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Ginseng (Panax)
Ginseng (Panax) — what the European monograph actually supports, what it is not for, the form and how long it is meant to be used, side effects, and the 3 medicine interactions documented for it.
This is a reference page, not a diagnosis and not a prescription. Herbal products are real pharmacology: they have effects, side effects and interactions with medicines. Tell your doctor and your pharmacist everything you take, including teas and supplements, and never stop or change a prescribed medicine because of anything you read here.
What it is
Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. — root (Ginseng radix)
Local names across the region this site serves: ženšenn (ET) · ginseng (FI) · женьшень (RU).
Grouped here under Mind, mood and fatigue. Regulatory position: EU herbal monograph — traditional use.
What the evidence supports
The registered indication: Symptoms of asthenia such as fatigue and weakness.
Three unrelated things are sold in Europe as ginseng and the labels rarely help. Panax ginseng (Korean or Asian ginseng) is the one with the EU traditional-use monograph. Panax quinquefolius, American ginseng, is a different species with a different ginsenoside profile. Eleutherococcus senticosus, sold as Siberian ginseng, is not a Panax at all and has its own separate monograph. Even within Panax ginseng, ginsenoside content varies by age of root, growing region and processing (white versus red), which is why trials of "ginseng" for fatigue are so hard to compare. The registered indication is deliberately modest: symptoms of weakness and fatigue, in adults, short term.
C — Traditional use only Plausible from thirty or more years of use, which is what a traditional-use registration means. No clinical evidence was required and none has settled it.
What it is not for
Persistent tiredness, which deserves a cause: anaemia, iron or B12 deficiency, thyroid disease, sleep apnoea, depression and diabetes all present this way and all have treatments.
Form, strength and how long
Dried root, powders, teas, tinctures and standardised extracts, plus a large market of energy drinks and tonics containing token amounts.
Duration. Traditional-use registrations frame it as a course of a few weeks to about three months, with a break rather than continuous use.
No gram figure appears on this page on purpose. The plant part, the extraction solvent and the drug-to-extract ratio together define a preparation, and a number taken from one does not describe another. The reasoning is set out on the hub; the amount that applies to you is the one printed on the pack you are holding, and a pharmacist will read it with you.
Side effects
Insomnia is the most commonly reported effect, which is awkward for something taken for fatigue. Headache, stomach upset, nervousness and changes in blood pressure are also reported.
Who should avoid it
Not recommended in pregnancy or breastfeeding, and adults only in most registrations.
Interactions with medicines
| Medicine or substance | What is described |
|---|---|
| Anticoagulants and antiplatelets (warfarin, DOACs, aspirin, clopidogrel) | Reduced warfarin effect — a falling INR — has been reported with Panax ginseng, which is the reason it appears on anticoagulant interaction lists. |
| Diabetes medicines and insulin | Ginseng has been reported to lower blood glucose. On its own that is not a problem; alongside insulin or glucose-lowering medicines it is a reason to test more often and to tell the diabetes team. |
| MAOI antidepressants | Case reports describe headache, tremor and mania when ginseng was combined with an MAOI antidepressant. MAOIs are prescribed carefully for a reason and nothing should be added to them casually. |
The reverse view — start from the medicine rather than the plant — is in the medicine, food and alcohol interactions reference, and summarised for every herb on this site.
Sources: European Medicines Agency — Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), European Union herbal monographs · NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health — herb fact sheets · checked 2026-09-06
Frequently asked questions
What is ginseng (panax) used for?
Symptoms of asthenia such as fatigue and weakness. Three unrelated things are sold in Europe as ginseng and the labels rarely help. Panax ginseng (Korean or Asian ginseng) is the one with the EU traditional-use monograph. Panax quinquefolius, American ginseng, is a different species with a different ginsenoside profile. Eleutherococcus senticosus, sold as Siberian ginseng, is not a Panax at all and has its own separate monograph. Even within Panax ginseng, ginsenoside content varies by age of root, growing region and processing (white versus red), which is why trials of "ginseng" for fatigue are so hard to compare. The registered indication is deliberately modest: symptoms of weakness and fatigue, in adults, short term.
Does ginseng (panax) work?
Graded C here: Plausible from thirty or more years of use, which is what a traditional-use registration means. No clinical evidence was required and none has settled it. Persistent tiredness, which deserves a cause: anaemia, iron or B12 deficiency, thyroid disease, sleep apnoea, depression and diabetes all present this way and all have treatments.
How much ginseng (panax) should I take?
This reference does not print gram figures, because they do not transfer between preparations of different extract strength. What can be said honestly is the form and the duration: Dried root, powders, teas, tinctures and standardised extracts, plus a large market of energy drinks and tonics containing token amounts. Traditional-use registrations frame it as a course of a few weeks to about three months, with a break rather than continuous use.
What are the side effects of ginseng (panax)?
Insomnia is the most commonly reported effect, which is awkward for something taken for fatigue. Headache, stomach upset, nervousness and changes in blood pressure are also reported.
Does ginseng (panax) interact with medicines?
Yes — documented for Anticoagulants, warfarin, Diabetes medicines, MAOIs. Each one is described on this page, with a link to the medicine-side reference where one exists.
Others in mind, mood and fatigue
St John's wort
Mild to moderate depressive episodes, for particular standardised dry extracts; traditional-use preparations are also registered for temporary mental exhaustion and, externally, for minor wounds and skin inflammation.
Ginkgo
Improvement of cognitive impairment and of quality of life in mild dementia, for a specific standardised leaf dry extract used under medical supervision.
Rhodiola (roseroot)
Temporary relief of symptoms of stress, such as fatigue and a sensation of weakness.
Ashwagandha
Nothing a European regulator has assessed. It is marketed for stress, sleep, testosterone and athletic performance.
Keep the whole list in one place
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