Panax Ginseng
Other names Ginseng, Panax Ginseng C.A. Meyer, Korean Red Ginseng
Panax Ginseng is used by many people as a natural memory-enhancing, social-motivation-boosting, and mood-lifting nootropic. But is it effective? Read on to find out what the science says.
Benefits
Read about the effects of Panax Ginseng in relation to the amount of evidence we've found
What effects does Panax Ginseng have on memory?
Panax Ginseng improved long-term memory retrieval in high-functioning university students in double-blind placebo-controlled trials [1]. Based on these findings, Panax Ginseng might be a useful nootropic to take before an exam.
What other benefits does Panax Ginseng have?
Risks
The legality and side effects of Panax Ginseng
You should always consider the risks of a nootropic before you use it.
Side effects
No negative side effects were seen in any of the studies that we reviewed.
Interactions
Supplements and drugs can interact with Panax Ginseng to increase or decrease the positive or negative effects you experience. If you are already using any supplements or drugs, speak with your trusted medical professional before you experiment with Panax Ginseng. To learn more about the potential interactions between Panax Ginseng and other substances, use interaction-checker.
Legality
Is your country not included? Learn how to find out if Panax Ginseng is legal in your country.
Legality Disclaimer
The contents herein are not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel. information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. While we have done our best to be as accurate as possible in the information we convey to you about the legality of nootropics, there is a risk for inaccuracies and errors. If you’re uncertain about the legality of any of your actions, contact a legal counsel or your local authorities governing the legality of various substances you may want to use/import/travel with.
How To Use
Dose, frequency and duration
It is usually safer and more effective to use nootropics as they have been used in studies on humans. In the only study that we’ve reviewed, Panax Ginseng was used in the following ways:
- 200 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 200 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 200 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 200 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 400 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 400 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 400 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 4500 Milligram doses for acute effects
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Panax Ginseng
Which are the active ingredients in Panax Ginseng?
Ginsenosides are very physiologically active and seem to be the most active ingredients in Ginseng. [1]
What is the history of use of Panax Ginseng?
It has been used for millennia as an anti-fatigue agent. [20]
Which form of Panax ginseng should I use for nootropic effects?
Panax ginseng products come in extract or non-extract powder forms (that may or may not be encapsulated). The powders may be from the whole plant, the leaves, or the root of Panax ginseng. What is important when selecting a product is that you find one with high amounts of active ingredients, particularly ginsenosides.
Panax ginseng extract root or leaf powders usually contain higher amounts of the active ingredients, while Panax ginseng root or leaf powders lower amounts of active ingredients per gram of product.
Because less amount of powder is often needed to get the same amount of active ingredients when using an extract powder, it is likely more practical for you to consume Panax ginseng extract powders (in capsule or powder form).
Both non-extract powders and extract powders contain active ingredients, and both have been studied for mood and cognition enhancement.
In the "Dose, frequency and duration" section above, the 4500mg daily doses of Panax ginseng used for two weeks in one study refer to the root powder. All other doses in the How to Use section refer to the extract powder of Panax ginseng.
Who should use Panax Ginseng?
There’s a need for more high-quality scientific information about the safety and effectiveness of Panax Ginseng. Specifically, there’s a great degree of individual variance in how people respond to nootropics in general and Panax Ginseng in particular. This means that if you use Panax Ginseng, you may not experience the same effects as those that were seen in scientific studies on it.
It is currently largely unknown what factors play a role in whether a nootropic will be effective for a person.
While we wait for science to explain who is likely to respond to which nootropics, patient self-experimentation with nootropics that have been found safe and effective in placebo-controlled studies in healthy humans is a proven strategy to feel and perform better with the help of nootropics.
Studies
Studies conducted on the effects of Panax Ginseng in healthy humans
In the 6 studies that met our inclusion criteria, 143 participants received Panax Ginseng. In total, we examined 18 studies on the effects Panax Ginseng, which you can find summaries of below.
