Ginseng is an herb native to China and Korea that has been used medicinally for many centuries. Common types of true ginseng include Asian, Korean and American ginseng, but Siberian ginseng is a completely different species. Concerns about ginseng elevating blood pressure abound. But the relationship between ginseng and blood pressure is not well-understood, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Ginseng and Blood Pressure
Ginseng is an adaptogen, which is an herb that protects your body against stress, trauma and illness and that brings your body back into balance. In other words, if your blood pressure is too low, as an adaptogen, ginseng may increase it to bring it back to a normal range, while the reverse would be the case if you had high blood pressure. Some studies reveal that ginseng can lower or increase blood pressure, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Evidence
In a study led by Vladimir Vuksan of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Canada, and sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and and Rural Affairs, 30 participants with high blood pressure took either 3 g of American ginseng for 12 weeks or a placebo. Ginseng had no effect on blood pressure compared to placebo. Another Canadian study published in the journal "Hypertension" in 2005 found that ginseng had a neutral effect on blood pressure in 16 individuals with high blood pressure. Ten minutes after taking ginseng there was no change in blood pressure. However, ginseng increased systolic and diastolic pressure at 140 and 160 minutes but lowered diastolic pressure at 100 minutes. The researchers add that the elevations could be considered clinically insignificant since they did not differ much from placebo for the entire 160 minutes of monitoring.
Cholesterol Link
High blood pressure increases levels of bad cholesterol, a type of blood fat that increases your risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. However, ginseng may help lower bad cholesterol, also known as low-density lipoprotein, and increase the levels of good cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein. High levels of good cholesterol reduce bad cholesterol levels.
Ginseng
The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends not taking ginseng without your doctor's advice if you have high blood pressure. If your doctor gives you the green light to take ginseng, a typical dose you can expect to take for overall health is 200 mg of a standardized Asian ginseng extract with 4 to 5 percent ginsenosides three times daily. Ginsenosides are active compounds in ginseng that help lower blood sugar. For the dried root, the typical dose is ½ to 2 g daily. Ginseng is usually taken for two to three weeks, followed by a two-week break.
Safety
Ginseng can cause allergic reactions, breast tenderness, headaches, menstrual abnormalities and gastrointestinal and sleep problems. It also lowers blood sugar, so it should be taken with care if you have diabetes and take other herbs or medications to control your blood glucose levels. Let your doctor know if you're taking any other medications or herbs to help determine if it's safe for you to take ginseng.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Asian Ginseng
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Asian Ginseng
- Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs: SR9073 -- The Effect of Ontario-Grown American Ginseng on Blood Pressure Control in Hypertension
- "Hypertension"; North American Ginseng Exerts a Neutral Effect on Blood Pressure in Individuals With Hypertension; P. Mark Stavro; 2005
- University of Chicago: High Blood Cholesterol -- What You Need to Know
