The Three Panax Species · Panax Notoginseng

Three plants in the genus Panax account for almost all the ginseng sold in the world: notoginseng (Panax notoginseng), Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). They look alike and all make ginsenosides, and a lab can tell them apart by their saponin markers (Ji 2023). Their trials point to different uses. This page is the hub from the notoginseng side; the pairwise comparisons are notoginseng vs Korean ginseng and notoginseng vs American ginseng, and our sister site tells the same story from the American side in the three Panax species.

Notoginseng, the Circulation One

Notoginseng, sanqi or tianqi in Chinese, grows in forests at 1,200 to 1,800 metres in southeast Yunnan and is cultivated in Guangxi and other southern provinces (Flora of China). More than 90 percent of the crop comes from Wenshan prefecture (Yang 2018). Chinese medicine has used the root for bleeding from injury, trauma, pain and heart and circulation problems (Wang 2016). Air dried notoginseng holds two to five times more total ginsenosides than air dried American or Asian ginseng (Sun 2011).

Its trials cover stroke, platelets, angina and blood lipids, and nearly all used a saponin extract rather than root powder. A 2023 trial at 67 Chinese hospitals gave 2,966 people with ischemic stroke 120 mg of notoginseng saponins (Xuesaitong soft capsules, a prescription medicine in China) or placebo twice a day for 3 months; 89.3 percent of the saponin group could live independently at 3 months against 82.4 percent on placebo (Wu 2023). A 2022 review of 20 trials in 2,216 people found notoginseng preparations plus aspirin held platelet clumping down more than aspirin alone, with no rise in bleeding (Dai 2022). A 2013 review of 17 trials in 1,747 people with coronary heart disease found oral preparations eased angina symptoms (Shang 2013), and a 2020 review of 24 trials in 1,918 people with diabetic kidney disease found lower cholesterol (Tang 2020). Buyers are people managing circulation and households that keep a bruise and bleeding remedy. The species page is at /wiki/.

Korean Ginseng, the Energising One

Korean ginseng, also called Asian ginseng, grows in Korea and northeast China. It is sold white, which is air dried, or red, which is steamed (Sun 2011), and tradition classes it as warming and qi tonifying.

Its trials cover tiredness, erectile function and immune response. A 2016 review of 12 studies in 630 people found it eased tiredness better than placebo (Bach 2016). A 2021 Cochrane review of 9 trials in 587 men found it improved erectile function, mostly at 1.8 to 3 grams of red ginseng a day for 8 to 12 weeks (Lee 2021). A 1996 trial of 227 people found a standardised extract taken around a flu shot roughly doubled the antibody response (Scaglione 1996). Buyers want stamina, sexual function and a tonic for low energy. The sister site is panaxginseng.com.

American Ginseng, the Calm One

American ginseng grows wild in the hardwood forests of eastern North America and is farmed in Wisconsin and Ontario. Chinese buyers know it as xi yang shen and class it as cooling.

Its trials cover blood sugar, working memory, colds and tiredness in cancer. A 2000 trial of 19 people found 3 grams of root 40 minutes before a sugar drink cut the blood sugar rise by about a fifth (Vuksan 2000). A 2010 trial of 32 young adults found 100 to 400 mg of a standardised extract improved working memory within hours (Scholey 2010). A 2005 trial of 323 adults found a polysaccharide extract over four months cut colds from 0.93 to 0.68 per person (Predy 2005), and a 2013 trial of 364 cancer survivors found 2,000 mg a day for 8 weeks eased tiredness (Barton 2013). Buyers want steady focus, a gentler blood sugar curve and fewer winter colds. The sister site is quinquefolius.com.

The Chemistry Explains the Split

Notoginseng makes notoginsenoside R1, which the 2023 five species study named among the compounds that separate it from the other two (Ji 2023). In a notoginseng saponin extract, ginsenosides Rg1, Rb1, Rd and Re plus R1 make up about 90 percent of the saponins (Zeng 2026). A 2004 crossover trial gave 12 healthy adults 3 grams of eight ginseng types, sanqi among them, before a sugar drink: American ginseng tended to lower the 90 minute blood sugar, Asian ginseng raised it, and the ratio of two ginsenoside families was the one measured factor that predicted the response (Sievenpiper 2004). The species name on the label is what tells these plants apart.

