ConsumerLab.com - independent tests of ginseng

July 12, 2000

Check out this disturbing lab test.

http://www.consumerlab.com/results/ginseng.html

Of particular note is the high contamination levels of korean ginseng.

This is hardly surprising since Korea is a rich capitalist country with

little or no environmental laws and massive gov't and corporate

corruption. I no longer plan to use korean grown herbs until this

matter is cleared up. Highly carcinogenic compunds were found at 20X

allowable levels.

Also, of note, is that all of the products that met criteria for purity

and potency were all produced by major corporations. Most foreign and

small concern products failed on various criteria. This is either a

corporate conspiracy or further validation that poor unregulated

companies cannot be trusted to be scrupulous in this regard.

Paid advertisements appear in the column below.

Product Review: Asian American Ginseng

Background:

Ginseng is widely used in the U.S. as a dietary supplement by consumers seeking to improve general energy and vitality, particularly during times of fatigue or stress. The most commonly used type of ginseng is Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A., Meyer), often sold as Panax, Chinese, or Korean ginseng. Closely related to Asian ginseng is American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.), which is sometimes preferred for its milder effects. Siberian ginseng, also called eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus Rupr ex Maxim), is not as closely related to the other two, is often considered somewhat weaker in action, and is a less expensive ingredient.

Other reported uses of ginseng include normalizing blood sugars, such as in diabetes, stimulating immune function, and treating male impotence. Biologically, ginseng has been shown to allow cells to more readily use stored sugar, enabling red blood cells to carry more oxygen. However, the clinical evidence for ginseng's effectiveness has been mixed.

Ginseng-containing dietary supplements are typically made from a powder or extract of ginseng root. Plant chemicals called ginsenosides are believed to play a role in ginseng's activity. They are considered "marker" compounds for ginseng, i.e., their presence (or absence) and their profiles can indicate the type and quality of ginseng present in a product.

Safety concerns have been raised over potential pesticide and heavy metal contamination in some botanical products. For example, the pesticide pentachloronitrobenzene (known as quintozene or PCNB), a possible carcinogen that may also be toxic to the liver and kidney and impair oxygen transport in the blood, has been reported in samples of ginseng. However, neither the FDA nor any other federal or state agency routinely tests ginseng products, or other supplements, for quality prior to sale.

ConsumerLab.com, as part of its mission to independently evaluate products that affect health, wellness, and nutrition, purchased many of the leading Asian and American ginseng dietary supplements sold in the U.S. and tested them for identity, quality and purity.

Testing Results:

In April and May 2000, ConsumerLab.com purchased a total of 22 brands of Asian and American ginseng products to determine whether they possessed 100% of the claimed amounts and types of ginseng. If the type or amount of ginseng was not clearly labeled, products were held to specific minimum standards selected by ConsumerLab.com. (see Passing Score). Products were also required to meet purity requirements for heavy metals (lead, arsenic, and cadmium) and the pesticides hexachlorobenzene, quintozene, and lindane (see Testing Methods and Passing Score). Hexachlorobenzene is a probable human carcinogen and has been banned from most food crop use throughout the world. Quintozene and lindane are potential carcinogens that may also be toxic to various organs and are generally not allowed for use on food products in the U.S.

Seventeen of these products were Asian (labeled as Panax ginseng, Asian ginseng, Chinese ginseng, or Korean ginseng), four were American ginseng, and one was a mixture of Asian, American, and Siberian ginseng (see How Products were Selected). One of the American ginseng products made of root powder was immediately eliminated from further testing as it was it was labeled to contain only 0.589% ginsenosides, which is below the 2.0% minimum for American ginseng root powder required to pass ConsumerLab.com testing. The remaining twenty-one products were tested.

Only nine products tested met all of ConsumerLab.com's criteria for ginseng quality and purity. Each of these nine passing products was also found to meet the State of California's stringent standard for lead levels (see Passing Score).

Among the twenty-one products that underwent testing, twelve did not pass testing as they did not pass one or more criteria as follows:

Eight products contained unacceptable levels of both quintozene and hexachlorobenzene. Two of these products had levels of these pesticides more than twenty times the allowed amount. None of the products tested surpassed the limit for the pesticide lindane.

Two products contained lead above the acceptable level (3 micrograms per daily serving). None of the products tested, however, were found to contain significant levels of arsenic or cadmium.

Seven products had less than the required concentration of ginsenosides.

