Doubts remain about the effectiveness of ginseng
A study that casts doubt on the benefits of ginseng is unlikely to lessen its popularity
Ginseng has a reputation as a wonder herb with various benefits that include boosting immunity and energy, but doubts remain about its effectiveness.
The most corrosive evidence is a study conducted by research physiologist Joseph Knapik of the US Army Centre for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine. Knapik gave six West Point cadet marathon runners a dose of ginseng - two grams a day for four weeks. Six others were given a lookalike but ginseng-free placebo. All 12 ran on a treadmill until exhaustion.
"There was nothing there," Knapik was quoted as saying in the health care bulletin Nutrition Action. Ginseng improved neither performance time during exercise nor recovery time after, he found. In the same report and the same vein, Detroit researcher Hermann-Josef Engels was also quoted as saying he gave ginseng to more volunteers for longer spells and detected no energy gain.
According to Hong Kong-based nutritionist Courtney Moskal, however, ginseng has some valid applications. Ginseng has been used as an effective prescription to help treat stress, boost the immune system and fight infections such as colds and the flu. Other notable improvements following ginseng consumption include improved glucose level control in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to Moskal.
"Although there is no concrete evidence of the effectiveness of this herb, there is clear evidence of its range of therapeutic properties," Moskal says.
Naturopath Barbara Filokostas, a keen Siberian ginseng user, describes it as a brilliant herb for patients with long-term fatigue and stress. Besides, it is great as a nervine tonic that calms and tones the nervous system. And it is excellent for people who suffer from poor appetite and insomnia, she says.
Fellow ginseng user and anti-ageing researcher Sonia Crystella, who was once chronically ill with many ailments, agrees ginseng works. Daily ginseng has increased her energy and libido, strengthened her immune system and prevented illness, she says.