Can Panax ginseng be used to regulate appetite?

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    Last Updated: October 13, 2024

    Animal studies suggest that the ginsenoside content in Korean red ginseng (and in Panax ginseng in general) may play a role in regulating abnormal feeding patterns, while it has no effect on normal feeding patterns. Surprisingly, little research has been done on the appetite-stimulating effects of ginseng, despite its traditional use for this purpose. There are no human studies directed to answer this topic, either, but potent acute suppression of appetite is seen in obese mice that overeat, and results are mixed in lean mice.[1][2][3]

    The mechanism behind this appetite suppression may involve the downregulation of orexigenic neuropeptides, which stimulate appetite, and the upregulation of anorexigenic neuropeptides, which inhibit appetite.[4]