Red ginseng can help with erectile dysfunction. A 2021 Cochrane review of nine studies in 587 men found a measurable improvement on standard erectile function scores. A 2008 analysis found men were about 2.4 times as likely to report improvement as men on a placebo.
It Improves Erectile Function Scores
Erectile dysfunction is one of ginseng's most researched uses, and most of that research is specifically on Korean red ginseng. The 2021 Cochrane review, the highest bar for evidence quality, pooled nine trials totaling 587 men and found ginseng produced a measurable improvement on the International Index of Erectile Function scale compared with placebo (Lee 2021).
An earlier 2008 systematic review gathered seven randomized trials and pooled the six placebo controlled ones, 349 men in all, and found those taking red ginseng were about 2.4 times as likely to report an improvement as men taking a placebo (Jang 2008). Read together, the two reviews point the same direction across a decade of trials, with a measurable effect on erectile function.
The Cochrane review also asked men a simple question: could they have intercourse? Across six trials, men on ginseng were about 2.5 times as likely to say yes as men on placebo (Lee 2021). In the 2008 review, the 135 men whose erectile dysfunction had a psychological cause improved at about twice the placebo rate (Jang 2008).
A 2018 meta-analysis of herbal supplements looked at 24 trials in 2,080 men and singled out five ginseng trials in 399 men (Borrelli 2018). Ginseng lifted the erectile function score above placebo, the trials agreed with each other, and side effects matched placebo. That review called ginseng an encouraging herbal treatment for erectile function.
The Trials Behind the Reviews
Each trial in these reviews points the same way. A 1995 trial of 90 men in Seoul compared Korean red ginseng with placebo and with trazodone, an older prescription drug (Choi 1995). Sixty percent of the men on ginseng responded, twice the rate in either other group, with gains in rigidity, girth, libido and satisfaction.
A 2002 crossover trial gave 45 men 900 mg of Korean red ginseng three times a day for 8 weeks (Hong 2002). Scores for penetration and for keeping an erection rose on ginseng, and 60 percent of the men said their erections improved. A device that measures rigidity directly confirmed that gain.
A 2007 trial in São Paulo gave 60 men 1,000 mg of Korean red ginseng three times a day for 12 weeks (de Andrade 2007). The five item erectile function score rose from 16.4 to 21.0, and two thirds of the men reported better erections. Testosterone and cholesterol stayed steady while erections improved.
Other Parts of the Plant Help Too
Panax ginseng from sources beyond the steamed root has its own trials. A 2009 trial gave men 1,000 mg of a tissue cultured mountain ginseng extract twice a day for 8 weeks (Kim 2009). In the 86 men who finished, erectile function and overall satisfaction rose above placebo.
A 2013 trial at several centres gave 119 men 1.4 grams a day of a standardized Korean ginseng berry extract for 8 weeks (Choi 2013). Every domain of sexual function improved, including desire, orgasm and satisfaction, and control over ejaculation was better by week 4. Hormone and lipid levels held steady while the berry lifted every score.
How the Studies Measured It
Both reviews leaned on the International Index of Erectile Function, a standardized questionnaire used widely in erectile dysfunction research. The improvement is a change on a validated scale, which is a solid way to see the gain.
The Doses and Timeframes Studied
Studies in both reviews typically used 1.8 to 3 grams a day of Korean red ginseng extract, taken for 8 to 12 weeks before the final assessment. Consistent daily use across that full window is what the evidence covers, and it is the course that produced the score improvements. For dosing across other uses, see ginseng dosage, and for a week by week sense of timing, how long ginseng takes to work.
Red Ginseng Is the Form in These Trials
Almost all of the erectile dysfunction research uses red ginseng, the steamed and dried form of the root. Processing changes the mix of active compounds called ginsenosides, and researchers have generally chosen red ginseng for this line of study. See red vs white ginseng for what the processing actually changes, and for the compounds that steaming adds to the root.
Red Ginseng Fits a Wider Routine
Although the research reviewed here did not test red ginseng alongside prescription erectile dysfunction medication, and although the safety profile in these studies did not show a meaningful increase in side effects, many men pair the root with exercise, sleep, and cardiovascular health across the same weeks the trials used. That daily course improved erectile function scores.
What Users Report
Beyond the clinical trials, red ginseng has a long history of use for male sexual health, and many men who take it daily describe more confidence and better performance in the bedroom, alongside the steadier energy and stamina ginseng is known for more broadly. Some describe noticing a difference within a few weeks, and others say it built gradually, closer to the two to three month mark the studies measured. A number of men also mention that the confidence and energy benefits feel connected, saying that feeling less run down in general made the biggest difference to their performance. These are user reports rather than clinical findings, and they line up with the direction the trials point.
Safety Notes
Although people who use blood thinners, diabetes medication, or MAOIs, or who have a heart condition, can mention ginseng to a doctor because erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular health are often linked, a review of adverse events across seven of the erectile dysfunction trials found no meaningful increase in side effects compared with placebo (Lee 2021), and men tolerated red ginseng well across those weeks of daily use.
For the wider range of studied benefits, see Panax ginseng benefits and what Panax ginseng actually does. Men in these trials gained measurable erectile function from Korean red ginseng, a root with a long history in male vitality.
References
- Lee HW et al. 2021. Ginseng for erectile dysfunction. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
- Jang DJ et al. 2008. Red ginseng for treating erectile dysfunction: a systematic review. Br J Clin Pharmacol.
- Borrelli F et al. 2018. Herbal Dietary Supplements for Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Drugs.
- Choi HK et al. 1995. Clinical efficacy of Korean red ginseng for erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res.
- Hong B et al. 2002. A double-blind crossover study evaluating the efficacy of korean red ginseng in patients with erectile dysfunction: a preliminary report. J Urol.
- de Andrade E et al. 2007. Study of the efficacy of Korean Red Ginseng in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Asian J Androl.
- Kim TH et al. 2009. Effects of tissue-cultured mountain ginseng (Panax ginseng CA Meyer) extract on male patients with erectile dysfunction. Asian J Androl.
- Choi YD et al. 2013. Effects of Korean ginseng berry extract on sexual function in men with erectile dysfunction: a multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical study. Int J Impot Res.
Nothing here is medical advice, and people who take prescription medication or have a heart condition can mention ginseng to a doctor while they enjoy a root that supported erectile function in these trials.