In summary, out of the twenty-two products evaluated (including the one product dropped from testing as described above), 9 products passed all three general criteria (i.e., ginsensosides, pesticides, and heavy metals) while 5 failed two criteria and 8 failed a single criterion. Interestingly, all eight of the products that contained lead or pesticides were labeled as containing "Korean" ginseng. In fact, only 2 of the 12 products containing Korean ginseng passed. Among the eight Korean ginseng products contaminated with pesticides three also had low ginsenoside levels and two others had high lead levels. Two Korean ginseng-containing products failed solely on low ginsenoside levels.

Listed alphabetically by name below are the products that passed ConsumerLab.com's independent testing of Asian and American ginseng dietary supplements.

CONSUMERLAB.COM APPROVED QUALITY ASIAN AMERICAN GINSENG PRODUCTS

Product Name, Type of Ginseng, Labeled Amount of Ginseng (and Ginsenoside Concentration when on label) Manufacturer or Distributor

Celestial Seasonings Ginseng (Asian) 100mg/capsule (7% ginsenosides)Celestial Seasonings, Inc.

Centrum Herbals Ginseng (Asian) 100mg/capsule (7% ginsenosides)Whitehall-Robins Healthcare

Ginsana (Asian) 100mg/softgel (4% ginsenosides)Dist. By Pharmaton Natural Health Products

NaturaLife Ultra Active Ginseng (Korean) 150mg/softgel (5% ginsenosides)Dist. By NaturaLife Corp.

Nature Made Chinese Red Panax Ginseng 1250mg/softgelNature Made Nutritional Products

One A Day Energy Formula (American) 200mg/tablet Bayer Corp.

PharmAssure Standardized Korean Ginseng 500mg/capsule (4% ginsenosides) Dist. By PharmAssure

Root to Health American Ginseng 500mg/capsuleHsu's Ginseng Enterprises, Inc.

Walgreens Finest Gin-Zing Concentrate (Asian) 100mg/softgelDist. By Walgreen Co.

It can not be assumed that other products from a manufacturer or distributor listed above are of similar quality to those that passed testing. If a specific product is not listed, it either has not passed testing or was not tested. (Note to manufacturers: Testing of additional products may be requested through ConsumerLab.com's Ad Hoc Testing Program. Products that pass this testing will be added to the list above.) A complete listing of laboratory results for all products tested are available in a Technical Report that may be purchased.

What to Consider When Buying and Using These Products:

Ideally, product labels should indicate the type of ginseng, the form (powder or extract), the percent concentration of ginsenosides, and the amount of ginseng per tablet in milligrams (mg) or grams. This information should also be considered when comparing the cost of products. For example, among the products evaluated, the labeled amount of ginseng root extract ranged from 100 mg to 200 mg per tablet and the labeled amount of ginseng root powder ranged from 150 mg to 500 mg per tablet.

As seen in this and other ConsumerLab.com Product Reviews, however, labels may not be accurate. For example, among the 15 products identifying ginsenoside concentrations on their labels, only 10 met or exceeded these claims. To further assist consumers, ConsumerLab.com is licensing its flask-shaped CL Seal of Approved Quality for Ginseng (see The CL Seal) to manufacturers for use on labels of products that have passed its testing. ConsumerLab.com will periodically re-evaluate these products to ensure their compliance with ConsumerLab.com's standards.

Generally recommended daily doses of ginseng are 200 mg of a standardized extract (minimum of 3% total ginsenosides for Asian ginseng and minimum of 4% total ginsenosides for American ginseng, although some products may contain higher level) taken as 100 mg twice daily, or 1,000 to 2,000 mg (1 to 2 grams) of root powder. Effects may take a few days before onset. While ginseng has been generally been found to be safe at recommended doses, high doses may cause over-stimulation and insomnia, which can be exacerbated by excessive caffeine intake. Hypertension has been reported with ginseng use. Hypoglycemia has also occurred with long term use, as have menstrual abnormalities. Drug interactions have been noted between ginseng and both estrogens and blood thinners such as warfarin. Due to such potential actions and interactions, consumers should inform their healthcare providers of the dietary supplements they take. The safety of ginseng has not been well evaluated during pregnancy or nursing and is not recommended.

Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only. It is not an endorsement of any product nor it is it meant to substitute for the advice provided by physicians or other healthcare professionals. The information contained herein should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease.

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