Teitelbaum, Jacob, Goudie, Sarah · Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021 · DOI
This study tested a special form of red ginseng called HRG80 in people with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and post-COVID fatigue. Over one month, 188 patients took daily ginseng supplements and reported their symptoms. About 60% of participants felt better, with improvements in energy, mental clarity, sleep, and stamina.
For ME/CFS patients seeking non-pharmacological interventions, this study provides preliminary evidence that a specific ginseng extract may improve multiple core symptoms including energy and cognitive function. The inclusion of post-viral fatigue patients makes findings potentially relevant to the growing population of long COVID sufferers.
This study does NOT prove that HRG80 Red Ginseng is effective for ME/CFS because it lacks a placebo control group—improvements could result from placebo effect, regression to the mean, or natural variation in symptoms. The open-label design and reliance on patient self-assessment introduce substantial bias. One month is too short to establish durability or long-term safety.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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