US scientists verify red ginseng functions, boost KGC's health supplement business

Amir Rafie of Valiance Clinical Research presents at the International Conference on the Science of Botanicals in Oxford, Miss., April 8. Courtesy of Korea Ginseng Corp.

Scientists in the United States have verified the health benefits of red ginseng, paving the way for Korea's largest ginseng extract maker to expand its presence in the global market.

The latest findings on red ginseng were among the key topics discussed at the International Conference on the Science of Botanicals, held from April 7 to Thursday in Oxford, Mississippi.

The event was organized by the U.S.-based National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR).

Officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Agriculture,the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, as well as professors and researchers, were part of some 400 attendees at the event.

Amir Rafie of Valiance Clinical Research in Los Angeles was among the presenters at the conference, according to Korea Ginseng Corp. (KGC), the developer of red ginseng extract products under its flagship brand JungKwanJang. He shared findings indicating that red ginseng intake contributes to improved cardiovascular health.

Rafie confirmed the result through clinical studies on 108 adults. The subjects were divided into three groups to provide each of them with 2,000 milligrams and 480 milligrams of the extract and a placebo. Those who took the extracts showed their platelet aggregation was reduced by 10 to 16 percent. He also concluded the intake prevented the formation of blood clots among the intake groups.

Ikhlas Khan, the director of NCNPR, said that the conference demonstrated the beneficial effects of red ginseng on cardiovascular health, the immune system and anti-aging through studies conducted in the United States. The research confirms what has already been widely accepted information.

Professor Shong Min-ho of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology’s Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering presented at the conference that red ginseng extract revitalized the aging-bound reduction status of mitochondria within immune cells. He added the extract reduces chemicals prone to inflammation and slows the aging of immune cells.

“Some 1,200 scientific dissertations have proven red ginseng’s healthy functions and key attribute to global wellbeing trends like gluten-free and caffeine-free,” Lee Yun-beom, director of KGC’s R&D Center in the U.S., said.

“Our cooperation with U.S. researchers will further prove why the Korean natural produce is good for human health and help promote it to global consumers.”