Ginseng Shown to Improve Arthritis Symptoms in Women with Osteopenia

by | Jan 11, 2022 | 2021, Arthritis, Bone Health, Botanicals, Ginseng, Women's Health

Written by Jessica Patella, ND. Supplementing with ginseng extract for 12 weeks in postmenopausal women with osteopenia showed improved makers of bone metabolism and bone formation.

bone healthOsteopenia is the precursor to osteoporosis, which leads to bone loss in the body.  In the United States 18.8% of women over 50 have osteoporosis, as it primarily effects women after menopause 1, 2.  Panax notoginseng saponins (PNSs) are a constituent of the ginseng plant and have been reported to inhibit postmenopausal osteoporosis 3, but clinical trials have been lacking.  A new double-blind, placebo-controlled trail found that ginseng extract showed improvement in bone markers and arthritis symptoms for women with osteopenia 1.

Panax ginseng is used worldwide and has a historical medicinal history for thousands of years.  Typically, it is used as an adaptogen, meaning it helps to balance the body and bring homeostasis to the systems of the body 1, 4.  Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have found ginseng extract improves bone metabolism and osteoporosis 1, 5, 6.  Based on these preclinical trials, researchers wanted to investigate if ginseng extract would be beneficial in a clinical trial 1.

The research included 90 participants who were randomly divided into a placebo group, a low-dose ginseng group (1g) and a high-dose ginseng group (3g), for 12- weeks.  The participants all took 6 capsules per day, 3 before breakfast and 3 before dinner.  All participants received blood tests, bone density tests and DEXA scans (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry).  All subjects were instructed to maintain their regular physical activity and food habits and not to consume any  other supplements during the study period 1.

After 12weeks of supplementation the following results were observed:

  • The 3g/day ginseng group had significantly increased serum osteocalcin (OC) concentration
  • The 3g/day ginseng group had a significant decrease in urine deoxypyridinoline/ osteocalcin (DPD/OC) ratio, representing bone resorption and bone formation.
  • The 3g/day ginseng group also showed improvements in the WOMAC index scores, a degenerative arthritis index rating pain, stiffness and physical function.
  • The 3g/day ginseng group also reported improved knee arthritis symptoms.

These results indicate a dose of ginseng extract of 3 grams per day for 12 weeks showed improvements in bone markers in postmenopausal women.  Researchers suggest a long-term study over a period of one year to determine therapeutic benefits, although results of the study are consistent with the in vitro and in vivo studies 1.

In conclusion, supplementing ginseng extract for 12 weeks in postmenopausal women with osteopenia showed improved makers of bone metabolism and bone formation.  This was the first double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating ginseng on bone metabolism and arthritis 1.

Source: Jung, Su-Jin, Mi-Ra Oh, Dae Young Lee, Young-Seob Lee, Geum-Soog Kim, Soo-Hyun Park, Soog-Kyoung Han, Young-Ock Kim, Sun-Jung Yoon, and Soo-Wan Chae. “Effect of Ginseng Extracts on the Improvement of Osteopathic and Arthritis Symptoms in Women with Osteopenia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.” Nutrients 13, no. 10 (2021): 3352.

© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Posted January 11, 2022.

Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health. She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Visit her website at www.awarenesswellness.com.

References:

  1. Jung SJ, Oh MR, Lee DY, et al. Effect of Ginseng Extracts on the Improvement of Osteopathic and Arthritis Symptoms in Women with Osteopenia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Nutrients. Sep 24 2021;13(10)doi:10.3390/nu13103352
  2. Prevention C-CfDCa. Fast Facts Osteoporsis. CDC. Accessed April 14, 2021, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/osteoporosis.htm
  3. Avsar U, Karakus E, Halici Z, et al. Prevention of bone loss by Panax ginseng in a rat model of inflammation-induced bone loss. Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand). Feb 2 2013;59 Suppl:Ol1835-41.
  4. Choi KT. Botanical characteristics, pharmacological effects and medicinal components of Korean Panax ginseng C A Meyer. Acta pharmacologica Sinica. Sep 2008;29(9):1109-18. doi:10.1111/j.1745-7254.2008.00869.x
  5. Kim HM, Kim DH, Han HJ, et al. Ginsenoside Re Promotes Osteoblast Differentiation in Mouse Osteoblast Precursor MC3T3-E1 Cells and a Zebrafish Model. Molecules. Dec 29 2016;22(1)doi:10.3390/molecules22010042
  6. Kim HJ, Park KH, Kim DH, Chae HJ, Sung GH, Kim YO. In vitro assessments of bone microcomputed tomography in an aged male rat model supplemented with Panax ginseng. Saudi J Biol Sci. Sep 2018;25(6):1135-1139. doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2018.04.006