Which One You Want

Circulation, bruises and a heart or stroke history: notoginseng (Panax notoginseng). The stroke, platelet and angina trials used saponin extract capsules or hospital injections, so a saponin product is the form that matches them; raw root powder is the traditional form for bruises and bleeding.
Everyday energy and erectile function: Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng), on the 630 person fatigue review and the 587 man Cochrane review.
A stronger flu shot response: Korean ginseng, from the 227 person trial.
Calm focus and after meal blood sugar: American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), on the working memory and blood sugar trials.
Winter colds and tiredness during cancer treatment: American ginseng, on the 323 person cold trial and the 364 person fatigue trial.

What Users Report

People who use more than one species sort them by job. Notoginseng gets described as the medicine cabinet root, kept for bruises, circulation and recovery after a heart event. Korean ginseng gets described as the stamina root for training and travel. American ginseng gets described as the daytime root, calm and steady for desk work.

Safety Notes

Notoginseng acts on platelets. Talk with your doctor before taking notoginseng if you take warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel or any blood thinner. Stop it before surgery. Avoid it in pregnancy and breastfeeding, where there are no trials. In the 2,966 person stroke trial, serious side effects on the saponin capsule were 1.0 percent against 1.1 percent on placebo (Wu 2023). A 2004 trial of 20 healthy adults found two weeks of American ginseng lowered warfarin's blood thinning effect (Yuan 2004), and Korean ginseng's side effects looked similar to placebo in a 2002 review (Coon and Ernst 2002). Tell your doctor about any of the three if you take blood thinners or diabetes medicines.

Notoginseng is the species for circulation, bruises and recovery after a stroke. Korean ginseng is the species for energy and erectile function, and American ginseng is the species for calm focus and after meal blood sugar.

References

Ji R et al. 2023. Untargeted Metabolomic Analysis and Chemometrics to Identify Potential Marker Compounds for the Chemical Differentiation of Panax ginseng, P. quinquefolius, P. notoginseng, P. japonicus, and P. japonicus var. major. Molecules.
Yang Z et al. 2018. Investigating chemical features of Panax notoginseng based on integrating HPLC fingerprinting and determination of multiconstituents by single reference standard. J Ginseng Res.
Wang T et al. 2016. Traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen: A review. J Ethnopharmacol.
Sun S et al. 2011. Red notoginseng: higher ginsenoside content and stronger anticancer potential than Asian and American ginseng. Food Chem.
Wu L et al. 2023. Efficacy and Safety of Panax notoginseng Saponins in the Treatment of Adults With Ischemic Stroke in China: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open.
Dai L et al. 2022. Panax notoginseng preparation plus aspirin versus aspirin alone on platelet aggregation and coagulation in patients with coronary heart disease or ischemic stroke: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Front Pharmacol.
Shang Q et al. 2013. Oral Panax notoginseng Preparation for Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.
Tang X et al. 2020. Panax notoginseng preparations as adjuvant therapy for diabetic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pharm Biol.
Bach HV et al. 2016. Efficacy of ginseng supplements on fatigue and physical performance: a meta-analysis. J Korean Med Sci.
Lee HW et al. 2021. Ginseng for erectile dysfunction. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
Scaglione F et al. 1996. Efficacy and safety of the standardised ginseng extract G115 for potentiating vaccination against the influenza syndrome and protection against the common cold. Drugs Exp Clin Res.
Vuksan V et al. 2000. American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Arch Intern Med.
Scholey A et al. 2010. Effects of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) on neurocognitive function: an acute, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Psychopharmacology (Berl).
Predy GN et al. 2005. Efficacy of an extract of North American ginseng containing poly-furanosyl-pyranosyl-saccharides for preventing upper respiratory tract infections: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ.
Barton DL et al. 2013. Wisconsin Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) to improve cancer-related fatigue: a randomized, double-blind trial, N07C2. J Natl Cancer Inst.
Zeng X et al. 2026. Panax notoginseng saponins against ischemic stroke: From molecule to clinic. J Ethnopharmacol.
Sievenpiper JL et al. 2004. Decreasing, null and increasing effects of eight popular types of ginseng on acute postprandial glycemic indices in healthy humans: the role of ginsenosides. J Am Coll Nutr.
Yuan CS et al. 2004. Brief communication: American ginseng reduces warfarin's effect in healthy patients: a randomized, controlled Trial. Ann Intern Med.
Coon JT, Ernst E. 2002. Panax ginseng: a systematic review of adverse effects and drug interactions. Drug Saf.
Flora of China, Panax notoginseng: http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200015251

Nothing here is medical advice. If you take prescription medication, talk with your doctor before adding notoginseng.