Ginseng for the Treatment of Diabetes and Diabetes-related Cardiovascular Complications. A Discussion of the Evidence

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder associated with elevated blood glucose levels due either to insufficient insulin production (Type 1 diabetes) or to insulin resistance (Type 2 diabetes). The incidence of diabetes around the world continues to rise dramatically with more than 400 million cases reported today. Among the most serious consequences of chronic diabetes include cardiovascular complications which can result in both cardiac and vascular deleterious effects. Although numerous treatment options are available for treating diabetes, both pharmacological and non- pharmacological, there is substantial emerging interest in the use of traditional medicines for the treatment of this condition and its complications. Among these is ginseng, a medicinal herb which belongs to the genus Panax and which has been used for thousands of years as a medicinal agent especially in Asian cultures. There is emerging evidence from both animal and clinical studies that ginseng, ginseng constituents including ginsenosides and ginseng-containing formulations can produce beneficial effects in terms of normalization of blood glucose levels and attenuation of cardiovascular complications through a multiplicity of mechanisms. Although more research is required, ginseng may offer a useful therapy for the treatment of diabetes as well as its complications.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author