Red Ginseng – A Major Leap Forward for Energy, CFS, Fibromyalgia, and Long Covid


Jacob Teitelbaum, MD

Double Your Energy in Less Than One Minute a Day?

It’s easier than you may think. Recently, I completed four studies exploring effective treatment for post-viral and other causes of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia (CFS/FMS)–which is what Long Covid, also known as PASC (Post-Acute Sequelae of Covid) is.

Studies only included people with severe CFS/FMS/PASC, having at least a 50% decrease in function. Three different treatments (two of which are available in the United States and one overseas) were studied. Results showed that the increase in energy and stamina was dramatic.

What We Studied

  1. A unique form of red ginseng, available as Red Ginseng Energy1 (EuroMedica – from Emerson Ecologics). This will be the focus of today’s article.
  2. A unique oral serum dipeptide mix called Recovery Factors. This is not yet available in the United States, but is available everywhere else from www.recoveryfactors.com. For practitioners outside the US, they will soon be setting up an affiliate program as well, and if interested in information, or copies of the two Recovery Factor studies2 (or all four studies discussed in this article), feel free to email me and request them at FatigueDoc@gmail.com
  3. A mix of six nutrients, including especially Ashwagandha and Rhodiola. This latter study is still being prepared for submission for publication and showed an average 80% increase in stamina in fibromyalgia. The Ashwagandha and Rhodiola components are available as Ashwagandha Complex (also from EuroMedica). The other components (ribose, licorice, green tea extract and Schisandra) are available from many sources.

But today, I would like to focus on this unique form of red ginseng–which is what I take myself on days where I want more energy.


Ginseng – The Asian Miracle Recovers

For centuries, ginseng had been the most popular herb in China and much of Asia. Unfortunately, the overharvesting of wild ginseng led to it becoming insanely expensive (over $700 a pound), and essentially not available. The newer farmed ginsengs just didn’t work anywhere near as well, so its popularity started to wane. Because of this, I stopped using ginseng in my practice over 30 years ago.

Old wild ginseng produced over 50 different ginsenosides, as a protective response to the insect attacks and difficult weather. But these are usually not found in most farmed ginseng. And the ginsenosides currently produced are poorly absorbed and minimally effective unless converted into “rare (noble) ginsenosides.”

Table 1 – Key Ginsenoside Content of HRG 80 [Red Ginseng Energy]3

Table 1: Content of the highly active rare ginsenosides (% of dry powdered root) in
Korean red Panax ginseng preparation HRG80 Red Ginseng Energy. R1, R2 and
R3 = Glc–β-Dglucopyranosyl; Arap-α-L-arabinopyranosyl;
Araf- α-L-arabinofuranosyl; Rha- α-Lrhamnopyranosyl.3

But now, a unique new ingenious aquaponic farming technique, which reproduces the challenges the plant faced in the wild, has allowed a unique farmed ginseng to have the same active component profile as the 17-year-old wild plants. Table 1 shows the extraordinarily high level of active rare ginsenosides in the Red Ginseng Energy product used in our study.

When I first heard about this new form of ginseng, having given up on the herb over the decades, my initial reaction was “whatever.” Until I tried one. Being fairly energy sensitive, I could feel the effects quickly. So, I offered it to people I treat with the disabling fatigue of fibromyalgia. It was life-changing for so many people that I decided to do a study.

I recruited 188 people with post-viral or other causes of fibromyalgia who had at least a 50% decrease in function and energy. They took just one half to two a day of the unique red ginseng chewable tablets (or 2 to 4 of the capsules). I will let the published study results1 speak for themselves:

An Open-Label, Pilot Trial of [a unique] Red Ginseng Energy in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Post-Viral Fatigue. Pharmaceuticals 2022, 15, 43.1

Results: 188 subject patients completed the one-month treatment trial. 60.1% rated themselves as improved, with 13.3% rating themselves as much better (p<.001), with a
• 67% average increase in energy
• 44% average increase in overall well-being
• 48% average improvement in mental clarity
• 46% average improvement in sleep
• 33% average decrease in pain
• 72% average increase in stamina

Conclusions: This unique form of aquaponically grown red ginseng (Red Ginseng Energy) resulted in marked improvement in people with CFS and fibromyalgia. This included the subgroup with post-viral CFS/FMS. Https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/15/1/43/pdf


Supporting Our Adrenal Stress Handlers in These Times of Stress

Red ginseng has shown increased effectiveness for fatigue and cognition relative to other forms of ginseng.3,4 It may be especially helpful for stress-induced psychological fatigue as well.5 Importantly, this may be via modulation of the cortisol stress response via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis,6 which is significantly impaired in CFS,7 showing decreased adrenal gland response to CRH stimulation. As I frequently note, being hangry reflects adrenal fatigue. These are key mechanisms by which the stress of modern life causes this.

I find this simple tool to be a powerful way to begin the healing process. Not only for people suffering fatigue and cognitive dysfunction, but also chronic pain. I recommend using the chewable tablet form of Red Ginseng Energy, as the natural gamma cyclodextrin it contains increases absorption about sevenfold.


