Can ginseng help prevent or lessen the symptoms of the common cold? A joint team from the University of Western Ontario and the University of Alberta set out to answer this question with an interesting research project. They found that ginseng extracts "have the potential to modulate both natural and acquired immune responses."
To test this potential against the common cold, researchers recruited nearly 280 subjects between the ages of 18 and 65. To qualify for the study, subjects had to confirm that they’d had at least two colds in the year before the trial began. Subjects were divided into two groups: 130 received 200 mg of ginseng extract twice each day, and 148 received placebo.
At the conclusion of the four-month trial (which started at the beginning of flu and cold season), 10 percent of the ginseng group reported two or more colds. That percentage was more than doubled in the placebo group.
The average number of days in which cold symptoms were reported was less than 11 in the ginseng group, but more than 16 in the placebo group. Using a four-point scale to score symptoms, those in the ginseng group had a significantly lower overall score compared to the placebo group.
In the interest of full disclosure it should be noted that the extract used was a standardized extract of North American ginseng in a product called Cold-fX, produced by CV Technologies, a company that’s associated with the University of Alberta.
Full details may be found here: Efficacy of an Extract of North American Ginseng Containing Poly-Furanosyl-Pyranosyl-Saccharides for Preventing Upper Respiratory Tract Infections: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Canadian Medical Association Journal, Vol. 173, No. 9, 10/25/05.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society last year, researchers enrolled nearly 200 elderly subjects to receive either 200 mg of North American ginseng extract or a placebo twice each day during flu season. At the end of the season, researchers found the incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza to be considerably higher in the placebo group than among those treated with ginseng. They also noted that the treatment was well tolerated.
Full details may befound here: A Placebo-Controlled Trial of a Proprietary Extract of North American Ginseng (CVT-E002) to Prevent Acute Respiratory Illness in Institutionalized Older Adults. Journal of the American Geriatric Society, Vol. 52, No. 5, May 2004.
It is good to see sound studies being published that don’t simply repeat ad nauseam the flase and misleading results promulgated by pharmaceutical company funded research. You must, of course, still apply your critical judgement to determine if the disclosed commercial associations may have influenced the research adversely.
What I appreciate is that the herbs being used and possibly promoted here, do not cause the dangerous side effects that their pharmaceutical competitors do. However, do review the Herb Health Guide for our important safety notes regarding ginseng use.