Drops of AmusementGinseng & Cancer 1
Researchers at Mayo Clinic recruited over 280 cancer patients who were all expected to live for at least six months. Subjects were divided into four groups to receive three different daily dosage levels of ginseng (750 mg, 1,000 mg, or 2,000 mg) in capsule form, or placebo. The ginseng used in the study was Wisconsin ginseng, grown from the same crop and tested to ensure uniform potency. The intervention period lasted eight weeks.
RESULTS:
- Subjects who received the 750 mg dose of ginseng reported little improvement in fatigue or general well-being - comparable to the placebo group
- In the 1,000 mg group, 25 percent reported moderately better or much better fatigue symptoms, with moderate improvements in vitality and well-being
- In the 2,000 mg group, 27 percent reported moderately better or much better fatigue symptoms, with moderate improvements in vitality and well-being
In a press release, study leader Debra Barton, Ph.D., said she plans a new ginseng study next year that will refine these results in hopes of developing a ginseng treatment option for cancer patients who struggle with fatigue.
Cancer patients should talk to their doctors before using ginseng to address fatigue. If course, if your doctor isnt up on alternative medicine he/she will try to give you another prescription.