Similar postprandial glycemic reductions with escalation of dose and administration time of American ginseng in type 2 diabetes.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE -We previously demonstrated that 3 g American ginseng (AG) reduced postprandial glycemia (PPG) in type 2 diabetic individuals. We investigated whether further reductions can be achieved with escalation of dose and time of AG administration.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -Ten type 2 diabetic patients (6 men, 4 women; age 63 ± 2 years; BMI 27.7 ± 1.5 kg/m 2 ; HbA 1c 7.3 ± 0.3%) were randomly administered 0 g (placebo) or 3, 6, or 9 g ground AG root in capsules at 120, 80, 40, or 0 min before a 25-g oral glucose challenge. Capillary blood glucose was measured before ingestion of AG or placebo and at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min from the start of the glucose challenge.RESULTS -Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that treatment (0, 3, 6, and 9 g AG) but not time of administration (120, 80, 40, or 0 min before the challenge) significantly affected PPG (P Ͻ 0.05), with significant (P = 0.037) interaction for area under the curve (AUC). Pairwise comparisons showed that compared with 0 g (placebo), 3, 6, or 9 g significantly (P Ͻ 0.05) reduced AUC (19.7, 15.3, and 15.9%, respectively) and incremental glycemia at 30 min (16.3, 18.4, and 18.4%, respectively), 45 min (12.5, 14.3, and 14.3%, respectively), and 120 min (59.1, 40.9, and 45.5%, respectively). However, pairwise comparisons showed no differences between the 3-, 6-, or 9-g doses and any of the times of administration.CONCLUSIONS -AG reduced PPG irrespective of dose and time of administration. No more than 3 g AG was required at any time in relation to the challenge to achieve reductions. Because these reductions included glycemia at the 2-h diagnostic end point, there may be implications for diabetes diagnosis and treatment.

North American Ginseng Exerts a Neutral Effect on Blood Pressure in Individuals With Hypertension

“…Furthermore, our previous studies with P ginseng or NAG used a 3-g dose. 7,[23][24][25] We used an acute study design, similar to the procedure applied to the evaluation of new antihypertensive agents. 26 As well, given the uncertainty of the effect of NAG on BP, and in light of Siegel's observational findings, we opted to use an acute rather than chronic model.…”

“…In our studies, we have seen that ginseng has the same adverse event profile as placebo. 10,[23][24][25]34 Considering drug interactions, an RCT by Yuan et al 35 showed that ginseng can interfere with warfarin metabolism, whereas another RCT showed no effect on the metabolism of this drug. 36 Overall, hypertensive individuals who choose to consume NAG should be aware of its neutral effect on BP, its overall safety, and its potential to interact with warfarin.…”

Evidence-Based Nutrition Principles and Recommendations for the Treatment and Prevention of Diabetes and Related Complications

“…A variety of herbal preparations have been shown to have modest short-term beneficial effects on glycemia. Of these, the best studied is American ginseng (410,411). Many herbal supplements used to treat obesity also have caffeine and ephedrinecontaining herbs in them.…”

Impact of Diet Composition on Blood Glucose Regulation

“…The two most popular types of ginseng, namely Panax quinquefolius L (American ginseng) and Panax ginseng CA Meyer (Asian ginseng) are most widely studied with respect to their hypoglycemic effects. In a series of randomized, placebo controlled studies, American ginseng has been shown to reduce PPG by up to 39% in healthy volunteers (Vuksan et al, , 2000bVuksan et al, 2001;Dascalu et al, 2007) and up to 22% in T2DM subjects Vuksan et al, 2000c). In one study with healthy volunteers, only a trend for hypoglycemic effects was found and one study did not find any effects of American ginseng on PPG (Sievenpiper et al, 2003a).…”