American Ginseng

Panax quinquefolius · North American ginseng

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Cancer-related fatigue^{1, 2} Glycemic control in type 2 diabetes³ Working memory in schizophrenia⁴ Exercise-induced muscle damage⁵	Warfarin therapy⁶ Pregnancy or nursing⁷

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a root used in traditional Chinese medicine, with ginsenosides thought responsible for its activity⁸. It is taken for fatigue, most often by adults undergoing cancer treatment^{1, 2, 9}. Further uses follow: add-on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes, working memory in schizophrenia, and common cold prevention, where findings are inconsistent.

An oncology guideline update states American ginseng may be recommended in adults undergoing cancer treatment. In laboratory assays, a 2023 study found fermented American ginseng stem and leaf extracts inhibited Alzheimer's disease markers more than unfermented extract; no human trial has tested it. More than seven thousand products list American ginseng, mainly as capsules and liquid extracts; see Form comparison.

The most consequential caution is warfarin: a systematic review found American ginseng altered the effect of warfarin⁶. Health Canada labels ask for a practitioner's advice before use with blood thinners or digoxin¹⁰.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

53 sources, 43 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources