The efficacy of ginseng supplementation on plasma lipid concentration in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of ginseng supplementation on plasma lipid concentration. Methods: The search included PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane library, and Google Scholar (up to April 2019) to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effect of ginseng supplementation on serum lipid parameters. To estimate the overall summary effect, we used random-effects model. Results: Twenty-seven studies comprising 35 treatment arms comprising 1245 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis results showed that consumption of ginseng did not significantly change the concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C). However, subgroup analyses showed a significant lowering effect in high dose ginseng supplementation on TC, LDL-C and TG. Also, the impact of ginseng on TC and TG was significant in long-term interventions. Conclusion: Further RCTs with longer supplementation durations in subjects with dyslipidemia are necessitated for a more robust assessment of the lipid-modulating properties of this plant.