Benefits of Ginseng for Women: Menopause, Libido, Fatigue, According to Research

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HRG80 Red Ginseng

An HRG80 red ginseng (Panax ginseng) cultivated hydroponically, in indoor soil-free culture, without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, standardized in rare ginsenosides (Rg3, Rg5, Rk1) and verified for each batch. Two vegetable capsules per day provide 200 mg of HRG80 root extract.

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The word ginseng covers several plants. Panax ginseng, or Asian ginseng, is the one used in most of the trials presented here: its dried root gives white ginseng, its steam-cooked root gives red ginseng, whose composition in ginsenosides, its main active compounds, differs. American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, is another species. The extract HRG80 is a red ginseng derived from a Panax ginseng cultivated hydroponically.

These differences matter. In a systematic review of 10 trials conducted in menopausal women, doses ranged from 200 to 3,000 mg per day, for 2 to 16 weeks, with Korean red ginseng, fermented red ginseng, or commercial preparations: each study is therefore presented here with its preparation and dose. Our complete ginseng guide and our red or white ginseng comparison detail the species and their processing.

The quality of evidence remains weak. A review of 19 meta-analyses, published in 2023, found benefits for fatigue, sexual function, and menopausal symptoms, but judged the methodological quality of 14 of them to be critically low; reported adverse effects were mainly digestive, with a possible bleeding risk, without serious adverse effects. In the 2016 review, 8 of the 10 trials had been conducted in Korea and 8 funded by industry, a potential bias.

The 2022 review brings together 15 placebo-controlled trials in menopausal women, the majority of which carry a risk of bias. In the three trials measuring all symptoms, involving 515 women, ginseng reduced them with an effect size of −0.40; hot flashes decreased by −0.34 and quality of life score improved by −0.31: small effects, but significant. The 2016 review did not yet find a significant effect on hot flashes (−0.18, in 459 women).

A recent Chinese trial shows the same trend in 112 women aged 45 to 60, in perimenopause or menopause: a beverage providing 2.1 g of concentrated red ginseng extract per day for 90 days reduced the Kupperman score compared to placebo, notably hot flashes and sweating, insomnia, irritability, and fatigue, without modifying hormones or the endometrium. The beverage and placebo were supplied by the Korea Ginseng Corporation.

Not all trials reach this conclusion. In 384 women, a commercial ginseng preparation reduced neither hot flashes nor the overall well-being score, its primary endpoint; only an exploratory analysis suggested a gain in depression and well-being. In 55 women who had undergone gynecological cancer surgery before menopause, 3 g of Korean red ginseng per day for 12 weeks performed no better than placebo, except on sexual complaints.

These effects remain modest compared to hormone replacement therapy for menopause, by far the most effective against hot flashes according to a review of treatments, which also judged non-hormonal options promising such as certain antidepressants or gabapentin. Hot flashes that disrupt sleep warrant discussing with your doctor; our guide on menopause covers symptoms and their duration.

<<<26>>> Hops houblon contain 8-prenylnaringenin, a phytoestrogen. In 67 postmenopausal women, a hops extract standardized to 100 µg of 8-prenylnaringenin per day lowered the Kupperman score more than placebo at 6 weeks, but not significantly at 12 weeks, with placebo also reducing symptoms; the 250 µg dose performed no better, and the hot flash score decreased more at 6 weeks with both doses.

<<<29>>> Sage sauge was evaluated in an open trial, without placebo, in 71 postmenopausal women experiencing at least five hot flashes per day: a daily tablet of fresh sage leaves reduced the hot flash intensity score by 50% in 4 weeks and 64% in 8 weeks. This result therefore requires confirmation. For maca, a systematic review of 4 trials found favorable effects on menopausal symptoms, but judged the evidence limited.

Our formula Menopause Bio combines plants from organic farming: hops, sage, lemon balm, maca and blackcurrant. It contains no ginseng and is designed as a complementary formula. The cited trials used other preparations, a hops extract standardized for 8-prenylnaringenin or fresh sage leaves: their results do not directly translate to this formula. It is not recommended in case of personal or family history of breast cancer and is not intended for long-term use.

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Menopause Bio

A formula of plants from organic farming, in vegetable capsules. Three capsules per day, with meals, provide hops 480 mg, sage 390 mg, lemon balm 300 mg, maca 300 mg and blackcurrant 100 mg.