This study is used in our recommendation engine calculations. Learn more about how we select studies
Summary
"... there were no significant changes in Vienna test scores between the red ginseng group and the placebo group after 2 wk."
Study groups
Adults using 4500 Milligram
This study is used in our recommendation engine calculations. Learn more about how we select studies
Summary
"The results showed that both Panax ginseng and glucose enhanced performance of a mental arithmetic task and ameliorated the increase in subjective feelings of mental fatigue experienced by participants during the later stages of the sustained, cognitively demanding task performance. Accuracy of performing the Rapid Visual Information Processing task (RVIP) was also improved following the glucose load."
Study groups
Adults using 200 Milligram
This study is used in our recommendation engine calculations. Learn more about how we select studies
Summary
Guarana had a moderate positive effect on cognitive performance in healthy adults
Study groups
Adults using 200 Milligram
Summary
"We found that there was insufficient clinical evidence to support the use of ginseng supplements on reducing fatigue and enhancing physical performance because only few RCTs with a small sample size have been published so far."
This study is used in our recommendation engine calculations. Learn more about how we select studies
Summary
"Overall these data suggest that Panax ginseng can improve performance and subjective feelings of mental fatigue during sustained mental activity."
Study groups
Adults using 200 Milligram
Adults using 400 Milligram
This study is used in our recommendation engine calculations. Learn more about how we select studies
Summary
"We found no evidence of additional benefits, nor attenuation of acute effects following repeated ingestion of Panax ginseng (G115)."
Study groups
Adults using 200 Milligram
Adults using 400 Milligram
Summary
"Currently, there is a lack of convincing evidence to show a cognitive enhancing effect of Panax ginseng in healthy participants ..."
Summary
"High-dose ginsenoside supplementation (UG0712) augmented the improvement of aerobic capacity by exercise training ..."
Summary
"These findings indicate that use of Ginkgo biloba or Ginseng does not provide any quantifiable beneficial effects on memory performance in the long-term in healthy adult volunteers."
Summary
"The present findings do not support claims that chronic ginseng supplementation--at either its clinically recommended level or at twice that level--enhances affect or mood in healthy young adults."
Summary
"The results of this study do not support an ergogenic effect on peak aerobic exercise performance following a 3-week supplementation period of 200 mg 7% Panax ginseng in healthy young adults with moderate exercise capacities and unrestricted diets."
Summary
"Overall, HRG80 treatment was significantly superior compared to that with the PGS and placebo regarding attention, memory, and PS scores after single and repeated administrations for 5 and 12 days."
Summary
"Our data in healthy men do not offer support for claims that P ginseng C.A. Meyer is an ergogenic aid to improve submaximal and maximal aerobic exercise performance."
Summary
"In conclusion, the present data indicate that prolonged supplementation with ginseng (P. ginseng C.A. Meyer) has no ergogenic benefits during and in the recovery from short, supramaximal exercise."
Summary
No physical performance enhancement but slight quality of life enhancement was found in the RCTs analyzed
Summary
"All three substances reviewed here exerted overwhelmingly positive effects on neurocognitive function across different cognitive domains." However, only statistically signifcant findings were included in this systematic review.
This study is used in our recommendation engine calculations. Learn more about how we select studies
Summary
"The results of the current study confirm that ingestion of single doses of G. biloba, P. ginseng, and a product combining the two extracts can beneficially affect the cognitive performance of healthy young volunteers."
Study groups
Adults using 400 Milligram
Summary
"There was a dose-dependent improvement in speed of responding during Serial Threes following Ginkgo biloba. Different doses of Ginseng improved accuracy and slowed responses during Serial Sevens. The most striking result, however, was a highly significant and sustained increase in the number of Serial Sevens responses following 320 mg of the Ginkgo-Ginseng combination at all post-treatment testing times. This was accompanied by improved accuracy during Serial Sevens and Serial Threes following the 640 mg and the 960 mg dose, respectively."
Last updated Saturday, June 10, 2023