Protecting the brain, preserving muscle: Red ginseng’s “defense against aging”

A series of animal and cell studies have found that red ginseng may improve conditions associated with aging, including dementia, sarcopenia and steatohepatitis. The mechanisms by which red ginseng acts on aging—including supplying energy to brain cells, protecting nerves, maintaining muscle strength and improving liver metabolism—have also been clarified in greater detail.
Research analyzing the effects of red ginseng on mechanisms related to aging was presented at the 14th International Ginseng Symposium, hosted by the Korean Society of Ginseng at Maison Glad Jeju from the 26th to the 29th.

A team led by professors Mun Min-ho and Nam Yun-gwon of Konyang University College of Medicine presented findings that polysaccharides (KRGP), a major component of red ginseng, are effective in improving Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive function. The team conducted experiments using representative genetically modified mouse models of dementia (5XFAD and 3xTg).
Mice given red ginseng polysaccharides showed a marked reduction in the buildup in the brain of amyloid beta (Aβ), a key factor in Alzheimer’s disease. Neuroinflammation and neuronal loss in the brain were alleviated, while the regeneration of brain cells (adult neurogenesis) was promoted in the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory. Cognitive decline also improved significantly.
Red ginseng polysaccharides activated mitochondria, the cell’s energy-producing units, supplying energy to brain cells. They also normalized synapses, the pathways for signal transmission, and protected damaged neural networks. In another dementia model, they also inhibited the abnormal modification and buildup of tau protein, which damages nerve cells.
A team led by Professor Yang Hyun-jung of the Department of Integrated Healthcare at International Brain Education University Graduate School found that red ginseng may promote the formation and regeneration of myelin, the insulating sheath surrounding nerve fibers. In cell experiments, the non-saponin components of red ginseng promoted the proliferation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells, which produce myelin, while its saponin components and ginsenoside Rb1 promoted myelin sheath formation.
When mice with damaged myelin were given red ginseng or Rb1, myelin regeneration was promoted in the corpus callosum, which connects the brain’s two hemispheres. In mice raised in isolation for two weeks immediately after weaning, social deficits were alleviated and the expression of myelin-related genes in the medial prefrontal cortex was restored.
A team led by Professor Wei Li of Jilin Agricultural University in China said that AFG (arginyl-fructosyl-glucose), a compound unique to red ginseng and produced during the steaming and drying of ginseng, slows brain cell damage and aging by inhibiting the activity of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). Animal experiments also found reduced inflammation and cell death in kidney tissue, as well as alleviation of diabetes-related increases in blood glucose and retinal damage.

A team led by Professor Park Sang-min of Chungnam National University’s College of Pharmacy announced that red ginseng and ginsenoside Rb2 alleviate declines in muscle strength and physical function in aging mice. In muscle cells damaged by the aging-inducing agent D-galactose and oxidative stress from hydrogen peroxide, red ginseng extract reduced structural damage and improved markers of cellular senescence. Grip strength improved significantly in mice whose aging was induced with D-galactose, and their decline in physical performance was also alleviated.
Changes occurred not only in muscle but also in the brain and liver as muscle strength improved. In the hippocampus, genes related to neurotransmission that had declined with aging were restored; in the liver, protein processing and secretion pathways were affected. This means the effects of red ginseng on muscle strength should be considered in relation to the brain and liver as well as the muscles.
A team led by Professor Johan Auwerx of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) fed a Western-style diet to mice susceptible to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), then administered red ginseng extract at 100 mg per kg of body weight. As a result, body weight and body fat decreased, while liver fat buildup and fibrosis were greatly alleviated. Liver injury markers (ALT and TIMP1) fell, and blood glucose and insulin levels also moved closer to normal. Signals related to inflammation and fibrosis decreased, while the expression of mitochondria-related genes improved.
“With continued scientific validation, we may be able to prevent age-related declines in physical function and expand the academic and practical applications of red ginseng in the prevention of adult diseases,” said Kim Jong-hun, president of the Korean Society of Ginseng.
[email protected] Jung Myung-jin, medical correspondent Reporter