Asian Ginseng
HerbalAlso called · 9 names▾▴
Chinese ginseng, Korean ginseng, red ginseng, white ginseng, ginseng root, Panax ginseng, Ginseng radix, ginsing, ginseng
Herbal supplement (fatigue and stress)
Herbs and supplements are not FDA-approved before sale. About these sources
- Tea
- Capsule/tablet
- Liquid extract
- Powder
- Topical
Research strength: 1 / 5
NCCIH says some studies suggest oral Asian ginseng may pose a concern in pregnancy because a ginseng compound affected animal embryos. Studies of isolated ginsenoside Rb1 found developmental changes in rat and mouse embryo models, but they do not establish effects in people using whole-root products. EMA does not recommend medicinal ginseng root in pregnancy because data are limited; its 2025 summary excludes food supplements. The human report identified involved pregnant people treated for poor fetal growth at 31 to 34 weeks. It provides no first-trimester outcome evidence. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16
Sources
- NCCIH: Asian GinsengUS government
- EMA: EU herbal monograph on Panax ginseng radix, revision 1EU agencyEuropean guidance
- EMA: Ginseng root public assessment summaryEU agencyEuropean guidance
- Zhang et al., human IUGR treatment comparison (1994)US government
- Chan et al., rat embryo culture study of isolated Rb1 (2003)US government
- Liu et al., mouse embryo culture study of isolated Rb1 (2005)US government
Research strength: 1 / 5
NCCIH says some studies suggest oral Asian ginseng may pose a concern in pregnancy because a ginseng compound affected animal embryos. Studies of isolated ginsenoside Rb1 found developmental changes in rat and mouse embryo models, but they do not establish effects in people using whole-root products. EMA does not recommend medicinal ginseng root in pregnancy because data are limited; its 2025 summary excludes food supplements. The human report identified involved pregnant people treated for poor fetal growth at 31 to 34 weeks. It provides no second-trimester outcome evidence. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16
Sources
- NCCIH: Asian GinsengUS government
- EMA: EU herbal monograph on Panax ginseng radix, revision 1EU agencyEuropean guidance
- EMA: Ginseng root public assessment summaryEU agencyEuropean guidance
- Zhang et al., human IUGR treatment comparison (1994)US government
- Chan et al., rat embryo culture study of isolated Rb1 (2003)US government
- Liu et al., mouse embryo culture study of isolated Rb1 (2005)US government
Research strength: 2 / 5
NCCIH says some studies suggest oral Asian ginseng may pose a concern in pregnancy because a ginseng compound affected animal embryos. Studies of isolated ginsenoside Rb1 found developmental changes in rat and mouse embryo models, but they do not establish effects in people using whole-root products. EMA does not recommend medicinal ginseng root in pregnancy because data are limited; its 2025 summary excludes food supplements. A small 1994 study compared 28 pregnant people treated for poor fetal growth at 31 to 34 weeks with 26 who received nutrition treatment. Its abstract reports growth measures, not miscarriage or birth defects. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16
Sources
- NCCIH: Asian GinsengUS government
- EMA: EU herbal monograph on Panax ginseng radix, revision 1EU agencyEuropean guidance
- EMA: Ginseng root public assessment summaryEU agencyEuropean guidance
- Zhang et al., human IUGR treatment comparison (1994)US government
- Chan et al., rat embryo culture study of isolated Rb1 (2003)US government
- Liu et al., mouse embryo culture study of isolated Rb1 (2005)US government
Asian Ginseng — Breastfeeding
Research strength: 1 / 5
LactMed says no data exist on ginseng effects in nursing mothers or infants, and NCCIH says little is known about breastfeeding. EMA's 2025 summary says not to use medicinal ginseng root while breastfeeding because data are inadequate; it does not cover food supplements. A 2025 rat study found offspring changes after exposure from pregnancy through lactation, but it cannot show whether exposure before or after birth caused them. No human milk-transfer or nursing-infant study was identified in the reviewed sources. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16
Sources
- LactMed: GinsengUS government
- NCCIH: Asian GinsengUS government
- EMA: Ginseng root public assessment summaryEU agencyEuropean guidance
- Cheng et al., rat ginseng extract study during gestation and lactation (2025)
Pregnancy
Seely et al.'s 2008 review said a cohort study found no adverse pregnancy effects. The primary abstract behind that evidence describes 28 people with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) treated with ginseng saponin tablets at 31 to 34 weeks and 26 people with IUGR receiving nutrition treatment. The abstract reports fetal growth and newborn measures, not miscarriage or congenital malformations. In rat and mouse embryo culture, isolated ginsenoside Rb1 reduced growth and development measures; the 2003 rat study called the effect teratogenic. A 2019 mouse study also reported impaired early embryo development after a high injected dose of isolated Rb1. These are experimental findings about a single constituent, not proof of effects from whole-root use in people. A 2025 study in Sprague-Dawley rats administered ginseng extract during pregnancy and lactation and reported dose- and sex-specific offspring findings; its exposure window cannot distinguish prenatal from milk exposure. A 2026 rat embryo culture study found bradycardia after isolated ginsenoside Rg3 exposure, while its authors calculated an acceptable margin estimate for Rg3.
