{"id":2032,"date":"2025-05-22T16:11:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T08:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/?p=2032"},"modified":"2025-06-13T16:43:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T08:43:48","slug":"%e4%ba%ba%e5%8f%83%e5%b0%8d%e5%a4%a7%e8%85%a6%e7%9a%84%e9%9b%99%e5%90%91%e9%ad%94%e6%b3%95%ef%bc%9a%e8%b6%8a%e5%90%83%e8%b6%8a%e9%86%92%ef%bc%9f%e9%82%84%e6%98%af%e8%b6%8a%e5%90%83%e8%b6%8a%e7%9d%8f","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/en\/2025\/05\/22\/%e4%ba%ba%e5%8f%83%e5%b0%8d%e5%a4%a7%e8%85%a6%e7%9a%84%e9%9b%99%e5%90%91%e9%ad%94%e6%b3%95%ef%bc%9a%e8%b6%8a%e5%90%83%e8%b6%8a%e9%86%92%ef%bc%9f%e9%82%84%e6%98%af%e8%b6%8a%e5%90%83%e8%b6%8a%e7%9d%8f\/","title":{"rendered":"Ginseng and the Brain: The More You Take, the More Awake\u2014or More Drowsy?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 id=\"%e7%b5%90%e8%ab%96%e6%90%b6%e5%85%88%e7%9c%8b\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick Takeaway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Ginseng\u2019s effects on the brain aren\u2019t linear\u2014it follows a U-shaped response.\nA small dose may boost alertness, a moderate amount can actually promote sleep, while too much may lead to overstimulation again!\n\nThis phenomenon has a scientific name: biphasic dose response, also known as hormesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"%e5%8a%91%e9%87%8f%e4%b8%8d%e5%90%8c%ef%bc%8c%e6%95%88%e6%9e%9c%e5%a4%a7%e4%b8%8d%e5%90%8c%ef%bc%88%e8%a8%98%e5%be%97%e7%9c%8b%e6%b8%85%e6%a5%9a%e6%98%af%e4%ba%ba%e9%ab%94%e3%80%81%e5%8b%95%e7%89%a9\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Same herb, different dose, totally different effect!\nAnd don\u2019t forget to check: is it a human study, animal model, or just a petri dish?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Dose<\/th><th>What Was Observed<\/th><th>References and Evidence Grading<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>200\u2013400 mg of G115\u00ae per day or 0.5\u20132 g of raw herb (based on human studies)<\/td><td>Enhances attention and mental arithmetic performance, and reduces fatigue\n(using standardized G115\u00ae extract)<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0269881105053286\">Reay JL, 2005<\/a>Design: Randomized, double-blind, crossover trial\nLevel of Evidence: Moderate to High<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4.5 g of red ginseng per day for 2 consecutive weeks (based on human studies)<\/td><td>Increases deep sleep duration (Stage 3), reduces light sleep (Stage 2), and promotes sleep onset.<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/koreascience.kr\/article\/JAKO201022241310833.page\">Lee SA, 2010<\/a>Design: Small-scale randomized controlled trial\nLevel of Evidence: Moderate<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Red ginseng extract at 10\u2013200 mg\/kg (animal study, rats)<\/td><td>Increases non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and total sleep time, potentially associated with changes in GABA_A receptor activity.<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC3659601\/\">Lee CI, 2012<\/a>Model: Animal study\nLevel of Evidence: Low to Moderate<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>200 mg to 3 g of raw herb per day, for up to 12 weeks (based on clinical observations and reports)<\/td><td>May cause adverse effects such as insomnia, irritability, palpitations, and elevated blood pressure.<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/vitamins\/ai\/ingredientmono-1000\/panax-ginseng\">WebMD<\/a>Source: Expert consensus and user-reported experiences\nLevel of Evidence: Low<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"%e7%82%ba%e4%bb%80%e9%ba%bc%e6%9c%83%e9%80%99%e6%a8%a3%ef%bc%9f%e4%ba%ba%e5%8f%83%e7%9a%84%e3%80%8c%e9%9b%99%e9%87%8d%e8%ba%ab%e5%88%86%e3%80%8d%e6%88%90%e5%88%86\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"> What\u2019s Going On? Ginseng\u2019s Two-Sided Compounds Explained<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Isn\u2019t it fascinating?\nHow can the same ginseng produce such different effects depending on how much you take?\n\nThe answer lies in its active compounds\u2014such as Rg1, Rh1, Rb1, and Rd\u2014which are some of the key bioactive ingredients in ginseng.