At a glance: Asian ginseng, Panax ginseng C.A. Mey., is a classic Araliaceae adaptogen whose underground parts are used medicinally. White ginseng is dried root, while red ginseng is steamed before drying; these are processing categories, not different species. The EMA’s 2024 revised monograph recognises traditional use for symptoms of asthenia such as fatigue and weakness.[1]
Botanical profile
- Accepted name: Panax ginseng C.A. Mey.
- Common names: Asian ginseng, Korean ginseng, Chinese ginseng.
- Family: Araliaceae.
- Medicinal part: root and other underground parts.
- EMA herbal drug name: Ginseng radix.[1]
Panax ginseng should be distinguished from American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus). “Ginseng” is often used loosely in commerce but does not describe one interchangeable herb.
White ginseng and red ginseng
White ginseng is generally produced by drying the harvested root. Red ginseng is steamed before drying, which alters its chemistry and produces additional transformed ginsenosides. Processing therefore becomes part of the pharmacognostic identity of the finished material.[1]
Major constituent groups
The characteristic compounds are ginsenosides, triterpene saponins divided into several structural families. Other constituents include polysaccharides, polyacetylenes, peptides, phenolic compounds and volatile constituents.
Different species, root ages and processing methods produce different ginsenoside profiles.
Traditional use
In East Asian medicine, ginseng root has traditionally been used as a profound tonic for weakness, exhaustion, convalescence, poor appetite, reduced mental and physical endurance and age-related decline. It has also been used after prolonged illness and in formulas intended to restore vitality after significant physical or emotional depletion.
Contemporary herbal practice
In contemporary Western phytotherapy, Panax ginseng is usually treated as a substantial restorative rather than a casual everyday stimulant. Practitioners may consider it for prolonged convalescence, age-related weakness, low stamina or marked constitutional depletion, and often distinguish red from white ginseng according to the desired intensity and traditional energetic qualities. It is generally prescribed with more caution in highly stimulated, hypertensive or acutely inflamed presentations than the word “adaptogen” alone might suggest.
Adaptogen use
Ginseng is one of the plants most closely associated with the modern adaptogen concept. Research has investigated effects on fatigue, stress resilience, cognition, immune function and physical performance. Adaptogen reviews commonly place Panax ginseng alongside rhodiola, eleuthero, schisandra and ashwagandha.[2]
EMA regulatory assessment
The EMA HMPC’s revised European Union herbal monograph was published in July 2024. It covers traditional medicinal use for the symptomatic treatment of asthenia such as fatigue and weakness.[1]
Clinical evidence
Ginseng has a very large clinical literature, but products, species, processing methods and outcome measures vary. Trials have investigated fatigue, cognitive performance, sexual function, glucose metabolism and immune outcomes.
Students should avoid treating “ginseng” as a single intervention. A trial of Korean red ginseng is not automatically evidence for white ginseng powder or American ginseng.
Pharmacology
Ginsenosides have been studied for effects on:
- stress-response and HPA-axis signalling;
- nitric-oxide and vascular pathways;
- glucose metabolism;
- inflammatory and immune signalling;
- central neurotransmission; and
- mitochondrial and antioxidant systems.[2]
Safety
Commonly reported adverse effects include insomnia, headache, gastrointestinal upset and stimulation or restlessness in susceptible people. Product quality and dose influence tolerability.
Interactions
Medication review is sensible with anticoagulants, antidiabetic medicines, stimulants and medicines affecting blood pressure or the central nervous system. Evidence varies by preparation and medicine, so interaction claims should be specific rather than generic.
Student note: common evidence traps
- Red and white ginseng are processing forms, not different species.
- Panax ginseng, P. quinquefolius and eleuthero are not interchangeable.
- Record ginsenoside standardisation where reported.
- Adaptogen language does not establish one universal clinical indication.
- Do not generalise a Korean red ginseng trial to every ginseng supplement.
References
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. Ginseng radix — Panax ginseng C.A. Mey., radix. European Union herbal monograph, Revision 1, and assessment report. EMA. Revised monograph published July 2024.
- System-level, molecular and cellular mechanisms of selected plant adaptogens — review including Panax ginseng. 2026. PubMed.
- Plant adaptogens — history and future perspectives. 2021. PubMed.
Additional materia medica sources
- ESCOP. Ginseng radix — Ginseng root, ESCOP Monographs.
- Blumenthal M, et al., eds. The Complete German Commission E Monographs. American Botanical Council; 1998.
- World Health Organization. WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants and later technical reviews addressing Panax ginseng.
- Mills S, Bone K. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. 2nd ed. Elsevier; 2013.
Last reviewed: 20 September 2026. Educational reference only; not an individual fatigue or prescribing guide.
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