Siberian ginseng and AIDS

September 20, 2003

ECA8E.htm

Siberian ginsengUpdated: Aug 01, 2003 Siberian ginseng (“Eleutherococcus

senticosus”) is described as an adaptogen, a compound thought to be able to

normalise the functioning of the body whatever form of disease is present. It

should not be confused with forms of panax ginseng (Chinese or Korean) available

in health food shops.

All the research into Siberian ginseng has been carried out in the former Soviet

Union. Siberian ginseng has been shown to stimulate the activity of killer and

helper T-cells (CD8 and CD4). It has also been shown to reduce chemotherapy

side-effects and appears to increase resistance to viral infections.

“Eleutherococcus” has been shown to produce cases of insomnia, morning

diarrhoea, nervousness, depression, confusion, skin rash and high blood

pressure. Ginseng is also known to increase the effects of a family of

anti-depressant drugs called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (prescribed as

“Marplan”, “Nardil”, “Parnate” and “Manerix”), and patients taking these drugs

should refrain from taking ginseng. In addition, women taking ginseng sometimes

experience swollen and tender breasts as well as the absence of periods,

probably due to the small amounts of oestrogen in these plants.

References

Report of the use of eleutherococcus with breast cancer patients in

Eleutherococus Clinical Data, USSR Foreign Trade Publications, Medexport, 1970.

Shechezhin AK et al. Tentative data on the mass Eleutherococcus prophylaxis of

influenza at the main assembly line and metallurgical plant of the Volga

Automobile plant. Second All-Union Conf of the Adaptation of Man, 1977.

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