Ginseng has been used as an herbal remedy for, literally, ages. Its root it was claimed to treat low energy, high blood sugar, sexual dysfunction, and keep cholesterol or stress under control. A new study shows now that ginseng could also help with weight loss.
This is not the first time that ginseng has been found to help with weight loss, but this new study tried to go to the root (pun intended) of the problem and discover the mechanism behind this surprising benefit of ginseng consumption. Their hypothesis was that the said mechanism might be related with changes in gut microbiota. And that’s precisely what it happens. Ginseng ingestion alters the bacteria populations in our gut. To be more precise, it promotes the proliferation of Enterococcus faecalis, a bacteria that produces an unsaturated long-chain fatty acid (myristoleic acid), that can reduce adiposity by brown adipose tissue activation and beige fat formation.
Still, before starting to chew on ginseng roots, you should know that there is one major caveat: the study was performed only on mice and the researchers used concentrated ginseng extract, not the plants by themselves.
