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Panax Ginseng and Blood Glucose: 16 Trials in Plain Terms

Quick answer

Panax ginseng blood glucose research is a mixed picture. A review of 16 trials found fasting glucose about 5.6 mg/dL lower and no A1C change. The doses ranged from about 100 mg to 20 g a day. Sugar Defender can hold at most 17 mg of ginseng per mL.

Written by the Sugar Defender label teamUpdated · 4 min read

A brand photo of a pale, branching Panax ginseng root
A brand photo of the plant's root. The label lists a root extract and does not print its amount.

The trials01

What do 16 trials say about Panax ginseng and blood glucose?

They say the effect is small and uneven. A 2014 review pooled 16 randomized trials with 770 people (Shishtar et al., PLoS One 2014).

On average, fasting glucose was lower by about 0.31 mmol/L, or 5.6 mg/dL. The studies disagreed a great deal with one another.

The same review found no clear change in fasting insulin or in A1C, the three-month average that doctors watch most. A small morning dip with no A1C change is not what most people mean by better control.

Why does this matter? Fasting glucose is one reading taken after a night without food. A1C reflects the whole pattern of the past three months. When the first moves a little and the second does not, the overall picture has barely shifted.

Ginseng in the 2014 review
Trials pooled16 randomized trials
People770
Fasting glucoseAbout 5.6 mg/dL lower, wide variation
A1C and fasting insulinNo significant change
Daily dosesAbout 100 mg to 20 g

NIH view02

Does the NIH say ginseng helps blood sugar?

No. NCCIH calls the research on Asian ginseng and blood sugar inconclusive and conflicting (NCCIH, Asian Ginseng).

It adds that ginseng might lower blood sugar, so people with diabetes should talk with a provider first. The most common side effect is insomnia, and ginseng may affect blood clotting and some medicines.

The wider NIH advice on diabetes is blunt. It finds no reliable evidence that any herbal supplement, ginseng included, helps control diabetes, and warns against replacing treatment with an unproven product (NCCIH, Diabetes and Dietary Supplements).

Keep taking prescribed medicine

Ginseng and diabetes drugs could add up and cause lows. Do not change a prescription on your own. Tell your doctor about every supplement you take.

The sales line03

What does Sugar Defender claim about ginseng?

The sales page places the words "Supports Healthy Blood Glucose" beside ginseng.

The label does not repeat that line. It lists "Panax Ginseng Root Extract" twelfth in the blend, with no amount.

The sentence is marketing language. Our reading is plain: the research above is modest, and no trial tested these drops. The word "supports" is also vague. It does not say how much, for whom or compared with what, and a reader cannot test it at home.

Sales page

"Supports Healthy Blood Glucose"

Research

Small fasting change, no A1C change (Shishtar et al., PLoS One 2014)

Label

12th of 22, amount hidden

The math04

How much Panax ginseng is in each Sugar Defender dose?

At most 17 mg per 1 mL serving. The label order sets that ceiling; no ginseng amount is printed.

The blend is 200 mg and runs from most to least (21 CFR 101.36 (eCFR)). Twelve ingredients come first or tie, so ginseng cannot exceed 200 divided by 12. An even split would give about 9 mg.

The trials ranged from about 100 mg to 20 g a day. Even the top of the label ceiling is a fraction of the lowest studied dose. The bars show how the studied amounts compare for the other blend herbs too.

  • Chromium

    0.3% of the low end
    1 mL, the label dose0.7 mcg
    200-1,000 mcg a day in glucose studies200-1,000 mcg

    Printed on the label: 0.7 mcg per mL. (NIH ODS, Chromium)

  • Gymnema

    4.5% of the low end (even split)
    1 mL, the label dose, even split9.1 mg
    1 mL, label-order ceiling (place 8)25 mg
    200-400 mg a day of extract200-400 mg

    Not printed: #8 in a 200 mg blend of 22. (Drugs.com, Gymnema monograph)

  • African mango

    3.0% of the low end (even split)
    1 mL, the label dose, even split9.1 mg
    1 mL, label-order ceiling (place 4)50 mg
    300 mg a day (150 mg twice)300 mg

    Not printed: #4 in a 200 mg blend of 22. (NIH ODS, Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss)

  • Panax ginseng

    9.1% of the low end (even split)
    1 mL, the label dose, even split9.1 mg
    1 mL, label-order ceiling (place 12)17 mg
    From about 100 mg a day (up to 20 g)100 mg

    Not printed: #12 in a 200 mg blend of 22. (Shishtar et al., PLoS One 2014)

  • Coleus (forskolin extract)

    1.8% of the low end (even split)
    1 mL, the label dose, even split9.1 mg
    1 mL, label-order ceiling (place 9)22 mg
    500 mg a day of 10% extract500 mg

    Not printed: #9 in a 200 mg blend of 22. (MSKCC, Forskolin (Coleus forskohlii))

Red bars: what the label dose of 1 mL can hold. The label prints only the chromium amount; for blend ingredients we show an even split (200 mg / 22, about 9 mg per mL) and the most the label order allows. Gold bars: daily amounts of that ingredient alone in studies; the light extension shows a range. Even the ceilings sit under the studied doses.

Details on the root are on the Panax ginseng ingredient page.

Safety05

Who should talk to a doctor before taking ginseng?

Anyone on a diabetes drug or a blood thinner should ask first. Pregnant or nursing women should also check, since NCCIH says ginseng may be unsafe in pregnancy (NCCIH, Asian Ginseng).

  • Insulin or a sulfonylurea: lows are possible
  • Warfarin or other blood thinners
  • Light sleepers, because insomnia is the usual complaint

Pregnancy is another reason to pause, and the label asks anyone on other medication to consult a physician. Read the Sugar Defender side effects for the full list.

FAQ06

Panax ginseng questions

Is Panax ginseng the same as Siberian ginseng?

No. Panax ginseng is Asian ginseng. Siberian ginseng is eleuthero, a different plant that also appears in the Sugar Defender blend, fifth on the list. They have separate research and cautions.

How big is a 5.6 mg/dL drop in fasting glucose?

It is small. A fasting reading of 100 mg/dL would become about 94. The review found wide variation between trials and no A1C change, so the drop may not matter in daily life.

Does ginseng interact with blood thinners?

It may. NCCIH says Asian ginseng may interfere with blood clotting and some medicines. If you take warfarin or a similar drug, ask your pharmacist before adding any ginseng product.

Who wrote this07

Written and reviewed by

Written byThe Sugar Defender label teamSugar-defenders, authorized American Sugar Defender outlet

Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.

Medically reviewed byDr. Aimee Duffy, MD, PhysicianRole: Medical reviewerReview date: October 19, 2026

Last updated . Read our editorial standards and the way we check reviews. This website is run by an authorized American Sugar Defender outlet, not by the manufacturer or the distributor. Purchases made through our order links earn us money.

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