effect of ginseng and the level of ginsenosides on blood pressure in individuals with hypertension.
Published: 2006
Language: eng
Number of pages: 195
ISBN-13: 9780494158951
Description: The two most commonly consumed ginseng types---Korean red ginseng (KRG) and North American ginseng (NAG)---lack randomized-controlled-trial (RCT) evidence for their effects on blood pressure (BP). We therefore sought to establish RCT evidence for their effects on BP, while also exploring if a relationship existed between BP and the level of ginsenosides---bioactive phytochemicals found in KRG and NAG. To address these objectives, three double-blinded, crossover RCTs (study-1, -2, and -3) were conducted in hypertensive individuals.In study-1, two batches of KRG (3g each) were tested, and the batch delivering a ginsenoside level of &sim;20mg/3g significantly lowered BP for 160min relative to placebo, while the batch delivering &sim;60mg/3g had no effect. In study-2, six batches of NAG (3g each; ginsenoside level-range: &sim;155-200mg/3g) had no effect on BP for 160min relative to placebo. However, when the systolic-BP outcomes for the six NAGS were adjusted for placebo and compared there was a positive-increasing linear trend in systolic-BP across the ginsenoside levels, where the NAGS with the lowest and highest levels significantly differed in their effects. In study-3, 12-week intake of a NAG batch from study-2 at 3g/d showed no effect on 24-hour BP at week-12 versus placebo, which provided long-term confirmation of NAG's acute effect. These studies suggested that---relative to placebo---KRG could lower BP and NAG had no effect; also, the ginsenoside level showed a positive relationship with BP. To further explore these observations,  post-hoc analysis-1 was performed. In it, data from study-1 (KRG) was pooled and compared to pooled data from study-2 (NAG), with both adjusted for placebo. While it showed KRG (median ginsenoside level: &sim;40mg/3g) to be antihypertensive versus NAG (median ginsenoside level: &sim;179mg/3g) the ginsenoside level---not the ginseng type---better explained this.Overall, these preliminary findings suggested that, at 3g, ginseng's (KRG and NAG) effect on BP is related to the ginsenoside level irrespective of the ginseng type.Post-hoc analysis-2 addressed the relationship between BP and the ginsenoside level, which ranged 10-fold across the 8 ginseng batches (2-KRG, study-1; 6-NAG, study-2). Linear-regression revealed a positive-increasing significant linear association, where the total ginsenoside level predicted BP.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: B, page: 3715.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Toronto, 2006.

Includes bibliographic references.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.