Some Other Benefits

In addition to dramatically increasing energy, cognition, sleep, and stamina, effective forms of red ginseng, high in rare ginsenosides, also provides the following:

  1. Improves sexual pleasure and erectile function.8 Which is one of the reasons it was so popular in China. In a personal communication discussing his research, Prof. Alexander Panossian noted: “[Red Ginseng Energy] showed significant effects on the expression of genes …involved in synthesis and secretion of … follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). FSH and LH are released into the general circulation and act on the testes and ovaries to initiate and maintain reproductive function… controlling sperm production and maturation…GnRH activity influences a variety of sexual behaviors…[and] facilitate sexual displays and behavior in females. An elevation of GnRH raises testosterone capacity beyond the average range in males.”
  2. Immune benefits, including patrolling for tumors9 and helping in infections,10
  3. Decreases inflammation,11
  4. Addresses a key component of pain called microglial activation;12 ginseng may also act as an NMDA receptor antagonist,
  5. Helps memory in general and may even help dementia,13
  6. Increases insulin sensitivity,14
  7. Even helps hangover!15

There’s a good reason why, once more having a highly effective form of ginseng, it has again become one of my favorite herbs. If you look on my desk, you will see just a single supplement there, that I take on days that I am busy and want to turbocharge my energy. It is the Red Ginseng Energy chewable tablets!


References

  1. Teitelbaum, J.; Goudie, S. An Open-Label, Pilot Trial of HRG80™ Red Ginseng in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Post-Viral Fatigue. Pharmaceuticals 2022, 15, 43. Https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/15/1/43/pdf
  2. Teitelbaum J, Morello G, Goudie S. Nutritional Intervention in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia (CFS/FMS) A Unique Porcine Serum Polypeptide Nutritional Supplement. The Open Pain Journal, December 31, 2020, Volume 13:52.
    https://openpainjournal.com/VOLUME/13/PAGE/52/FULLTEXT/
  3. Lemerond T, Panossian AG. Panax ginseng Meyer Herbal Preparation HRG80 for Preventing and Mitigating Stress-Induced Failure of Cognitive Functions in Healthy Subjects. J Altern Complement Integr Med. 2020; 6: 100.
  4. Mariage PA, Hovhannisyan A, Panossian AG. Efficacy of Panax ginseng Meyer herbal preparation HRG80 in preventing and mitigating stress-induced failure of cognitive functions in healthy subjects: A pilot, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. Pharmaceuticals. March 29, 2020;13(4):57. doi: 10.3390/ph13040057.
  5. Choi J.Y., Woo T.S., Yoon S.Y., et al. Red ginseng supplementation more effectively alleviates psychological than physical fatigue. J. Ginseng Res. 2011;35:331–338. doi:
    10.5142/jgr.2011.35.3.331.
  6. Lee S, Rhee DK. Effects of ginseng on stress-related depression, anxiety, and the hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal axis. Journal of Ginseng Research. 2017 Oct;41(4):589-594. DOI: 10.1016/j.jgr.2017.01.010.
  7. Demitrack MA, Crofford LJ. Evidence for and pathophysiologic implications of hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1998 May 1;840:684-97. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09607.x. PMID: 9629295.
  8. Jang D-J, Lee MS, Shin B-C, Lee Y-C, Ernst E. Red ginseng for treating erectile dysfunction: a systematic review. Br J Clin Pharmacol. October 2008;66(4):444-450.
  9. Miner, E. Long-Term Study Confirms Anti-Carcinogenic Properties in Korean Red Ginseng. HerbalGram, 89 pages 26 – 27. https://www.herbalgram.org/resources/herbalgram/issues/89/table-ofcontents/rr_ginsengcarcino/
  10. Henson,S. Korean Red Ginseng Boosts the Immune System of Healthy Participants. HerbalGram, 132, pages 29 – 30 https://herbalgram.org/resources/herbalgram/issues/132/table-ofcontents/hg132-resrvw-koreanredginseng/
  11. Kim JK, Shin KK, Kim H, Hong YH, Choi W, Kwak YS, Han CK, Hyun SH, Cho JY. Korean Red Ginseng exerts anti-inflammatory and autophagy-promoting activities in aged mice. J Ginseng Res. 2021 Nov;45(6):717-725. doi: 10.1016/j.jgr.2021.03.009. Epub 2021 Apr 6. PMID: 34764726; PMCID: PMC8569327.
  12. Xu X, Jin L, Jiang T, Lu Y, Aosai F, Piao HN, Xu GH, Jin CH, Jin XJ, Ma J, Piao LX. Ginsenoside Rh2 attenuates microglial activation against toxoplasmic encephalitis via TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. J Ginseng Res. 2020 Sep;44(5):704-716. doi: 10.1016/j.jgr.2019.06.002. Epub 2019 Jun 14. PMID: 32913400; PMCID: PMC7471213.
  13. Heo J-H, Lee S-T, Chu K, et al. An open-label trial of Korean red ginseng as an adjuvant treatment for cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Eur J Neurol. 2008;15: 865-868.
  14. Vuksan V, Sung M, Sievenpiper J, et al. 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 Nutr, Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2006:Epub ahead of print.
  15. Lee MH, Kwak JH, Jeon G, Lee JW, Seo JH, Lee HS, Lee JH. Red ginseng relieves the effects of alcohol consumption and hangover symptoms in healthy men: a randomized crossover study.
    Food Funct. 2014 Mar;5(3):528-34. doi: 10.1039/c3fo60481k. PMID: 24458173.

Published May 6, 2023

About the Author

Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, is a board certified internist and nationally known expert in the fields of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, sleep and pain. He has authored numerous books including the best-selling From Fatigued to Fantastic! (now in its 4th edition). He is the lead author of numerous studies on effective treatment for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, and one study on effective treatment of autism using NAET.