Ginseng found to reverse the effects of a high-fat diet

Researchers from Pusan National University in South Korea and the University of Toyama in Japan have found that fermented and non-fermented ginseng can reverse the effects of a high-fat diet. In their study, which was published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, they fermented ginseng to examine and compare its effects with non-fermented ginseng.

• Ginseng has been used as a natural remedy for various diseases.
• Ginseng contains saponins called ginsenosides, which are responsible for its therapeutic properties.
• For the study, the researchers fed mice with a high-fat diet to induce hyperlipidemia.
• Then, they orally gave mice 100 milligrams per kilogram body weight of fermented or non-fermented ginseng every day for three weeks.
• They examined the activities of lipogenic pathways and lipid levels in the liver and plasma.
• The results showed that both fermented and non-fermented ginseng improved hepatic lipid transfer protein profiles.
• The fermentation of ginseng also increased the amount of ginsenosides.
• While non-fermented ginseng improved hypertriglycemia, fermented ginseng decreased triglycerides.

The findings of the study suggest that non-fermented and fermented ginseng can be used to improve or reduce high triglyceride levels caused by a high-fat diet.

To read more stories on the health benefits of ginseng, visit AlternativeMedicine.news today.

Journal Reference:

Park CH, Kim M, Lee KH, An BK, Tokozawa T, Song YO. COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF NONFERMENTED AND FERMENTED PANAX GINSENG ROOT AGAINST HYPERTRIGLYCEMIA IN HIGH-FAT DIET-FED MICE. Journal of Medicinal Food. 1 April 2018; 21(4). DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2017.4035