Breastfeeding
LactMed reports no data on ginseng effects in nursing mothers or infants and says many sources recommend against use during lactation because of possible estrogen-like activity and missing information. NCCIH says little is known about Asian ginseng during breastfeeding. EMA's 2025 public summary advises against medicinal ginseng root during breastfeeding because data are inadequate, and expressly excludes food supplements. No human milk-transfer or nursing-infant outcome study was identified in the reviewed sources. In a 2025 rat study, ginseng extract was administered from mating through the end of lactation; offspring changes were reported, but the study cannot show whether prenatal exposure, milk exposure, or both account for them.
Asian ginseng is Panax ginseng. NCCIH describes red and white ginseng as two preparations of Asian ginseng and identifies the root as the plant part most often used. EMA's medicinal monograph describes root preparations including oral tea, powders, and extracts. LactMed notes that supplements can contain multiple ingredients and that product composition may vary, so findings for one preparation may not describe every product.
What was tested
The human evidence identified is one small late-pregnancy comparison involving people with IUGR. Other pregnancy evidence includes isolated ginsenoside Rb1 studies in rat and mouse embryo models, a mouse injection experiment, and a 2026 rat embryo-culture study of isolated Rg3. The 2025 offspring study used whole ginseng extract in rats across gestation and lactation. No human breast-milk transfer or nursing-infant outcome study was identified in the reviewed sources. The evidence does not establish outcomes for every product, dose, or trimester.
How much does the human pregnancy evidence establish about Panax ginseng?
- Source A says
- NCCIH says some studies suggest oral Asian ginseng may pose a concern in pregnancy because a constituent affected animal embryos. EMA says medicinal ginseng root use is not recommended because pregnancy data are insufficient. (NCCIH: Asian Ginseng, EMA: EU herbal monograph on Panax ginseng radix, revision 1, EMA: Ginseng root public assessment summary)
- Source B says
- Seely et al.'s 2008 review said a cohort study found no adverse pregnancy effects, but its underlying human report describes a small IUGR comparison at 31 to 34 weeks. (Seely et al., review of Panax ginseng in pregnancy and lactation (2008), Zhang et al., human IUGR treatment comparison (1994))
- Why they differ
- The review's broad summary relies on a narrow late-pregnancy treatment comparison. The agency cautions also reflect limited human data and experimental animal findings for isolated ginseng compounds. These sources address different evidence types and do not establish the same pregnancy outcomes.
- Other sources
- A 2025 rat study adds offspring findings after exposure across gestation and lactation, but does not separate prenatal from milk exposure. (Cheng et al., rat ginseng extract study during gestation and lactation (2025))
- What the evidence shows overall
- NCCIH's animal evidence and EMA's data-gap advice do not establish human pregnancy outcomes. Zhang's 1994 abstract reports late IUGR treatment measures, not miscarriage or birth-defect outcomes, and does not resolve earlier pregnancy.
- NCCIH advises people considering Asian ginseng during pregnancy to consult a health care provider. (NCCIH)
- EMA's 2025 public summary advises against medicinal ginseng root during pregnancy or breastfeeding because data are inadequate; it excludes food supplements. (European Medicines Agency)
General research, not specific to pregnancy.
NCCIH says insomnia is the most common reported side effect and lists uncommon reports of severe rash, liver damage, and serious allergic reactions. It also notes that ginseng may affect blood clotting, lower blood sugar, and interact with medicines.
- NCCIH lists insomnia as the most common side effect and uncommon reports of severe rash, liver damage, and severe allergic reactions. (NCCIH: Asian Ginseng)
- NCCIH says Asian ginseng may interfere with blood clotting, lower blood sugar, and interact with certain medicines. (NCCIH: Asian Ginseng)
- LactMed: GinsengUS governmentSecondaryPage dated 2021-12-20
- NCCIH: Asian GinsengUS governmentSecondary
- EMA: EU herbal monograph on Panax ginseng radix, revision 1EU agencySecondaryPage dated 2024-05-29Independent checkEuropean guidance
- EMA: Ginseng root public assessment summaryEU agencySecondaryPage dated 2025-11-19Independent checkEuropean guidance
- Zhang et al., human IUGR treatment comparison (1994)US governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Seely et al., review of Panax ginseng in pregnancy and lactation (2008)US governmentPrimary
- Chan et al., rat embryo culture study of isolated Rb1 (2003)US governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Liu et al., mouse embryo culture study of isolated Rb1 (2005)US governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Huang et al., mouse oocyte and embryo study of isolated Rb1 (2019)US governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Cheng et al., rat ginseng extract study during gestation and lactation (2025)PrimaryIndependent check
- Ritchie et al., rat embryo heart-rate study of isolated Rg3 (2026)US governmentPrimaryIndependent check
Last reviewed 2026-10-16
Independent check 2026-10-16
Not yet clinician-reviewed
Ask your provider about your situation.
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