I remember exactly when I first tasted Ginseng through a tiny straw poked into a tiny bottle of amber liquid. Available still, if less common today, tiny bottles of Ginseng with Royal Jelly (aka "bee milk") were often sold individually from convenience store checkout counters. In my case, at our local mom and pop grocers.
My Gateway Nootropic
I discovered the joy of ginseng with royal jelly when I was twelve. We’d just moved to Capitola CA, where we had the best kind of mom-n-pop store for a twelve-year-old with one dollar on a good day. An Asian immigrant’s store, run by a couple with more grit than Goggins and more business sense than most CEOs.
Our neighbor-grocer sold the ginseng brand they consumed. With no employees or child day care, they worked endless hours, year after year. I’d bet Ginseng Royal Jelly likely played a role in their major business success over the years, to become prime commercial real estate owners.
Ginseng Royal Jelly
I’m grateful that Bong and his wife introduced me to Ginseng, my gateway nootropic. There was nothing like a hit of ginseng on my way to surf the Capitola jetty. I still have Asian ginseng in my cupboard today. It’s not for everyone, or every day. But when you need a quick mental energy lift, in my experience there’s nothing like it. The OG five hour nootropic energy without caffeine, or its downsides.
Ginseng root
Ginseng’s American Roots
On July 4th 2026, as I write, I want to highlight ginseng’s unique American history.
American ginseng once grew wild from Canada down to the American south. Native Iroquois and Mohawk used it to treat fever, indigestion, and improve stamina for who knows how long before introducing it to a Jesuit scholar in 1715. (Guess who “discovered” it. 🙄)
That scholar, Joseph-François Lafitau, hypothesized that Iroquois and Mohawk had Asiatic roots. He thought finding a species of ginseng in their foraging lands would support his hypothesis.[1] Spoiler: It didn’t. I, on the other hand, hypothesize that Joseph enjoyed his ethnobotanical adventure much more after “discovering” it, than before.
By the 1780s, Daniel Boone was harvesting ginseng in Kentucky and West Virginia for export to China. Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky is named to recognize this very American history.[2]
Russian botanist C.A. Meyer added “Panax” to identify ginseng’s most popular genus, in 1843. Borrowing from the Greek panakes, for 'all-healing' (pan, 'all,' plus akos, 'cure'). Aka “cure all”.[3] (Playing loose with medicinal claims is as old as history itself.)
Today, Marathon County Wisconsin is the US "Ginseng Capital", where up to 95% of American ginseng is grown.
Asia’s Nootropic
Like Ashwagandha, Ginseng has a unique place in the deeply rooted (sorry, this pun is required, apparently) history of Asia’s nootropics.
13th Century CE, Yuan Dynasty: Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) was utilized as a nutritional longevity medicine. Just in time for Marco Polo to observe and write about it.
17th Century CE, Qing Dynasty: American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) was officially cataloged in Chinese medicine in the Essential of Materia Medica as a “cooling”, yin-nourishing adaptogen (HPA axis stress > cortisol response).
“Ginseng strengthens the soul, brightens the eye, opens the heart, expels evil, benefits understanding and if taken for prolonged periods of time will invigorate the body and prolong one’s life.”
Yin vs Yang
In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) the goal is yin/yang balance. Herbal remedies are prescribed to help bodily systems and symptoms restore their yin/yang equilibrium.[4][5]
American ginseng is on the Yin side, for “cooling”. Asian ginseng is on the Yang, “warming” side.[6]
Consumption
Throughout history and around the world today, ginseng is most commonly consumed as a tea. But in the US, the 10ml liquid vial I first discovered it in comes via traditional low-heat extraction process, then blended with water, honey, and ~0.5% alcohol.
Wild ginseng itself, however, has not been afforded the natural equilibrium it was once taken for. It is endangered in North America, and nearly extinct in China, from over-harvesting.[7][8]
Mechanism
Ginseng's ginsenosides (Rb1, Rg1, Rd) cross the blood-brain barrier and support cognition by raising acetylcholine and BDNF, tuning dopamine and serotonin, and lowering neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.
