Ginseng and reported patient risks from abuse and misuse
What it found
Case reports in people link high or long-term ginseng use to mood changes, allergic reactions, heart rhythm issues, bleeding, and liver problems.
The authors say more investigation is needed to clarify these events.
What they found
Studies in people
Mood changes in people
A 56-year-old woman with a past mood disorder had a manic episode after taking ginseng. A healthy 26-year-old also developed manic symptoms after taking Chinese ginseng capsules daily for two months.
Allergic reactions in people
Several people had severe allergic responses after eating ginseng syrup or breathing in ginseng dust at work. Symptoms included breathing trouble, rashes, swelling, and low blood pressure.
Liver problems with drugs
A 26-year-old man taking a leukemia drug for seven years developed sudden liver inflammation after also drinking ginseng energy drinks for three months. The authors note that more cases are needed to confirm whether ginseng raised the drug level in his blood.
Studies in people and animals
Heart rhythm and blood pressure
In one trial, 30 healthy adults took 200 mg of ginseng extract daily for 28 days. It slightly changed their heart rhythm readings and lowered diastolic blood pressure two hours after taking it on the first day. In another trial of 52 people with high blood pressure, 12 weeks of American ginseng did not change 24-hour blood pressure or kidney function markers. Lab tests on rat blood vessels showed that very high doses of a ginseng component caused lasting damage to how the vessels contract.
Breast growth and bleeding
A 12-year-old boy developed breast enlargement after taking red ginseng extract daily for one month. A 39-year-old woman had heavy uterine bleeding while using ginseng powder and ginseng cosmetics for seven months. Lab tests on cells and animals gave mixed results on whether ginseng acts like the hormone estrogen.
Blood thinner interactions
In a trial of 20 healthy people, American ginseng reduced the effect of the blood thinner warfarin. But in a trial of 25 heart valve patients, Korean Red Ginseng did not change how warfarin worked. Lab tests on animal and human blood show ginseng can slow clotting, so the effect may depend on the type of ginseng used.
What the authors conclude
- They state that certain risks are linked to ginseng abuse and misuse, including mood disorders, allergies, heart and kidney issues, bleeding, and liver problems.
- They advise that more investigation into additional cases is needed to clarify these events.
- They suggest avoiding ginseng during the first three months of pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
How it was done
Ginseng has been used for a long time as a food and supplement, and many experiments have tested its effects. However, some evidence points to patient risks when it is abused or misused, so the authors gathered those reports together.
The authors collected and summarized case reports, clinical trials, and lab studies about unwanted effects linked to ginseng. They looked at research involving people, animals, and cells. The human studies ranged from single patients to groups of 133 followed for two years.
What it can’t tell you
- These are mostly individual case reports, which cannot prove that ginseng caused the health problems.
- Some findings come from animals or cells given much higher amounts than people normally take.
- Those lab results might not match what happens in people taking normal amounts.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Hanyang University, Korea
The paper
- Title
- Review of cases of patient risk associated with ginseng abuse and misuse
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Paik DJ, Lee CH (2015). Review of cases of patient risk associated with ginseng abuse and misuse. Journal of ginseng research. doi:10.1016/j.jgr.2014.11.005Free full textPubMed 26045681DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error