Many women experience a decrease in sexual desire and various physical and emotional symptoms during menopause – a challenging period marked by sharp hormonal changes that affect quality of life, mood, and sexual function. At the same time, anxiety and depression tend to worsen, further harming the mental and physical well-being of women at this stage. A new and intriguing study has found that ginseng – one of the world’s best-known medicinal herbs – may serve as a particularly beneficial and natural solution for women suffering from depression during menopause.
The study, recently published in the medical journal Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences, was conducted in Iran between December 2022 and March 2024. It was a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. That means neither the participants, the researchers, nor the analysts knew which participant received the active treatment and which received a placebo. The study included 66 women aged 45–60 who were diagnosed with major depression after menopause. All were sexually active and had no changes in their medication in recent months.
The women were randomly divided into two groups:
● Intervention group: Received ginseng capsules (250 mg twice a day) for 8 weeks.
● Control group: Received placebo (gelatin capsules with edible paraffin).
Three main parameters were examined using questionnaires: Sexual function, severity of menopausal symptoms, and severity of depression.
Study Findings
At the end of the trial, there was a significant increase in the sexual function of the women in the ginseng group compared to the placebo group:
● The average sexual function score rose from 10.64 to 13.9 (on a scale up to 36).
● A significant improvement was recorded in desire, sexual arousal, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.
Menopausal symptoms also showed a marked improvement:
● The total score dropped from 33.9 to 29.71, with notable improvements in areas such as psychological symptoms (e.g., irritability, fatigue, gloom), vasomotor symptoms (such as hot flashes and rapid heartbeat), and sexual symptoms.
In the third parameter – improvement in depression – there was a significant decrease in the average depression score from 50.9 to 46, compared to only a moderate decrease in the placebo group.
It is important to note that no side effects were reported in the ginseng group, while in the placebo group, one participant reported abdominal pain and shortness of breath.
What Is the Mechanism of Ginseng’s Action?
Ginseng is a medicinal plant that contains active compounds called ginsenosides, which act on the hormonal and nervous systems. Previous studies have indicated an estrogen-like effect of ginsenosides – though without direct binding to estrogen receptors. This may explain their beneficial effect on menopausal symptoms.
Additionally, ginseng has been found to regulate the central nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, contributing to reduced stress response and improved mood and hormonal balance – especially in women suffering from depression.
In addition to the significant improvement in health metrics, the strength of the study’s methodology should be noted: It is a randomized, controlled, fully blinded study with reliable measurement tools. However, it is a relatively small study with a short observation period (8 weeks), so further studies are needed to examine the long-term effects of ginseng and its impact on more diverse populations.
What This Means for Women in Menopause
The study results indicate that ginseng may play an important role in supportive treatment for women in menopause, particularly those dealing with depression and reduced sexual function. It is a natural, safe, and accessible option – which may significantly improve quality of life.
In contrast to concerns about the side effects of hormonal or other pharmaceutical treatments, ginseng offers a gentler – yet potentially effective – alternative. Of course, it is always recommended to consult with a physician first, especially in the presence of other medical conditions or ongoing medication.
In Conclusion
Ginseng, a medicinal plant with a history of thousands of years, shows here that it has a positive effect on sexual function, menopausal symptoms, and depression in menopausal women. According to the results of this study, it appears to be a natural and safe treatment.
Dr. Dalit Dreman-Medina is a specialist in family medicine and integrative and functional medicine.