title: Preventive effect of Korean red ginseng for acute respiratory illness: a randomized and double-blind clinical trial.
abstract: Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is a functional food and has been well known for keeping good health due to its anti-fatigue and immunomodulating activities. However, there is no data on Korean red ginseng for its preventive activity against acute respiratory illness (ARI). The study was conducted in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in healthy volunteers (Clinical Trial Number: NCT01478009). Our primary efficacy end point was the number of ARI reported and secondary efficacy end point was severity of symptoms, number of symptoms, and duration of ARI. A total of 100 volunteers were enrolled in the study. Fewer subjects in the KRG group reported contracting at least 1 ARI than in the placebo group (12 [24.5%] vs 22 [44.9%], P = 0.034), the difference was statistically significant between the two groups. The symptom duration of the subjects who experienced the ARI, was similar between the two groups (KRG vs placebo; 5.2 ± 2.3 vs 6.3 ± 5.0, P = 0.475). The symptom scores were low tendency in KRG group (KRG vs placebo; 9.5 ± 4.5 vs 17.6 ± 23.1, P = 0.241). The study suggests that KRG may be effective in protecting subjects from contracting ARI, and may have the tendency to decrease the duration and scores of ARI symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea. lcsmd@jbnu.ac.kr
authors.forename: Chang-Seop
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ju-Hyung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Kyung-Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Mi Ran
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Jong-Dae
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dae Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Ki-Chan
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Eun-Ock
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Nuri
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sun-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun-Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Min-Gul
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo-Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D015990:Placebo Effect; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts