Ginseng Finally Goes Legit

Mainstream, or evidence-based, medicine has been studying numerous alternative medicines (herbs, supplements, acupuncture, etc) in recent years. Many of those treatments tested have failed to provide evidence of effectiveness in their chosen indications. We’ve commented on these on this blog (‘In Medicine, East is Meeting West’).

Now, however, a report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal describes the effectiveness of North American ginseng (panax quinquefolium) in keeping the common cold at bay. If this finding can be confirmed in general use, it’s truly a breakthrough.

Over 320 volunteers were assigned to take two 200 mg capsules of ginseng or placebo (inactive, containing rice-powder) capsules, daily for 4 months. They had to have had a history of at least 2 colds per year.

Those taking the ginseng had an average of 0.68 colds during the period, compared with the placebo subjects’ average of 0.93 colds. And those in the ginseng group had colds that were milder and shorter than those taking the placebo.

The chief investigator of the study emphasized that the results only pertain to the standardized product used in the study, which came from CV Technologies. (They also paid for the study.) So before you go and buy ginseng from just anywhere, make sure you have a reliable source (sometimes easier said than done!).