General Efficacy & Benefits of Asian vs. American Ginseng Compared
TL;DR
Asian ginseng has much more research evidence. It’s also considered stronger, but that may reflect the asymmetry of research as much as any measurable difference in effect. Either way, American ginseng indicates some change in brain activity, yet little evidence to support cognitive performance gains.[9] Asian ginseng research, on the other hand, indicates measurable gains in memory and reaction time, plus boosts to energy, metabolism, circulation.[10][11]
- Cognitive / nootropic potential ↑
- Antioxidant protection against age-related memory decline ↑
- Noticeably faster reaction time, the strongest cognitive effect measured for ginseng and close to prescription modafinil (Cohen's d = 0.86; modafinil 0.77, Bacopa 0.95)
- Better working memory after eight weeks of daily use (significant, 200 mg/day, single trial)
- Faster mental arithmetic and processing speed after twelve weeks (significant, 200 mg/day)
- Quicker attention from a single higher dose (significant, 400 mg, separate trial)
- No change in sustained attention or concentration
- Cognition in healthy adults ↑ potential but unproven; acute results inconsistent
- Active ginsenosides flagged mechanistically: Rg3, Rh1, Rh2, Rb1, Rd, Rg2, Rb3; Compound K (favorable pharmacokinetics)
- Fatigue / physical function ↑
- Sexual function ↑
- Menopausal symptoms ↑
- Metabolic indicators ↑
- Inflammatory markers ↑
- Unstable angina ↑
- Respiratory disease ↑
- Cardiovascular function ↑
- Glucose metabolism ↑
- Sexual function ↑
- Anti-fatigue ↑
- Psychomotor performance ↑
- Anti-oxidation ↑
- Meaningful cognitive improvement in vascular dementia (3-point gain over placebo on the ADAS-cog scale, 95% CI −4.91 to −1.10)
- Improved blood flow to the brain (p < 0.001)
- Better daily functioning and quality of life (significant)
- Note: ginkgo + ginseng + saffron formula tested.
- Circulatory / cardiovascular function ↑ (patient populations)
- Secondary memory ↑ (patient and healthy populations)
- Brain plasticity / age-related brain function ↑ (central and peripheral mechanisms)
- Cognitive function improves during use; benefit declines after stopping
- Attention ↑
- Reaction time ↑
- Mood ↑
- Cognition in mild cognitive impairment / aging-related decline ↑ modest; more consistent than American ginseng
- Small but measurable memory improvement, still modest at higher doses; the low end of the range sits almost on zero, so a negligible improvement in practice (SMD 0.19, 95% CI 0.02–0.36, p < 0.05; high dose 0.33, 0.04–0.61)
- No measurable change in general thinking ability (SMD 0.06, −0.64–0.77, p = 0.86)
- No measurable change in attention (SMD 0.06, −0.12–0.23, p = 0.54)
- No measurable change in planning and focus (SMD −0.03, −0.28–0.21, p = 0.79)
- Based on 15 controlled trials, 671 people
- Amyloid-β production ↓ favorable: inhibited
- Amyloid-β clearance ↑
- Tau hyperphosphorylation ↓ favorable: suppressed
- Neuroprotection / anti-inflammatory ↑
- Cognitive function in AD models ↑
- Greater prefrontal brain engagement during working-memory recall (significant)
- No change in task performance
- No change on a sustained-attention task
- Single 200 mg dose, ages 40–60
Consumption Tips For Bioavailability
Safety Profile
Both Asian and American ginseng are considered generally safe for healthy adults at recommended doses. Adverse effects are usually mild and transient. [4][12][14][16]
Asian ginseng
Most common side effects: insomnia, headache, digestive upset, and elevated blood pressure at high doses [14][16]
Contraindicated or use with caution in hormone-sensitive conditions (estrogenic activity reported) [15]
Interacts with warfarin (prescription anticoagulant aka "blood thinner"), MAOIs, and selegiline [3][16]
Interacts with midazolam [3]
Hepatotoxicity reported in rare cases at high doses [15]
Not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding [19]
American ginseng
Generally milder stimulant profile than Asian ginseng [14][16]
Fewer reports of insomnia or hypertension [14][18]
Shares warfarin interaction risk (monitor INR) [17][12]
Avoid with antidiabetic medications and in hypoglycemia-prone individuals [18]
Fewer documented drug interactions overall compared to Asian ginseng [16][18]
Not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding [19]
Combined, non-species-specific safety
Avoid co-consumption with blood thinners [4][12][17]
Avoid if autoimmune conditions exist [14][16]
Stop two weeks before any surgery [16]
The Other Ginsengs
Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus, Russia/Northeast Asia)
Contains eleutherosides rather than ginsenosides, placing it in a distinct adaptogen category.
Brazilian Ginseng / Suma (Pfaffia paniculata, South America)
Active compounds are pfaffic acid and ecdysteroids, structurally unrelated to ginsenosides.
Vietnamese Ginseng (Panax vietnamensis, Vietnam)
Highest known concentration of ocotillol-type ginsenosides (majonosides), absent in Asian and American species.
Sanchi / Notoginseng (Panax notoginseng, Yunnan, China)
Ginsenoside profile similar to Asian ginseng but distinguished by the presence of notoginsenoside R1.
Ashwagandha is sometimes referred to as Indian ginseng but active compounds are withanolides, not saponins, with no structural overlap with ginsenosides.