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Rg1 \/ Rh1 (Low Dose):\nIt\u2019s like having a cup of invigorating tea in the morning\u2014these compounds help wake up your brain, boost alertness, and sharpen focus.\n\nThey\u2019re especially suitable for busy mornings or study sessions when you need to stay mentally sharp.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"translation-block\">Rb1 \/ Rd (Moderate Dose):\nThese are more like a warm glass of milk before bed\u2014they help your brain produce GABA, a calming neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and makes it easier to fall asleep.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Ginseng feels like it\u2019s playing double duty\u2014your morning boost and your bedtime calm, all in one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Other ways ginseng may work include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Mild enhancement of NMDA and 5-HT1A receptor activity (associated with improved learning and concentration)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">At moderate doses, it acts on GABA_A and adenosine A1 receptors, leading to reduced neural activity and producing a sedative effect.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">At high doses, it activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which may lead to increased stress responses, including irritability and insomnia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"calabrese-%e7%b3%bb%e7%b5%b1%e5%9b%9e%e9%a1%a7%e7%a0%94%e7%a9%b6%e6%80%8e%e9%ba%bc%e8%aa%aa%ef%bc%9f\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"> So, what did Calabrese\u2019s review reveal?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Let\u2019s take a look at what the Calabrese systematic review has to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"\">Over 90% of ginseng-related studies have shown that low doses are the most effective, while increasing the dose often leads to reduced effectiveness or even opposite (adverse) effects.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Findings from the Calabrese Systematic Review<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Please consult a certified TCM practitioner before using ginseng. This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"%e5%bb%b6%e4%bc%b8%e9%96%b1%e8%ae%80%e8%88%87%e6%96%87%e7%8d%bb%e9%80%a3%e7%b5%90\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">References<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\"><a href=\"http:\/\/Calabrese, E. J. (2020). Hormesis and Ginseng: Ginseng mixtures and individual constituents commonly display hormesis dose responses, especially for neuroprotective effects. Molecules, 25(11), 2719.\"><sup>Calabrese EJ. Hormesis and Ginseng. Molecules 2020<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0269881105053286\"><sup>Reay JL et al. J Psychopharmacol 2005<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/koreascience.kr\/article\/JAKO201022241310833.page\"><sup>Lee SA et al. Effect of Korean Red Ginseng on Sleep, 2010<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC3659601\/\"><sup>Lee CI et al. J Ginseng Res 2012<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/vitamins\/ai\/ingredientmono-1000\/panax-ginseng\"><sup>WebMD: Asian Ginseng<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u7d50\u8ad6\u6436\u5148\u770b \u4eba\u53c3\u5c0d\u5927\u8166\u7684\u5f71\u97ff\u4e0d\u662f\u7dda\u6027\u7684\uff0c\u800c\u662f\u300cU \u5f62\u53cd\u61c9\u300d\u2500&hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2037,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[88],"tags":[37,200,198,204,202,201,199,191,203],"powerkit_post_featured":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2032","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-88","8":"tag-37","9":"tag-200","10":"tag-198","11":"tag-204","12":"tag-202","13":"tag-201","14":"tag-199","15":"tag-191","16":"tag-203"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2032"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2039,"href":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2032\/revisions\/2039"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2032"},{"taxonomy":"powerkit_post_featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.co-chinese-med.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/powerkit_post_featured?post=2032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}