Cancer is a terrible diagnosis to receive from your health practitioner but treatments of all types of cancer are improving at a dramatic rate. While the treatments are increasing in effectiveness however, they can still be hard on the body. Additionally the cancer itself has effects beyond the area actually impacted by the cancerous tissue. Around 90 per cent of all cancer patients report a debilitating fatigue that results from the immune system battling to balance inflammatory cytokines and the hormone cortisol. The good news is that a new study has shown that American Ginseng can help relieve that all-consuming fatigue.
Ginseng is perhaps one of the master remedies of herbal medicine. It has been used as a medicine for at least 5000 years and is a true representative of a category of herbal medicines known as ‘adaptogens’. These adaptogens are general tonics that have three healing qualities; they increase the body’s resistance to adverse conditions, help the body adapt, and cause minimal (if any) harm. Under the umbrella name of Ginseng there are three major and quite distinct species of plant. There is Panax ginseng (Asian or Korean Ginseng), Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian Ginseng) and Panax quinquefolium (American Ginseng). In the latest research it was American Ginseng that has shown promise for people dealing with cancer.
In the trial 340 cancer patients from 40 different medical centres were given 2000 milligrams of American Ginseng root per day. After four weeks there were few signs of benefit. However, after eight weeks there was a sudden jump in energy levels reported by those taking ginseng as opposed to those on the placebo.
At that eight week mark on a standardised 100 point fatigue scale there was a 20 point improvement in the cancer patients taking ginseng.
You should only consider taking ginseng while being treated for cancer after discussing the option with your health practitioner but this study is good evidence that the general supportive actions of American Ginseng may have an application in cancer treatment.