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The kudzu, another plant studied for menopausal hormone symptoms, has a dedicated guide.

In women, ginseng's effects on desire have mainly been studied after menopause. In a crossover trial, three capsules of 1 g of Korean red ginseng daily increased the arousal score on the Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire, the FSFI, from 3.10 to 3.50 in 28 menopausal women, with overall appreciation better than placebo. Two vaginal bleeds occurred during ginseng use.

In 66 menopausal women suffering from major depression who continued their antidepressant treatment, 250 mg of ginseng twice daily for 8 weeks, with no species specified, improved sexual function score by 2.17 points more than placebo. A meta-analysis on natural products attributes to Panax ginseng a moderate effect on arousal (0.54) and on desire (0.59), but the 2022 review finds no significant effect on overall sexual function (0.31, from 3 trials and 491 women): conclusions depend on the trials selected.

These trials are short and involve only dozens of women. Trials conducted in men are detailed in our article ginseng, libido and erectile function, and our comparison maca, tribulus and ginseng reviews other plants for desire. Our formula Female Libido, without ginseng, combines for 3 capsules maca 580 mg, rhodiola 600 mg, muira puama 300 mg and ginkgo 60 mg; it is not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding, for minors, in case of history of breast cancer and under antihypertensive, anticoagulant or antidiabetic treatment.

In 90 adults suffering from unexplained chronic fatigue, including 69 women, an ethanolic extract of Panax ginseng, at 1 or 2 g per day for 4 weeks, did not reduce the overall fatigue score compared to placebo, but improved mental fatigue; only the 2 g dose lowered the visual fatigue scale, from 7.3 to 4.4, versus 7.1 to 5.8 under placebo. In 52 women with multiple sclerosis, 250 mg of ginseng twice daily for 3 months, without species specification, reduced fatigue and improved quality of life compared to placebo.

A meta-analysis of 19 trials, with ginseng alone or herbal formulas based on ginseng, finds no significant reduction in fatigue across all situations (−0.36), but a small effect on chronic fatigue (−0.30) and fatigue without identified illness (−0.48), with no more adverse effects than in control groups. In 364 people suffering from fatigue, with or having had cancer, 2,000 mg per day of Wisconsin American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) improved the fatigue score from 20 to 8 weeks, versus 10.3 under placebo, with no significant difference at 4 weeks.

In a menstruating woman, fatigue therefore deserves first a blood test for ferritin: our guide on low ferritin details how to read it, and our article on heavy periods explains the link with iron deficiency. This trial used 80 mg of iron in the form of ferrous sulfate, a dose and form different from our Iron bisglycinate, which provides 14 mg of iron, 80 mg of vitamin C and 200 µg of vitamin B9 per capsule, 1 hour before a meal; it should only be used if a blood test confirms a deficiency, and not during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in case of hemochromatosis. Our article ginseng and fatigue details the other trials.

The HRG80 extract comes from Panax ginseng grown hydroponically, then steamed to produce red ginseng. According to the researchers who studied it, this process converts some of the major ginsenosides into so-called rare ginsenosides, such as Rg3 or Rk1, which are better absorbed.

This is a pilot study, on 50 people and two weeks per treatment, conducted by researchers linked to the extract producer: an encouraging result, to be confirmed. A second trial, open and without placebo, followed 188 people with chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia, mostly women: after one month of HRG80, 60.1% reported improvement. The authors emphasize its limitations: no placebo group, subjective criteria, approximately one quarter of enrollees lost to follow-up.

In these two trials, HRG80 is described as a red ginseng root powder, taken at approximately 418 mg per day in the pilot trial, and in the open trial 200 to 400 mg in capsules or 100 to 200 mg in tablets combined with cyclodextrin. Our Red Ginseng HRG80 provides 200 mg of HRG80 root extract per day, in 2 vegetable capsules, approximately half the dose of the pilot trial. Reserved for adults, it is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women and people under antidiabetic treatment.

In menopausal women, several trials measure mood. The commercial preparation mentioned above showed a gain on depression and well-being only in exploratory analysis; in the Chinese trial, the red ginseng beverage reduced depression and insomnia scores; in menopausal women suffering from major depression, 8 weeks of ginseng lowered the depression score by approximately 4 points more than placebo, in addition to their treatment. Conversely, in 57 menopausal women aged 51 to 66, a combination of ginkgo (120 mg) and Panax ginseng (200 mg) taken for 12 weeks improved neither mood nor menopausal symptoms nor memory and attention tests.

