Fatigue and lack of energy are often experienced by cancer patients both during diagnosis, during treatment, after treatment, even several years later. The good news, a new study found ginseng supplementation can overcome the fatigue.
The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute said, cancer patients and survivors experienced improvement of fatigue they experience after two months of taking ginseng supplements.
Said lead researcher Debra Barton, fatigue and lethargy in cancer patients can not be eliminated by simply sleeping or resting. Because fatigue is profound and can significantly affect their ability to perform their daily activities.
Previous studies showed that ginseng has the potential to overcome fatigue. Korean spice has long been known benefits as a stamina enhancer. Even cancer patients cancer was already using ginseng though first not been scientifically proven.
To determine the effects of ginseng, the researchers analyzed the 364 people who experience fatigue due to cancer, which is divided into two groups.
Participants who were in the first group was given 2 grams of ginseng supplements every day for eight weeks, while the other group were given a placebo. Then they were asked to report fatigue with answering the questionnaire. Their answers were given a scale of 0-100, with the highest value indicates the most energy. Initial test, both groups of participants have the same value of 40.
After eight weeks, the first group values rose an average of 20 points, while the second group only increased by 10 percent. In addition, the first group did not report any side effects of supplements, such as nausea, vomiting, and anxiety.
"Ginseng is very interesting, especially because the effect of anti inflamation. Because we think fatigue in cancer patients caused by inflammation," said Catherine Alfano, director of cancer treatment at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, who was not involved in the study.
Although the results of the study are very promising, but Alfano has not advised doctors to give each patient the ginseng supplements. Because it is not certain if drugs can interact ginseng or therapeutic treatment of the cancer itself.