- Fatigue and helplessness are the most common after-effects of COVID-19.
- The Korea Society of Ginseng presented the results of a study on the effect of red ginseng on improving fatigue and lethargy.
SEOUL, South Korea, April 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Korea Society of Ginseng disclosed the results of a study titled The Effect of Red Ginseng on Improving Fatigue, Lethargy and Stress Resistance at The Korea Society of Ginseng Spring Conference in 2022 held at Sejong University on the 21st. In particular, the timeliness of the results of this study are especially meaningful since an increasing number of people have complained of lingering fatigue and lethargy following recovery from coronavirus infection.
Photo provided by The Korea Society of Ginseng
- An increase in people's complaints of chronic fatigue and lethargy due to the aftereffects of COVID-19.
The medical community reports that fatigue is the most common lasting symptom of contracting coronavirus, along with ageusia (reduced sense of taste), anosmia (reduced sense of smell), breathing difficulties, and chronic cough.
Among them, the fatigue experienced by patients following coronavirus infection is similar to general chronic fatigue. However, fatigue caused by COVID-19 is marked by pronounced dullness and lethargy that can last up to several months, even after people otherwise recover from the coronavirus infection. In fact, according to the WHO's report, the sequelae of COVID-19 can last for three months, and some may even show symptoms for six to nine months.
- According to Kim Kyung-chul, a family medicine specialist, red ginseng effectively reduces fatigue and stress.
Kim Kyung-chul, a family medicine specialist (genetics expert member of the National Bioethics Committee for 21 years), analyzed 76 male and female subjects ranging in age from 20 to 70 who have experienced fatigue and stress at least once a week. He compared the subjects by dividing them into the red ginseng group (50 people) and the placebo group (26 people). As a result, he confirmed that the red ginseng group felt less fatigue and lethargy while boosting their resistance to stress. In particular, the effect was more notable in those suffering chronic fatigue from parasympathetic dominance.
- Professor Jeong Tae-ha of the Department of Family Medicine at Wonju Severance Christian Hospital and Professor Lee Yong-je of the Department of Family Medicine at Gangnam Severance Hospital confirmed that consumption of red ginseng improved fatigue symptoms and antioxidant capacity.
Professor Jeong Tae-ha of the Department of Family Medicine at Wonju Severance Christian Hospital and Professor Lee Yong-je of the Department of Family Medicine at Gangnam Severance Hospital conducted a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study for eight weeks with a total of 63 menopausal women (73 were initially enrolled in the study, 63 completed). As a result, it was confirmed through this randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial that the number of mitochondrial DNA copies and antioxidant capacity increased, and fatigue symptoms improved in the red ginseng group as biological aging indicators.
Many previous studies have also confirmed this fatigue improvement effect of red ginseng.
- Taking red ginseng improves fatigue, mood, walking ability, and enjoyment of life in cancer patients.
Researchers from 15 institutions in Korea, including Professor Kim Yeol-hong, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Korea University Anam Hospital, randomly assigned 438 colorectal cancer patients receiving mFOLFOX-6 therapy to the red ginseng group (219 people) and placebo group (219 people). The red ginseng group took 1000mg of red ginseng twice a day during the 16 weeks of chemotherapy. As a result, the fatigue level of the red ginseng group was significantly improved compared to the placebo group.
As a result of evaluating fatigue with the internationally accepted index, Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), the overall fatigue level up to 16 weeks was 81.07 in the red ginseng group compared to 78.10 in the placebo group, a significant improvement in the red ginseng group. The degree of fatigue caused by interpersonal relationships was 81.31 in the placebo group, whereas 86.43 in the red ginseng group showed a high fatigue improvement effect. This study has great significance in that it revealed red ginseng improved fatigue safely and effectively.
Professor Oh Se-gwan of the Department of Molecular Medicine at Ewha Womans University of Medicine said, "In a situation where many people complain of the lingering symptoms of fatigue and lethargy as sequelae of COVID-19, we expect red ginseng to aid in alleviating these debilitating aftereffects."
The antiviral effect of red ginseng against the surrogate coronavirus OC43 was also announced at The Korea Society of Ginseng Spring Conference along with a presentation of research results on the inhibitory effect of Korean ginseng on COVID-19 virus infection.
*References
Ginseng adjuvant therapy on COVID-19