On memory, the Cochrane review on cognition concludes there is insufficient convincing evidence of an effect of Panax ginseng in healthy people. The HRG80 pilot trial measured attention in a work stress situation.

For mood, saffron has been the subject of trials that our saffron guide details; our Saffron (Safr'Inside) provides 30 mg of saffron extract standardized in safranal, in one capsule in the morning. It is not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding and before age 12, and requires medical advice in case of antidepressant, anxiolytic or anticoagulant treatment. Depressed mood lasting more than two weeks warrants a consultation.

By oral route, a first trial followed 82 women over 40 years old for 24 weeks: 3 g per day of a mixture of red ginseng extract, Torilus fructus and Corni fructus improved facial wrinkles and increased type I procollagen production, measured on skin samples, in the treated group only. Elasticity, hydration, redness and pigmentation did not change, and the effect cannot be attributed to ginseng alone, since it was a mixture.

An oral trial tested ginseng alone: in 78 women aged 40 to 60, 750 mg per day of an enzyme-treated red ginseng extract for 24 weeks reduced eye corner wrinkles and skin water loss, and improved its elasticity, compared to placebo. Small trial, to be confirmed. Our guide collagen, skin and wrinkles analyzes trials conducted with collagen.

On the cycle, human data is limited to a small single-blind Korean trial, initially focused on bisphenol A exposure: in 22 young women, 2.7 g of Korean red ginseng per day for 2 weeks attenuated, according to their questionnaire responses, cycle irregularities, menstrual pain and constipation. This is too little to conclude, and we identified no trial on premenstrual syndrome.

On female fertility, we identified no clinical trial in PubMed evaluating ginseng alone: available studies are conducted in animals or in the laboratory. Conversely, an isolated ginsenoside, Rb1, showed toxic effects on rat embryos cultured in vitro. In the event of a pregnancy plan, it is better to discuss it with your doctor before taking it. Our guide increase your fertility naturally details approaches studied in humans.

Three reasons: toxic effects of a ginsenoside on the embryo observed in the laboratory, human data too thin to rule out a rare risk, and no quality trial on the safety of ginseng during breastfeeding.

These results, obtained with an isolated ginsenoside on embryos in culture, do not directly translate to women, but justify caution. On the human side, a Swedish registry of 860,215 women who gave birth recorded 787 women (less than 0.1%) reporting plant use in early pregnancy, ginseng being among the most cited: no effect on newborns was found, but the number of exposures was too low to exclude rare effects, such as certain birth defects. During breastfeeding, a review of the best-selling plants, including ginseng, concludes that none have been evaluated by quality trials.

In trials conducted in postmenopausal women as in the 2022 review, ginseng modified neither estradiol, nor FSH, nor endometrial thickness; the 2016 review notes only a difference in DHEA. In the laboratory, the picture is more contrasted: at low concentration, a methanol extract of American ginseng stimulated the proliferation of estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells, an effect blocked by anti-estrogens, whereas the aqueous extract did not; at higher concentration, both extracts instead slowed their growth.

In humans, a cohort of 1,455 women with breast cancer in Shanghai observed that regular ginseng consumers before diagnosis, approximately 27% of patients, had a lower risk of death during follow-up (hazard ratio of 0.71). This is an association, which does not prove a protective effect and does not inform about the safety of use during cancer treatment. As a precaution, in case of a history of breast cancer or hormone-dependent cancer, ginseng should be discussed with the oncologist.

Two vaginal bleeding episodes occurred with red ginseng in the desire trial mentioned above, and the review of 19 meta-analyses mentions a possible risk of bleeding. Any bleeding after menopause must be reported to a doctor.

Three drug families require medical advice. The antidiabetics : in a meta-analysis of 16 trials, ginseng lowered fasting blood glucose by 0.31 mmol/L, a modest effect that can add to that of a treatment. The anticoagulants : in 20 healthy volunteers, two weeks of American ginseng reduced the effect of warfarin, with a peak INR lowered by 0.19 compared to placebo. Some antidepressants : a systematic review of adverse effects cites interactions reported with phenelzine, an antidepressant from the MAOI family, while judging these events rare with ginseng alone.

The guidelines below are practical advice, not study results; they are based on the duration of clinical trials conducted for menopause, ranging from 2 to 16 weeks, and on the instructions for use of our products.

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