Clinical and preclinical studies presented at the 14th International Symposium on Ginseng, hosted by THE Korean Society of Ginseng, reported that red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) exerts multifaceted effects on age-related physiological decline. The findings spanned oxidative stress modulation, sleep quality, cognitive decline, metabolic dysfunction, and muscle function.
A team led by Professor Hong-Sheng Tan of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine evaluated the effects of red ginseng supplementation on antioxidant capacity and health status in 900 Chinese adults aged 40 to 75 who reported chronic fatigue and impaired immune function without overt organic disease. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA), a biomarker of lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress, decreased significantly in the red ginseng group but increased in the placebo group. Antioxidant effects were most pronounced in participants aged 40 to 60, with an inverse correlation between antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress levels.
Across the eight domains of the Short Form-36 (SF-36), a validated measure of health-related quality of life, the red ginseng group improved by a mean of 10.68 points versus 7.13 points for the placebo group. Differences were statistically significant for the role-physical and vitality domains. In a sleep substudy of 152 participants using wearable devices, the red ginseng group recorded 12.5 more minutes (11.5%) of deep sleep and 35.9 more minutes (8.8%) of total sleep than the placebo group.
Professors Minho Moon and Yunkwon Nam of Konyang University College of Medicine used a transgenic mouse model of dementia to show that Korean red ginseng polysaccharides (KRGP) significantly reduced cerebral amyloid-beta accumulation while attenuating neuroinflammation and neuronal loss. KRGP also promoted hippocampal neurogenesis, mitigated cognitive impairment, and inhibited tau accumulation.
Professor Johan Auwerx of the School of Life Sciences at EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne) reported that red ginseng extract reduced body weight, adiposity, hepatic steatosis, and liver fibrosis in mice with induced metabolic dysfunction and liver fibrosis. Blood glucose and insulin levels also improved to near-normal levels.
Separately, Professor Sang Min Park of Chungnam National University College of Pharmacy found that red ginseng and its bioactive constituent, ginsenoside Rb2, attenuated declines in grip strength and physical performance in a mouse model of induced aging. These improvements were accompanied by significant alterations in central neurotransmission and hepatic energy metabolism, alongside enhanced muscle function.
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