Ginseng for Improving Semen Quality Parameters: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE: Ginseng has been used as a tonic to improve overall health, restore balance in the body, help the body to heal itself, reduce stress, boost energy, and enhance the immune system. The aim of this review was to assess current evidence that ginseng improves sperm quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched twelve databases (PubMed, EMBASE, AMED, the Cochrane Library, five Korean medical databases, and three Chinese medical databases), using a cut-off date of 1st December 2019. We included clinical studies in which healthy men or men with fertility issues were treated with ginseng. We used Cochrane's risk of bias (ROB) tool to assess the ROB in the studies examined. RESULTS: From two-hundred and nineteen potentially eligible studies, just five relevant studies were selected (two randomized clinical trials [RCTs], one controlled clinical trial [CCT], and two observational studies). Of these studies, one RCT reported some positive results when using Korean red ginseng to improve sperm quality in infertile men. In addition, the other RCT reported that the effects of ginseng on sperm quality were equivalent to those found when valerian tablets are taken by healthy people. One CCT and two uncontrolled observational studies, however, did not demonstrate the clear effectiveness of ginseng in improving sperm quality in infertile men. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, there are few trials investigating the efficacy of ginseng for improving sperm quality. The available studies demonstrate a high ROB. It can be suggested that overall, the evidence regarding ginseng improving sperm quality is limited.