Journal of Ginseng Research

The Korean Society of Ginseng (고려인삼학회)
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Review of cases of patient risk associated with ginseng abuse and misuse

  • Paik, Doo Jin (Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University) ;
  • Lee, Chang Ho (Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University)
  • Received : 2014.11.10
  • Accepted : 2014.11.24
  • Published : 2015.04.15
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Abstract

Ginseng has long been used as a functional food or therapeutic supplement and it is empirically known to be safe and nontoxic. During recent decades, a number of in vitro and in vivo experiments, as well as human studies have been conducted to prove the safety of various types of ginseng samples and their components. Clinical trials, case reports, and in vitro and in vivo research articles addressing the safety, toxicity, and other adverse events of ginseng application were selected and reviewed. Patient risks associated with ginseng abuse and misuse such as affective disorder, allergy, cardiovascular and renal toxicity, genital organ bleeding, gynecomastia, hepatotoxicity, hypertension, reproductive toxicity, and anticoagulant-ginseng interaction were reviewed and summarized. There are some cases of patient risk associated with ginseng abuse and misuse depending on patients' conditions although further investigation in more cases is required to clarify these issues.

Keywords

References

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