Panax ginseng is used for many reasons, including improving concentration and memory, physical stamina, athletic endurance and sexual function. This type of ginseng, sometimes called Chinese, Korean or Asian ginseng, is different from Siberian or American ginseng. Consult your doctor before trying it, because it interacts with numerous medications and may worsen some health conditions. Panax ginseng also can affect your blood pressure.
Significance
High and low blood pressure are both common side effects of panax ginseng, according to American Family Physician. This herb may produce contradictory effects on blood pressure because on one hand it is a vasodilator, meaning it relaxes and widens blood vessels, so it may lower blood pressure. On the other hand, it may have properties that make your heart beat harder and faster, raising blood pressure. Different preparations of the herb may emphasize certain properties over others, altering the herb's effect, notes Los Angeles physician Ray Sahelian.
Expert Insight
Due to its potential to affect your blood pressure, having high blood pressure is a contraindication for this supplement, according to "American Family Physician." That means it's not advisable for you to use this supplement. Do not take it without consulting a doctor if you have either hypotension or hypertension. Also use caution if you have heart disease, because panax ginseng isn't well studied in people who have cardiovascular disease, notes Medline Plus. Be especially sure to consult a doctor if you use blood pressure medications including ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers because panax ginseng interacts with them, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Theories
This supplement may improve endothelial function, or the function of the cell layer that lines the inside of your blood vessels. This, theoretically, would lead to improvements in arterial stiffness, promoting lowered blood pressure, according to a 2011 "Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine," study. However, the study concludes that treatment with Panax ginseng for three months does not produce this result. Poor endothelium-dependent relaxation of your blood vessels is a likely culprit in developing of high blood pressure. Medline Plus advises that this supplement is possibly safe when not contraindicated for up to three months. After that, it may have hormone-like effects that are harmful.
Interactions
Taking panax ginseng and ma-huang at the same time increases your risk for elevated blood pressure, central nervous system stimulation and life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, warns "The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide," by George T. Grossberg and Barry Fox. Panax ginseng also may interact with caffeine to cause high blood pressure. It can increase stimulant effects when taken with caffeine-containing herbs and supplements like cola nut, mate and guarana. Using panax ginseng and ephedra together raises your risk for irregular heartbeats and may be life-threatening, according to MedlinePlus.
References
- MedlinePlus: Ginseng, Panax; April 2011
- "The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide,"; George T. Grossberg and Barry Fox; 2007
- "American Family Physician"; Panax Ginseng; David Kiefer and Traci Pantuso; 2003
- "American Journal of Hypertension"; Effects of Korean Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Mayer) and its Isolated Ginsenosides and Polysaccharides on Arterial Stiffness in Healthy Individuals; E. Jovanovski , et al.; 2010
- "Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine"; Effect of Korean Red Ginseng on Arterial Stiffness in Subjects with Hypertension; M.Y. Rhee; 2011
- "Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research"; Red Wine -- A Drink To Your Heart; T.S. Mohamed Saleem and S. Darbar Basha; 2010
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