American Ginseng
HerbalAlso called · 3 names▾▴
Panax quinquefolius, North American ginseng, ginseng
Herbal supplement (ginseng)
Herbs and supplements are not FDA-approved before sale. About these sources
- Other
Research strength: 1 / 5
MotherToBaby says that most herbs have limited pregnancy research, and its fact sheet does not give guidance specific to American ginseng. A 2016 mouse study gave female mice American ginseng root extract for two weeks before mating and throughout pregnancy. The oral extracts did not significantly change fertility or pregnancy in mice, but the highest tested dose, 2,000 mg/kg/day, lowered maternal weight gain. A separate dish test found reduced development in early mouse embryos, and a 2021 review described the American-ginseng pregnancy evidence as unclear based on animal and in-vitro findings. Evidence for the first trimester is insufficient because no human study was identified in the sources reviewed. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16
Research strength: 1 / 5
MotherToBaby says that most herbs have limited pregnancy research, and its fact sheet does not give guidance specific to American ginseng. A 2016 mouse study gave female mice American ginseng root extract for two weeks before mating and throughout pregnancy. The oral extracts did not significantly change fertility or pregnancy in mice, but the highest tested dose, 2,000 mg/kg/day, lowered maternal weight gain. A separate dish test found reduced development in early mouse embryos, and a 2021 review described the American-ginseng pregnancy evidence as unclear based on animal and in-vitro findings. Evidence for the second trimester is insufficient because no human study was identified in the sources reviewed. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16
Research strength: 1 / 5
MotherToBaby says that most herbs have limited pregnancy research, and its fact sheet does not give guidance specific to American ginseng. A 2016 mouse study gave female mice American ginseng root extract for two weeks before mating and throughout pregnancy. The oral extracts did not significantly change fertility or pregnancy in mice, but the highest tested dose, 2,000 mg/kg/day, lowered maternal weight gain. A separate dish test found reduced development in early mouse embryos, and a 2021 review described the American-ginseng pregnancy evidence as unclear based on animal and in-vitro findings. Evidence for the third trimester is insufficient because no human study was identified in the sources reviewed. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16
American Ginseng — Breastfeeding
Research strength: 1 / 5
According to LactMed, ginseng has no specific use during breastfeeding and information about its use in nursing mothers is limited. LactMed reports that many sources recommend against it because of possible estrogen-like activity and lack of information. A 2015 review that included ginseng also found limited evidence about herbal supplements during breastfeeding. These summaries do not provide American-ginseng-specific human study findings for breastfeeding. Evidence for American ginseng during breastfeeding is insufficient. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16
Pregnancy
MotherToBaby's fact sheet is general guidance about herbal products, not an American-ginseng study. Belanger et al. (2016) gave female mice alcoholic or aqueous whole-root extracts at 50, 500, or 2,000 mg/kg/day by gavage, for two weeks before mating and throughout gestation. Oral use did not significantly affect fertility or pregnancy, and 2,000 mg/kg/day lowered maternal weight gain. Separately, two-cell mouse embryos cultured with the whole extracts showed concentration-responsive reductions in development; effects from alcoholic extract were largely reversible. These are mouse and in-vitro results, not human pregnancy outcomes. Roe and Venkataraman (2021) reviewed American ginseng specifically and described its pregnancy evidence as equivocal based on in-vitro and in-vivo studies. Ritchie et al. (2026) tested isolated ginsenoside Rg3, not a whole ginseng product, on day-13 rat embryos in culture. The abstract reports slowed embryonic heart rate across the tested ingredients and an acceptable margin for Rg3. This is not direct evidence about American-ginseng products or people.
Breastfeeding
LactMed's entry covers American and Asian ginseng and reports no data on ginseng use during breastfeeding. It says many sources recommend against it because of possible estrogen-like activity and lack of information. Amer et al. (2015) reviewed nine popular herbal supplements, including ginseng; the literature search extended through June 2014 and the review found limited evidence supporting use during lactation. Seely et al. (2008) reviewed Panax ginseng, or Asian ginseng, and its abstract also reports no human lactation studies. That review does not establish American-ginseng-specific findings. No American-ginseng-specific human breastfeeding study was identified in the sources reviewed.
LactMed identifies American ginseng as Panax quinquefolius and says its root contains steroidal saponins called ginsenosides. LactMed also cautions that dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients and that labeled ingredients or amounts may differ from the product contents.
What was tested
Belanger et al. (2016) tested two-cell mouse embryos in culture and female mice given alcoholic or aqueous American ginseng root extracts at 50, 500, or 2,000 mg/kg/day from two weeks before mating through gestation. The study assessed embryo development, fertility, pregnancy, gestation period, litter size, pup growth, and pup sex ratio. Ritchie et al. (2026) tested isolated ginsenoside Rg3 in day-13 rat embryo culture; it did not test an American ginseng root product or oral use. Roe and Venkataraman (2021) reviewed botanical nootropic studies and discussed American ginseng pregnancy evidence; Amer et al. (2015) and Seely et al. (2008) are reviews, not American-ginseng human trials. No human pregnancy or breastfeeding study was identified in the sources reviewed.
We found no disagreement between the sources checked.
- MotherToBaby advises people who are pregnant or planning pregnancy to discuss herbal products and their intended use with a healthcare provider. It notes that other therapies may have more pregnancy information. (MotherToBaby)
- LactMed reports that many sources recommend against ginseng during breastfeeding because of possible estrogen-like activity and lack of information. (LactMed (NIH))
General research, not specific to pregnancy.
LactMed lists adult side effects and drug interactions, and notes that supplement contents can vary.
- LactMed lists headache, high blood pressure, diarrhea, sleeplessness, skin rash, and vaginal bleeding among commonly reported side effects in adults. (LactMed (NIH): Ginseng)
- LactMed notes that ginseng can lower blood levels of some medicines, including warfarin, and can increase the effects of sedating medicines. (LactMed (NIH): Ginseng)
- LactMed cautions that supplements may contain multiple ingredients and can differ from their labels in ingredients or amounts, so findings for one product may not apply to another. (LactMed (NIH): Ginseng)
- MotherToBaby: Herbal Products fact sheetTeratology serviceSecondary
- LactMed (NIH): GinsengUS governmentSecondaryPage dated 2021-12-20
- Belanger et al., American Journal of Chinese Medicine 2016: Effects of American Ginseng on Preimplantation Development and Pregnancy in MiceUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Roe and Venkataraman, Current Neuropharmacology 2021: The Safety and Efficacy of Botanicals with Nootropic EffectsUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Amer et al., Journal of Human Lactation 2015: Safety of Popular Herbal Supplements in Lactating WomenUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Seely et al., Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2008: Safety and Efficacy of Panax Ginseng During Pregnancy and LactationUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Ritchie et al., Birth Defects Research 2026: The Effect of Some Complementary Medicine Active Components on Rat Embryonic Heart Rate In VitroUS governmentPrimary
Last reviewed 2026-10-16
Independent check 2026-10-16
Not yet clinician-reviewed
Ask your provider about your situation.