Effects of ginseng consumption on the biomarkers of oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#humans #antioxidants #dietary-supplements #panax #oxidative-stress

Effects of ginseng consumption on the biomarkers of oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Ren et al., 2023 | Phytother Res | Meta Analysis

Citation

Ren Qian, Lin Jie, ... Xu Yong. Effects of ginseng consumption on the biomarkers of oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2023-Aug;37(8):3262-3274. doi:10.1002/ptr.7893

Abstract

Oxidative stress (OS) is a key factor involved in the initiation and development of chronic diseases. Despite its widespread acceptance as an antioxidant, the effects of ginseng on OS in human clinical trials have not been comprehensively analyzed. Therefore, this study aimed to synthesize the results of previous randomized clinical trials (RCTs) examining the impact of ginseng consumption on OS indicators. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were searched for articles on the effects of ginseng consumption on oxidative stress markers up to March 20, 2023. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess effect sizes. Twelve RCTs with 15 effect sizes revealed that the effects of ginseng lowered serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (SMD = 0.45, 95% CI: -0.87, -0.08; p = 0.03) and significantly increased the serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (SMD = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.45; p = 0.04), oxidative dismutase (SOD) (SMD = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.57; p < 0.0001), glutathione (GSH) (SMD = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.11, 0.61; p = 0.005), and glutathione reductase (GR) (SMD = 0.56; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.81; p < 0.0001) levels compared to the effects of placebo. However, the effects on serum glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) were not significant. Moreover, subgroup analysis based on intervention duration showed that ginseng consumption increased GPx (SMD = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.05, 1.78; p = 0.039) and CAT (SMD = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.27, 1.21; p = 0.002) levels after more than 4 weeks of intervention. According to the results of this meta-analysis, ginseng supplementation dramatically reduced MDA levels and increased TAC, SOD, GSH, and GR levels. Our results open up a new line of defense against oxidative stress-induced diseases.

Key Findings

Our results open up a new line of defense against oxidative stress-induced diseases.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition stress

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Antioxidants
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Panax
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Biomarkers
  • Glutathione Peroxidase
  • Superoxide Dismutase

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review, Journal Article
  • Vertical: ginseng

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09