Posted by TSA West on April 6, 2002, at 16:55:17
In reply to Got a hyper buzz off of Hansen's energy drink?, posted by Jaynee on April 6, 2002, at 16:35:04
"Ginseng is a popular “tonic” herb (one meant to be taken regularly that has cumulative strengthening effects). There are several varieties of ginseng. The three Panax species commonly used in herbal medicine are P. ginseng, grown in northeastern China and Korea;P. quinquefolius, grown in the United States and Canada; and P. notoginseng, grown in southwest China. “Siberian ginseng” is not ginseng at all, although it is in the same family (Araliaceae) and is also used for its tonic effects.
Ginseng has many interesting effects, but its place in the treatment of psychiatric conditions or improving quality of life has yet to be demonstrated in clinical trials. An 8-week, placebo- controlled study of a commercial ginseng-multivitamin/multimineral preparation among 60 patients admitted to the geriatric unit of a hospital found no differences between the two groups in length of stay, activities of daily living, cognitive function, or somatic symptoms. A double-blind study of a multivitamin complex supplemented with ginseng vs. a multivitamin complex without ginseng in 625 patients complaining of stress or fatigue found significant improvement in the quality of life index at 4 months in those receiving ginseng.
The actions of ginseng are complex. Ginseng contains ginsenosides (triterpene saponins), polyacetylenes (ginsenoynes A–K), and sesquiterpenes. It seems to have corticosteroid-like actions and hypoglycemic activity and also affects neurotransmitter activity. A ginsenoside extract from P. ginseng demonstrated affinity for progestin, mineralocorticoid, and glucocorticoid receptors in vitro. In rats, ginseng saponins increase adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone secretion. Glucocorticoid administration blocks the effect of ginsenosides both in vitro and in vivo; ginsenosides increase adrenal cAMP in intact but not hypophysectomized rats, so effects on adrenal secretion seem to be due to an effect on the pituitary gland. Ginseng inhibits platelet aggregation; a nonsaponin (lipophilic) fraction potently inhibits thromboxane A2 production without affecting cAMP formation. In rat brain tissue, ginseng inhibits the uptake of neurotransmitters, including GABA, norepinephrine, dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin (however, it is not clear whether ginseng actually enters the brain). The pharmacokinetics of ginseng have not been well delineated.
--Adverse Effects and Interactions--
Ginseng can cause estrogenic effects even though it does not actually contain phytoestrogens. Two cases of postmenopausal uterine bleeding have been reported. One occurred in a patient who ingested a geriatric formula containing ginseng; another occurred in a 44-year-old postmenopausal woman after use of a face cream that contained ginseng. Follicle-stimulating hormone levels rose to normal postmenopausal levels after use of the face cream was discontinued. Three weeks after rechallenge, the level of follicle- stimulating hormone dropped from 70 to 27 mIU; 1 week later another episode of uterine bleeding occurred. One case of swollen breasts and diffuse nodularity was reported in a 70- year-old woman. The symptoms disappeared on discontinuation of the ginseng and recurred on rechallenge. Another report of five cases of mastalgia lacks detail and thus is unevaluable.
Two cases of possible interactions between ginseng and phenelzine (Nardil) have been described. In the first case, a 64-year-old woman developed headache and tremor after consuming the two together; in the second case, a 42-year-old woman with a history of unipolar depression experienced what seemed to be a manic reaction to the combination of ginseng and bee pollen with phenelzine. In neither case was the ginseng preparation analyzed to ensure that ginseng was actually present. A number of purported ginseng products contain no ginseng and may contain other herbs, such as ephedra."
--Psychosomatic Medicine. Volume 61(5) September/October 1999 p 712. "Dietary Supplements and Natural Products as Psychotherapeutic Agents"
poster:TSA West
thread:102164
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020402/msgs/102166.html