A randomized, controlled trial of ginseng consumption on the immune response to a moderate exercise stress protocol in non-athletic women

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • McCargar, Linda J.
  • Harber, Vicki J.
  • Field, Catherine J.
  • Biondo, Patricia D.

• Background: Ginseng is a popular herbal remedy that has been proposed to increase resistance to stress and enhance immune function. Regular moderate exercise results in an acute physiological stress that affects immune function. Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of daily consumption of a standardized ginsenosidecontaining North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) extract on immune function before, immediately after, and during recovery from moderate exercise in healthy, non-athletic women. Research design and methods: A double-blinded randomized trial was conducted where healthy female subjects (n=12) were randomized to receive either ginseng (1125 mg/d; n=6) or placebo (n=6) for four weeks. An exercise test was performed and peripheral blood collected before and after the four-week treatment period. Immune assays (phenotype analysis, neutrophil function, lymphocyte proliferation and natural killer cell cytotoxicity) were performed before, immediately after, and 30 minutes post-exercise. Results: Ginseng-treated subjects had a lower (P < 0.05) proportion of antigen mature CD4+CD45RO+ peripheral blood cells before and after exercise, and experienced a sustained reduction (P < 0.05) in the proportions of total CD28+ and CD4+CD28+ cells during recovery from exercise. The ginseng group had significantly higher mitogen-stimulated neutrophil function (oxidative burst) at all exercise protocol time points (P < 0.05). There were no effects of ginseng on the proportions of other immune cells, lymphocyte proliferation, or natural killer cell cytotoxicity in peripheral blood. Conclusions: The consumption of ginseng for a four-week period improved the ability of neutrophils to respond to stimulation and produced changes consistent with less T cell activation after an acute exercise stress.

• Date created

  2010

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Exercise
  • Ginsenosides
  • Immune
  • Ginseng
  • Randomized controlled trials
  • Women

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3P84487Z

• License

  Attribution 4.0 International