NIS - libdoc.who.int - World Health Organization

WHO monographs on medicinal plants commonly used in the Newly Independent States (NIS)
Pregnancy: teratogenic effects
Radix Ginseng is not teratogenic in vivo (90).
Pregnancy: non-teratogenic effects
The safety of Radix Ginseng for use in pregnancy has not been established.
Nursing mothers
Excretion of Radix Ginseng compounds into breast milk and its effects
on the newborn have not been established.
Paediatric use
The safety and efficacy of Radix Ginseng use in children have not been
established.
Adverse reactions
Various researchers who studied Radix Ginseng extracts using conventional
toxicological methods in five different animal models reported no
acute or chronic toxicity of the extract (89, 90, 93).
On the basis of Radix Ginseng’s long use, and the relative infrequency
of significant demonstrable side-effects, it has been concluded that the use
of Radix Ginseng is not associated with serious adverse effects if taken at
the recommended dose (90, 93). However, in Siegel’s open study of 133 patients
ingesting large quantities, ginseng was reported to result in hypertension,
nervousness, irritability, diarrhoea, skin eruptions, and insomnia,
which were collectively called ginseng abuse syndrome (GAS) (94). Critical
analysis of this report has shown that there were no controls or analyses
to determine the type of ginseng being ingested or the constituents of
the preparation taken, and that some of the amounts ingested were clearly
excessive (as much as 15 g per day, where the recommended daily dose is
0.5–2 g) (50, 90, 95). When the dose was decreased to 1.7 g/day the symptoms
of the “syndrome” were rare. Thus the only conclusion that can be
validly extracted from the Siegel study is that the excessive and uncontrolled
intake of ginseng products should be avoided (90). One case of
ginseng-associated cerebral arteritis has been reported in a patient consuming
a high dose of an ethanol extract of ginseng root (approximately
6 g in one dose) (96). However, again the type and quantity of ginseng
extract were not reported. Two cases of mydriasis and disturbance in
accommodation, as well as dizziness have been reported after ingestion of
large doses (3–9 g) of an unspecified type of ginseng preparation (97).
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