Ginseng can help cancer patients energy levels
A recent study suggests that cancer patients’ energy levels may be increased by ginseng:
“Doctors said fatigue is a major problem for cancer patients.
“As their cancer progresses, patients can get tired, but patients can also get tired because of the treatments,” said Dr. Peter Todd Silberstein, one of the study’s doctors. “The chemotherapy or the radiation or the surgery can make people tired.”
Gale had endured all three.
“It was hard for me to make it through a whole day of work,” Gale said.
She said she was quick to agree when Silberstein suggested she take part in a clinical trial to relieve fatigue.
The Missouri Valley Cancer Consortium was testing an old herbal remedy found at any natural foods store: ginseng, particularly American ginseng. It is a root people have touted for its energy-boosting effects for thousands of years.
“More and more, we’re trying to do trials, because some of these herbal remedies may be helpful,” Silberstein said.
The local study included 282 participants who took a high dose of ginseng, a small dose or a placebo. Silberstein said the results are promising.
“It actually showed that the patients who got ginseng, on the average, felt less fatigued,” the doctor said.
Gale was in the highest dosage group of 2,000 milligrams a day.
“I could get through the day much easier,” Gale said. “I didn’t fall asleep as often during meetings and things, which I used to do. I could do my walks after work. I wasn’t so tired from work that I couldn’t do something else.”
Doctors said they still have a lot of testing to do to measure the impact of ginseng on fatigue. But from the first tests, they see the potential for ginseng to be a cheaper, more natural alternative to prescription pain drugs.
“This may be a major advance in helping fatigue in cancer patients,” Silberstein said.
The study showed that one out of four patients on ginseng recorded a significant improvement from the ginseng, and one out of 10 recorded an improvement from just a placebo. Species of ginseng other than American ginseng were not tested.”
DAAN carries many different types of ginseng. We’ve also compiled some background information about ginseng.
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