Ginseng Pills Clean Up Their Act

The latest report from ConsumerLab.com is good news for people who take ginseng. And it suggests that supplement quality, in general, may be on the upswing. Back in 2000, nearly 60 percent of the Asian and American ginseng supplements ConsumerLab tested either contained high levels of pesticides or were labeled inaccurately. Korean ginseng made an especially poor showing. This year, problems showed up in only 17 percent of ginseng products. (The dried root is most often used to boost energy, stimulate the immune system, and treat impotence in men.) The picture isn’t entirely rosy; some other supplements tested recently by ConsumerLab didn’t fare so well. Still, Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council in Austin, Texas, is optimistic. With the Food and Drug Administration poised to begin enforcing new quality standards for herbal supplements within the next couple of years, he says, companies have a greater incentive to regulate themselves. “There’s a trend toward better quality for herbal dietary supplements across the board,” he says. For now, ginseng shoppers should continue to read labels carefully. Look for Asian ginseng powder that contains 15 mg of ginsenosides per gram, and extracts with 30 mg. American ginseng powders should have 20 mg of ginsenosides, and American extracts, 40 mg.For more info, go to www.consumerlab.com.

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