Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng) improves glucose and insulin regulation in well-controlled, type 2 diabetes: Results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of efficacy and safety

Vuksan, Vladimir; Sung, Mi-Kyung; Sievenpiper, John L.; Stavro, P. Mark; Jenkins, Alexandra L.; Di Buono, Marco; Lee, Kwang-Seung; Leiter, Lawrence A.; Nam, Ki Yeul; Arnason, John T.; Choi, Melody; Naeem, Asima

doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2006.04.003

« Previous Next »Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases
Volume 18, Issue 1 , Pages 46-56, January 2008

Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng) improves glucose and insulin regulation in well-controlled, type 2 diabetes: Results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of efficacy and safety

Vladimir Vuksan
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- Corresponding author. Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, #6 138-61 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 2T2, Canada. Tel.:+1 416 864 5525; fax: +1 416 864 5538.
Mi-Kyung Sung
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, South Korea
John L. Sievenpiper
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
P. Mark Stavro
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Alexandra L. Jenkins
- Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Marco Di Buono
- Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Kwang-Seung Lee
- Korea Ginseng Manufacturing Plant, National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, Chung-buk, South Korea
Lawrence A. Leiter
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Ki Yeul Nam
- Korean Ginseng and Tobacco Research Institute, Daejeon, South Korea
John T. Arnason
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
Melody Choi
- Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Asima Naeem
- Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada

Received 10 January 2006; received in revised form 18 April 2006; accepted 19 April 2006. published online 25 July 2006.

Abstract

Background and aim

To address the paucity of randomized clinical studies assessing ginseng on long-term outcomes in type 2 diabetes, we assessed the clinical antidiabetic efficacy and safety of 12weeks of supplementation with a Korean red ginseng (KRG) preparation, dose, and mode of administration, selected from an acute, clinical, screening model.

Methods and results

Nineteen participants with well-controlled type 2 diabetes (sex: 11 M:8 F, age: 64±2years, BMI: 28.9±1.4kg/m², HbA_1c: 6.5%) completed the study. Using a double-blind, randomized, crossover design, each participant received the selected KRG preparation (rootlets) and placebo at the selected dose (2g/meal=6g/day) and mode of administration (preprandial oral agent [−40min]) for 12weeks as an adjunct to their usual anti-diabetic therapy (diet and/or medications). Outcomes included measures of efficacy (HbA_1c and fasting- and 75-g oral glucose tolerance test [OGTT]-plasma glucose [PG], plasma insulin [PI], and insulin sensitivity index [ISI] indices); safety (liver, kidney, haemostatic, and blood-pressure function); and compliance (returned capsules, diet-records, and body-weight).

There was no change in the primary endpoint, HbA_1c. The participants, however, remained well-controlled (HbA_1c=6.5%) throughout. The selected KRG treatment also decreased 75g-OGTT-PG indices by 8–11% and fasting-PI and 75g-OGTT-PI indices by 33–38% and increased fasting-ISI (homeostasis model assessment [HOMA]) and 75g-OGTT-ISI by 33%, compared with placebo (P<0.05). Safety and compliance outcomes remained unchanged.

Conclusions

Although clinical efficacy, as assessed by HbA_1c, was not demonstrated, 12weeks of supplementation with the selected KRG treatment maintained good glycemic control and improved PG and PI regulation safely beyond usual therapy in people with well-controlled type 2 diabetes. Further investigation with similarly selected KRG treatments may yield clinical efficacy.

Keywords: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), Ginseng, Type 2 diabetes, Postprandial glycemia, Insulin sensitivity