied in 2010 at the Department of Urology at Chonnam National University, Korea. The controlled, double-blind study indicated that red ginseng extract provided significant improvement in sexual arousal.

Diabetes

Red ginseng has been associated with improvements in type 2 diabetes. The Department of Internal Medicine at Yonsei University College of Medicine studied its effects on fatty rats in 2009. Results indicated that red ginseng improved insulin resistance and prevented type 2 diabetes. Human trials were conducted at the Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto in Canada in 2008. It concluded that although HbA1c levels---a measure of long-term blood glucose concentrations---were not improved, the treatment maintained good glycemic control, indicating control of type 2 diabetes.
In 2008, to determine which part of the root was most effective and at what dose, the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto conducted randomized clinical studies altering preparation and dose. Results showed that rootlets showed significant reductions in blood glucose, but the root body did not. The studies also indicated that 2 g of red ginseng rootlet can reduce blood glucose significantly.