Next Up
Next week we continue the Cognitive Enhancements Deep Dives series working down the list of indirect cognitive enhancement supplements to another favorite: Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR), the Uber driver of fatty acids for cellular energy.
Which Topics Interest You Most?
Until then, eat fresh foods and stay active Beautiful Self-aware Brain!
🫶🏽
Footnotes:
[1] Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Joseph-François Lafitau. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph-Fran%C3%A7ois_Lafitau
[2] United Plant Savers. (n.d.). History of American Ginseng. Wild American Ginseng. https://www.wildamericanginseng.org/history
[3] Frazer, E., Zhao, C., Lee, J., Shaw, J., Lai, C., Bota, P., & Allee, T. (2025). A review of the mechanisms and risks of Panax ginseng in the treatment of alcohol use disorder. Diseases, 13(9), 285. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases13090285
[4] Chua, Y. T., Ang, X. L., Zhong, X. M., & Khoo, K. S. (2015). Interaction between warfarin and Chinese herbal medicines. Singapore Medical Journal, 56(1), 11–18. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4325561/
[5] Ou, B., Huang, D., Hampsch-Woodill, M., & Flanagan, J. A. (2003). When east meets west: The relationship between yin-yang and antioxidation-oxidation. The FASEB Journal, 17(10), 127–129. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.02-0479fje
[6] Clinical Pharmacognosy, Historical Ethnopharmacology, and Recent Clinical Trials of Panax Species. In: The History, Efficacy, and Safety of Ginseng and Glucosamine.
[7] Indiana Department of Natural Resources. (n.d.). Ginseng. https://www.in.gov/dnr/nature-preserves/ginseng
[8] McGraw, J. B., Lubbers, A. E., Van der Voort, M., Mooney, E. H., Furedi, M. A., Souther, S., & Nuckols, J. B. (2013). Ecology and conservation of ginseng (*Panax quinquefolius*) in a changing world. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1286(1), 62–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12115
[9] Scholey, A., Ossoukhova, A., Owen, L., Ibarra, A., Pipingas, A., He, K., Roller, M., & Stough, C. (2010). Effects of American ginseng (*Panax quinquefolius*) on neurocognitive function: An acute, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Psychopharmacology, 212(3), 345–356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-010-1964-y
[10] Park, K. C., Jin, H., Zheng, R., Kim, S., Lee, S. E., Kim, B. H., & Yim, S. V. (2019). Cognition enhancing effect of panax ginseng in Korean volunteers with mild cognitive impairment: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Translational and Clinical Pharmacology, 27(3), 92–97. https://doi.org/10.12793/tcp.2019.27.3.92
[11] Reay, J. L., Scholey, A. B., & Kennedy, D. O. (2010). Panax ginseng (G115) improves aspects of working memory performance and subjective ratings of calmness in healthy young adults. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 25(6), 462–471. https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.1138
[12] Choi, S., Oh, D. S., & Jerng, U. M. (2017). A systematic review of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions of herbal medicine with warfarin. PLoS ONE, 12(8), e0182794. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182794
[13] Szczuka, D., Nowak, A., Zakłos-Szyda, M., Kochan, E., Szymańska, G., Motyl, I., & Blasiak, J. (2019). American ginseng (*Panax quinquefolium* L.) as a source of bioactive phytochemicals with pro-health properties. Nutrients, 11(5), 1041. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051041
[14] Kim, Y.-S., Woo, J.-Y., Han, C.-K., & Chang, I.-M. (2015). Safety analysis of Panax ginseng in randomized clinical trials: A systematic review. Medicines, 2(2), 106–126. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines2020106
[15] Paik, D. J., & Lee, C. H. (2015). Review of cases of patient risk associated with ginseng abuse and misuse. Journal of Ginseng Research, 39(2), 89–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgr.2014.11.005
[16] Thompson Coon, J., & Ernst, E. (2002). Panax ginseng: A systematic review of adverse effects and drug interactions. Drug Safety, 25(5), 323–344. https://doi.org/10.2165/00002018-200225050-00003
[17] Yuan, C.-S., Wei, G., Dey, L., Karrison, T., Nahlik, L., Maleckar, S., Kasza, K., Ang-Lee, M., & Moss, J. (2004). American ginseng reduces warfarin's effect in healthy patients: A randomized, controlled trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, 141(1), 23–27. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-141-1-200407060-00011
[18] Mucalo, I., Jovanovski, E., Vuksan, V., Božikov, V., Romić, Ž., & Rahelić, D. (2014). American ginseng extract (*Panax quinquefolius* L.) is safe in long-term use in type 2 diabetic patients. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2014, 969168. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/969168
[19] Seely, D., Dugoua, J.-J., Perri, D., Mills, E., & Koren, G. (2008). Safety and efficacy of Panax ginseng during pregnancy and lactation. Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 15(1), e87–e94. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18204104/