Panax ginseng may be the most widely consumed and treasured herb in China, but its cousin, American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), is making a name for itself in the United States. In the test tube, American ginseng has been shown to display synergistic effects against breast cancer cell growth when combined with chemotherapy.1 From the protective perspective, American ginseng displays potent antioxidant defenses against free radical damage to human LDL cholesterol, which is reinforced by the vitamin C that inhabits LDL.2
The most striking results attributable to this American root are found in its ability to smooth out post-meal blood-sugar surges and carbohydrate metabolism in both nondiabetics and type II diabetics. Two recent studies found a single 3 g dose (in capsule form) of a prepared ginseng extract favorably altered blood-sugar metabolism. In the case of non-diabetics, the extract needed to be taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge, while diabetics benefited from taking the dose both before (as above) and with the glucose.3,4 With luck, future studies will examine whether ginseng's effect persists after weeks or months of use, and if it improves long-term blood markers of carbohydrate metabolism.
Anthony Almada is a nutritional and exercise biochemist and has collaborated on more than 50 universityclinical trials. He is the co-founder of EAS and founder and chief scientific officer of IMAGINutrition.
References
1. Duda RB, et al. American ginseng and breast cancer therapeutic agents synergistically inhibit MCF-7 breast cancer cell growth. J Surg Oncol 1999;72:230-9.
2. Li JP, et al. Interactions between Panax quinquefolium saponins and vitamin C are observed in vitro. Mol Cell Biochem 2000;204:77-82.
3. Vuksan V, et al. Similar postprandial glycemic reductions with escalation of dose and administration time of American ginseng in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2000;23:1221-6.
4. Vuksan V, et al. American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Arch Int Med 2000; 160:1009-13.
