. 2013 Apr 1;8(4):e59978. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059978

Table 1. Summary of randomised clinical studies of ginseng for healthy persons in Korean literatures.

First author (year)	Total sample size/Age(mean or range)	Intervention(n)	Dose per day (duration, forms)	Main outcomes	Main results(effect estimates)	Adverse events	Language
Pipat(1995) [26]	20/(A) 22.1±0.5; (B) 21.0±0.2	(A) Ginseng (10)	600 mg(8 wk,Capsule)	1) Maximum oxygen consumption	1) MD, 13.30[11.14, 15.46],P<0.0001	n.r.	English
		(B) Placebo (10)		2) V_E/V_O2 ratio	2) MD, 15.10[11.04, 19.16],P<0.0001
				3) Anaerobic power	3) MD, 9.50[8.14, 10.86],P<0.0001
				4) Anaerobic capacity	4) MD, 2.80[1.68, 3.92],P<0.0001
				5) Leg muscle strength	5) MD, 24.60[20.43, 28.77],P<0.0001
Kennedy(2007) [27]	16/38.3±10.3	(A) Ginseng(n.r.)	400 mg(20 wk,Capsule)	1) Cognitive measure	NS^*	n.r.	English
		(B) Placebo (n.r.)		2) Mood and QOL
				3) WHO-QOL questionnaire
				4) Glucose-Regulatory parameters
Kang(2009) [28]	39/(A) 27.5±5.1;(B) 25.6±3.8	(A) RG (21)	3000 mg(3 wk,Capsule)	Somatization (SCL-90R)	MD, n.r., P = 0.04	n.r.	Korean
		(B) Placebo (18)
Kim(2009) [29]	23/(A) 37.6±4.6;(B) 38.2±4.3	(A) RG (11)	6000 mg(12 wk,Capsule)	QOL and Sexual function		n.r.	English
		(B) Placebo (12)		1) FSFI total score (%)	1) MD,−14.85[−29.80, 0.10],P = 0.02
				2) SF-36 physical (%)	2) MD, 6.31[−11.11, 23.73],P = 0.48
				3) SF-36 mental (%)	3) MD, −4.69[−22.74, 13.36],P = 0.61
Lee(2010) [30]	15/(A) 23.5±1.2;(B) 23.4±2.17	(A) RG (8)	4500 mg (2 wk, n. r.)	Polysomnographic Variables on sleep		n.r.	English
		(B) Placebo (7)		1) Total sleep time (min)	1) MD, −54.40[−95.07, −13.73],P = 0.009
				2) Sleep efficiency (%)	2) MD, −0.30[−11.18, 10.58], P = 0.96
				3) Apnea hypopnea index (hour)	3) MD, 0.00[−4.99, 4.99], P = 1.00
Yeo(2012) [31]	15/(A)19–25;(B) n.r.	(A) RG (8)	4500 mg (2 wk, Capsule)	Neurocognitive function test (Key items of the Vienna test system version IX)		n.r.	English
		(B) Placebo (7)		1) Median reaction time (msec)	1) MD, −59.40[−151.92, 33.12],P = 0.21
				2) Wrong decision	2) MD, −0.12[−0.66, 0.42],P = 0.067
				3) Right reaction	3) MD, 0.05[−0.34, 0.44],P = 0.80
				4) No. of correct	4) MD, −5.20[−17.79, 7.39],P = 0.42
				5) No. of incorrect	5) MD, 0.42[−1.69, 2.53],P = 0.70
Seo(2004) [32]	160/22.4.±2.0	(A) RG (32)	3000 mg (4 wk, Capsule)		(A) vs (B) :	n.r.	Korean
		(B) Placebo (32)		1) Systolic blood pressure	1) MD, 4.69 [−2.52, 11.89],P = 0.20
		(C) WG (32)		2) Diastolic blood pressure	2) MD, 3.44 [−1.67, 8.54],P = 0.18
		(D) AG (4years, 32)		3) Pulse Rate	3) MD, −3.50 [−8.07, 1.07],P = 0.13
		(E) AG (6years, 32)			(A)+(C) vs (D)+(E):
					1) MD, 0.31 [−14.88, 15.51],P = 0.97
					2) MD, 3.62 [−8.20, 15.45.74],P = 0.55
					3) MD, −3.57 [−12.26, 5.11],P = 0.42
				General Symptom Questionnaire	(A) vs (B) :
				1) Headache	1) RR, 2.00[0.67, 5.98],P = 0.2150
				2) Flushing	2) RR, 1.23[0.71, 2.12], P = 0.4541
				3) Epistaxis	3) RR, 5.00[0.62, 40.44], P = 0.1313
					(A)+(C) vs (D)+(E):
					1) RR, 2.00[0.86, 4.63]
					2) RR, 1.1 [0.73, 1.76]
					3) RR, 4.00[0.88, 18.11]
Yoon(2008) [33]	17/(A) 19.9±1.9	(A) RG (10)	3000 mg (12 wk, Pouch)	1) Maximum oxygen consumption	1) MD, −5.50 [−11.16, 0.16],P = 0.06	n.r.	Korean
	(B) 19.7±1.6	(B) Placebo+ET (7)		2) V_E/V_O2 ratio	2) MD, −3.10 [−5.33, −0.87],P = 0.006
Jeong(2006) [34]	10/26.0±1.8	(A) Ginseng (n.r.)/RG (n.r.)/FRG (n.r.)	500 mg (2 wk, Capsule)	Cerebrovascular reactivity	P = 0.009^†	none	Korean
		(B) Placebo (n.r.)

ET: Endurance training; FSFI: Female sexual function index; FG: Fermented red ginseng, n.r.: not reported; NS: not significant; QOL: Quality of life; RG: Red ginseng; SF-36∶36 Item short-form health survey; SCR-90R: Symptomchecklist-90-revised score WG: White Ginseng.

No numerical data available for calculating effect size. We added the results on the base of authors’ results.

^†

The original authors reported statistical significance but our calculation failed to do so.

Italic: The main outcome tested the effects of Korean ginseng compared with American ginseng.