Ginseng

This article is about the root of plants in the genus Panax. For the town, see Ginseng, Kentucky.
A root of cultivated Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng)

Ginseng (/ˈdʒɪnsɛŋ/[1]) is the root of plants in the genus Panax, such as Korean ginseng (P. ginseng), South China ginseng (P. notoginseng), and American ginseng (P. quinquefolius), characterized by the presence of ginsenosides and gintonin. Ginseng is common in the cuisines and medicines of China and Korea.

Ginseng has been used in traditional medicine over centuries, though modern clinical research is inconclusive about its medical effectiveness.[2][3] There is no substantial evidence that ginseng is effective for treating any medical condition and it has not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat or prevent a disease or to provide a health benefit.[2][3][4] Although ginseng is sold as a dietary supplement, inconsistent manufacturing practices for supplements have led to analyses of some ginseng products contaminated with toxic metals or unrelated filler compounds, and its excessive use may have adverse effects or untoward interactions with prescription drugs.[2][5]

  1. ^ "Ginseng". Cambridge Dictionaries Online. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "Ginseng". Drugs.com. November 30, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Asian ginseng". Bethesda, MD: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. August 2020.
  4. ^ "Development & Approval Process | Drugs". Food and Drug Administration. July 18, 2023.
  5. ^ "Herbal supplements filled with fake ingredients, investigators find". CBS News. February 3, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2019.