Ginseng is one of the most popular medicinal herbs and it has a large population of fans all over the world. People love to use it for a variety of purposes, including energy-boosting, cognition support, erectile dysfunction improvement, antioxidative protection, etc.
Ginseng doesn’t fit all groups of people. Children and pregnant women shall obviously be forbidden to take ginseng. Whether people with liver problems can take ginseng is a pending question for those who want to take ginseng while are with liver diseases.
Ginseng is generally safe for people with liver problems. Below is a more detailed discussion of some questions about the effects of ginseng on the liver.
Can ginseng cause liver damage?
Ginseng is generally safe for consumption at conventional dosage. It might cause herb-drug interaction, so you shall take ginseng a few hours before or after taking medications.
A study published in 2020 analyzed 14 randomized trials regarding the effects of ginseng on ginseng supplementation on liver enzymes in adults and concluded that ginseng appears to deliver neither liver protection nor liver damage in conventional doses and duration.t
Is ginseng good for liver?
Ginseng could be good for the liver, and there is no conclusion on whether ginseng is beneficial for liver function. However, there are indeed many studies indicating the positive effects of ginseng supplementation on liver function.
A Korean research team conducted a 12-week randomized, double-blind clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of fermented ginseng power on liver function. The study results showed that the gamma-glutamyl transferase levels and high-sensitivity C-reactive proteins, which are often seen increased in liver damage, decreased significantly in the group receiving low-dosage ginseng treatment in men adults.
What’s more, participants receiving high-dose fermented ginseng powder were found to have significantly decreased fatigue scores, compared to the placebo group in this study.
As to the safety of ginseng use, the study found that ginseng supplementation was safe and had no clinically significant difference with the placebo.
The study suggests ginseng could be beneficial to liver function.
Is ginseng good for fatty liver?
Ginseng could be good for fatty liver. Korean red ginseng is steamed ginseng with a high amount of active ingredients, known as rare ginsenosides. It is potent with highly bioactive and absorbable rare ginsenosides including Rg5, Rg3, ect. A recent clinical study published in the Journal of Ginseng Research revealed that Korean red ginseng effectively improved liver enzymes and fatigue scores by regulating gut-microbiota among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The Korean red ginseng used in the study contains ginsenoside Rg1+Rb1+Rg3 (4.5mg/g) and was served at 2000 mg/day.
In conclusion
Ginseng is generally considered safe as a medicinal herb among adults and will not cause liver toxicity. Many clinical studies indicate that ginseng is good for liver function and fatty liver, but and more large-scale trials are needed to come to a conclusion in the future.
