Effects of Red Panax Ginseng Supplementation on Cognitive Performance and Emotional Well-Being in Young Healthy Adults
Effects of Red Panax Ginseng Supplementation on Cognitive Performance and Emotional Well-Being in Young Healthy Adults, a Randomized Controlled Trial
College students face substantial and persistent mental health challenges that directly affect cognitive performance, stress regulation, and emotional well-being. Neurological functions such as working memory, attention regulation, executive control, and emotional processing are highly sensitive to stressors, leaving young adults vulnerable to daily fluctuations in cognitive efficiency. Recent findings from the Healthy Minds Network (2025) indicate that although rates of moderate to severe depression among college students declined from 44% in 2022 to 37% in 2025, and anxiety symptoms fell from 37% to 32%, levels of psychological flourishing also dropped, falling to 36% despite these improvements.
Ginseng contains bioactive compounds known as ginsenosides that favorably influence brain function and inflammatory cascades. Studies in stressed and moderately stressed adults demonstrated reduced perceived stress, improved emotional processing, enhanced cognitive performance, and beneficial changes to biomarkers with ginseng supplementation. In addition, randomized controlled trials reported improvements in mood regulation, fatigue resistance, and aspects of working memory and attention following short-term ginseng supplementation. This study will examine the effects of daily red panax ginseng supplementation (3000 mg/day; two 1500 mg Red Panax gummies) on cognitive performance and emotional well-being in healthy young adults.
Descripción general del estudio
Estado
Condiciones
Intervención / Tratamiento
Descripción detallada
College students face substantial and persistent mental health challenges that directly affect cognitive performance, stress regulation, and emotional well-being. Neurological functions such as working memory, attention regulation, executive control, and emotional processing are highly sensitive to stressors, leaving young adults vulnerable to daily fluctuations in cognitive efficiency. Recent findings from the Healthy Minds Network (2025) indicate that although rates of moderate to severe depression among college students declined from 44% in 2022 to 37% in 2025, and anxiety symptoms fell from 37% to 32%, levels of psychological flourishing also dropped, falling to 36% despite these improvements.
Ginseng contains bioactive compounds known as ginsenosides that favorably influence multiple neurobiological pathways such as neurotrophic signaling, neurotransmitter regulation, oxidative balance, and inflammatory cascades. Studies in stressed and moderately stressed adults demonstrated reduced perceived stress, improved emotional processing, enhanced cognitive performance, and modulated biomarkers related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis with ginseng supplementation. In addition, randomized controlled trials reported improvements in mood regulation, fatigue resistance, and aspects of working memory and attention following short-term ginseng supplementation. This study will examine the effects of daily red panax ginseng supplementation (3000 mg/day; two 1500 mg Red Panax gummies) on cognitive performance and emotional well-being in healthy young adults.
Tipo de estudio
Inscripción (Estimado)
Fase
- No aplica
Contactos y Ubicaciones
Estudio Contacto
- Nombre: Carol Johnston
- Número de teléfono: 6024963463
- Correo electrónico: carol.johnston@asu.edu
Ubicaciones de estudio
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Arizona
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Phoenix, Arizona, Estados Unidos, 85004
- Reclutamiento
- Health North ASU Downtown Campus
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Contacto:
- Carol Johnston, PhD
- Número de teléfono: 6024962539
- Correo electrónico: carol.johnston@asu.edu
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Criterios de participación
Criterio de elegibilidad
Edades elegibles para estudiar
Acepta Voluntarios Saludables
Géneros elegibles para el estudio
Descripción
Inclusion Criteria:
- Healthy young adults
- 18-30 years of age
Exclusion Criteria:
- medication/drug use that has not been consistent for the previous 3 months or will be discontinued during the trial
- unresolved chronic medical conditions (e.g., presence of persistent symptomology)
- diagnosed clinical depression
- acute illness
- regular use of cigarettes or marijuana
- pregnant or lactating women
- not fluent in English
- currently competing in sports or unusually high-intensity exercise protocols (e.g., high-intensity exercise greater than 30 minutes most days of the week)
- current use of ginseng or adaptogenic supplements, or allergy to ginseng
- any significant food allergies
- not willing to attend two in-person lab visits in downtown Phoenix and follow study protocol (including abstaining from caffeine in the 12 hours prior to testing)
Plan de estudios
¿Cómo está diseñado el estudio?
Detalles de diseño
- Propósito principal: Ciencia básica
- Asignación: Aleatorizado
- Modelo Intervencionista: Asignación paralela
- Enmascaramiento: Doble
Armas e Intervenciones
Grupo de participantes/brazo |
Intervención / Tratamiento |
|---|---|
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Experimental: ginseng
ginseng |
This study will test the efficacy of ginseng on health compared to placebo treatment. |
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Comparador de placebos: Placebo
strawberry gummy (2) |
This study will test the efficacy of ginseng on health compared to placebo treatment. |
¿Qué mide el estudio?
Medidas de resultado primarias
Medida de resultado |
Medida Descripción |
Periodo de tiempo |
|---|---|---|
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cognitive performance
Periodo de tiempo: 2 hours post ingestion
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Trail Making Test: measures cognitive flexibility; visual attention, and executive function, with interpretation based on completion times (in seconds) |
2 hours post ingestion
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cognitive performance
Periodo de tiempo: 2 weeks
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Trail Making Test measures cognitive flexibility; visual attention, and executive function, with interpretation based on completion times (in seconds) |
2 weeks
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Medidas de resultado secundarias
Medida de resultado |
Medida Descripción |
Periodo de tiempo |
|---|---|---|
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stress
Periodo de tiempo: 2 weeks
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Perceived Stress Scale: higher scores indicate higher stress |
2 weeks
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mental well being
Periodo de tiempo: 2 weeks
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Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale: higher scores indicating greater positive mental wellbeing |
2 weeks
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Otras medidas de resultado
Medida de resultado |
Medida Descripción |
Periodo de tiempo |
|---|---|---|
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cognitive performance
Periodo de tiempo: 2 hours post ingestion
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Stroop test: measures attention span, reaction time, and ability to resist distractions |
2 hours post ingestion
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cognitive performance
Periodo de tiempo: 2 hours post ingestion
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reaction time test: measured by the elapsed time between stimulus onset and an individual's response |
2 hours post ingestion
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Colaboradores e Investigadores
Patrocinador
Investigadores
- Investigador principal: Carol Johnston, Arizona State University
Fechas de registro del estudio
Fechas importantes del estudio
Inicio del estudio (Actual)
Finalización primaria (Estimado)
Finalización del estudio (Estimado)
Fechas de registro del estudio
Enviado por primera vez
Primero enviado que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad
Publicado por primera vez (Actual)
Actualizaciones de registros de estudio
Última actualización publicada (Actual)
Última actualización enviada que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad
Última verificación
Más información
Términos relacionados con este estudio
Palabras clave
Términos MeSH relevantes adicionales
Otros números de identificación del estudio
- STUDY00024361
Plan de datos de participantes individuales (IPD)
¿Planea compartir datos de participantes individuales (IPD)?
Información sobre medicamentos y dispositivos, documentos del estudio
Estudia un producto farmacéutico regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.
Estudia un producto de dispositivo regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.
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