Caution over using ginseng in early pregnancy
January 30, 2009
Ginseng is nothing mystical; it is only a small, leafy, green plant, which has a taproot system. The part of interest as far as its medicinal properties are concerned is the root. Tradition has it that the root has amazing medicinal properties and is sort of a cure-all.
Benefits of ginseng
The ginseng root has been used for stress related problems that can affect the liver and heart. It has a calming down effect and is good for putting you in a relaxed mood. It also works as a stimulant for relieving exhaustion and helps to improve concentration.
It is also known to work for insomnia and stress. This herb also has been effective in helping with sexual problems in men. It is considered to be a remedy for several common problems and is also known to be effective.
The pitfalls
While ginseng is very effective and useful for treating certain conditions, recent findings raise serious doubts as to the safety issues surrounding this medicinal herb.
One of the principal components of ginseng is ginsenoside Rb1. Studies have shown that this active component of ginseng caused abnormalities in rat embryos. The Ivanhoe Newswire conducted this study. Some other studies show pregnant women, especially in Asia, use ginseng quite regularly.
A recent study found this. Close to nine percent of pregnant women were taking ginsengs among other herbal supplements.
Doctors carried out the tests using several different concentrations of the chemical and 9 day old rat embryos were used. They made these findings.
The group that was given ginsenoside Rb1 showed lower morphological scores than the rest of the group that was not exposed to the herb. Not only did they have low scores for heart, limbs, eye development and flexion, but they also had less number of somites, which are the muscle pre-cursor cells.
A word of caution
These findings were for rat embryos, which showed that ginseng could cause significant malformations in the rat embryos. Information on how the herb affects human embryos is not available yet. However, women should be careful about using this herb when pregnant. The best thing to do is to avoid it at least in the first three months of pregnancy. You should also consult your doctor before taking any herbal remedies.
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