Blue Deer Healing

American Ginseng Root has potential to fight cancers

In a recent laboratory study, researchers tested what effect American Ginseng “Xi Yang Shen” (Panax quinquefolius) would have in combination with several synthetic drugs including doxorubicin, tamoxifen, taxol, methotrexate, cytoxan, and megace. The study showed that American Ginseng synergestically inhibits estrogen sensitive cancers along with the above pharmaceuticals. Interstingly, American Ginseng allowed the body to produce estrogen and metabolize estrogen in a healthy non cancerous way. The final word from this research, “Further investigations are warranted to evaluate possible synergistic in vivo effects of the combination of [American ginseng] and cancer therapeutics.” 

Duda RB, Zhong Y, Navas V, et al. American ginseng and breast cancer therapeutic agents synergistically inhibit MCF-7 breast cancer cell growth. Journal of Surgical Oncology 1999; 72: 230-239.