The Effects of Korean Red Ginseng on Biological Aging and Antioxidant Capacity in Postmenopausal Women: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Study.

The short version

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 63 postmenopausal women in Seoul, Korea, explored whether Korean red ginseng changes markers of biological aging, antioxidant capacity and fatigue. Korean red ginseng (KRG) is Panax ginseng root that is steamed and dried with its skin on. After menopause, falling estrogen is linked to more oxidative stress (damage from unstable molecules called free radicals) and to a drop in mitochondrial DNA copy number, a count of the DNA copies inside the cell's energy-producing structures that is used as an indicator of biological aging. Total antioxidant status (TAS) measures how well the blood neutralizes free radicals. The women were aged 46 to 69. Over 8 weeks, 33 completers took 2 g of KRG daily as four 500 mg tablets and 30 completers took matching placebo tablets of cornstarch and cellulose. Blood tests at the start and end measured TAS with an automated assay and mitochondrial DNA copy number with real-time PCR, while the 9-item Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS, scored 7 to 63, higher meaning worse fatigue) tracked tiredness. TAS rose by 0.11 mmol/L with KRG and fell by 0.04 with placebo (p = 0.011, meaning a gap this large is unlikely to be chance). Mitochondrial DNA copy number rose by 1.58 with KRG versus 0.28 with placebo (p = 0.023), a 1.44-fold increase versus 1.15-fold. Fatigue scores dropped 7 points with KRG versus 1 point with placebo (p = 0.033). LDL cholesterol tended to decline from 136 to 127 mg/dL on KRG, but the difference from placebo was not significant (p = 0.064). Body mass index, blood pressure and blood counts did not change. The groups also differed at baseline in white blood cell count and total cholesterol, and ten of the 73 enrolled women left the analysis, including two placebo participants who took other red ginseng products. The authors view the results as supporting KRG's antioxidant and anti-fatigue effects, drawing on animal and cell research for mechanisms such as the PGC-1alpha pathway that builds mitochondria. Limitations include one dose, an 8-week period, uncontrolled lifestyle, a modest sample and participants who were all Korean postmenopausal women, so findings may not transfer to other groups. Dose, duration and effects on cholesterol need larger, longer studies, and safety was not formally reported.

Key findings

• In an 8-week trial of 63 postmenopausal Korean women, 2 g a day of Korean red ginseng (steamed, dried Panax ginseng root) raised total antioxidant status by 0.11 mmol/L while placebo fell by 0.04 mmol/L (p = 0.011).
• Mitochondrial DNA copy number (a blood count of DNA copies in the cell's energy-making structures, used as a marker of biological aging) rose 1.58 with ginseng versus 0.28 with placebo (p = 0.023).
• Scores on the Fatigue Severity Scale fell 7 points with ginseng versus 1 point with placebo (p = 0.033), while the drop in LDL cholesterol was not significant (p = 0.064).
• The study was short, used one dose and enrolled only Korean postmenopausal women, so the authors say results may not apply to men, premenopausal women or other ethnicities.

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