CORVALLIS, Ore.--A new study in the June Journal of the American Dietetic Association (101, 6:655-60, 2001) (www.eatright.org) reported that ginseng has no psychological effects (i.e. improved mood) on healthy, young adults. In an eight-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial, researchers randomly assigned one of three doses to 83 adults (40 women, 43 men) with a mean age of 25.7 years: 200 mg or 400 mg of Panax ginseng or a placebo. Positive effect, negative effect and total mood disturbance were measured pre- and post-intervention via questionnaires. The researchers concluded that chronic ginseng supplementation did not enhance effect or mood in healthy young adults.
Brad Cardinal from Oregon State University and lead author of the study said he was not surprised by the study's results, especially since there are not many strong human studies supporting the hypothesis that ginseng improves mood. However, he added that the youth and good health of the participants was one of the study's main weaknesses.
It was interesting to note that this study looked at levels of vigor and energy rather than what ginseng is best known for being--an adaptogen that has been studied for its immunomodulatory effects. However, the researchers did find that higher uptake levels (400 mg/d) resulted in some instances of diarrhea and bloating.
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