Red vs White Ginseng: How Processing Changes the Product

Short answer. Red ginseng and white ginseng usually come from the same plant, Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A.Mey., family Araliaceae, an accepted name in the GBIF plant database). [1] The difference is how the root is prepared after harvest. The sources we read show that steaming changes the root's chemistry. We did not find human trials that compare red with white directly, so no source we read can say one works better in people. Proper evidence not found for that head-to-head question (we searched PubMed for red versus white ginseng clinical trials and for comparison studies).

Before you start. This is information, not medical advice. Ginseng has documented cautions with blood thinners, diabetes medicines and sedating medicines, and during pregnancy and breastfeeding. See How medicine interactions work and ask a pharmacist or clinician before using any ginseng product.

What the two words mean

• White ginseng is prepared by air-drying fresh roots after harvest. [2]
• Red ginseng is prepared by steaming the roots under controlled conditions. [2] The European Medicines Agency (EMA) describes the same split: root dried (white) or treated first with steam and then dried (red). [3]
• Black ginseng is a third type, made by steaming white or red ginseng several times. [2]
• NIH's complementary health center says the terms "red" and "white" ginseng refer to Asian ginseng prepared two ways, and that the root is the part most often used. [4]

These are not different plants from American ginseng or eleuthero ("Siberian ginseng"). See Ginseng types compared.

Why people processed ginseng (history, not proof)

One review says that as ginseng cultivation grew, so did demand for long-term storage, which pushed the development of post-harvest methods. [5] It names drying (white) and steaming (red) as the two most common traditional processes. [5] For the Korean tradition around red ginseng, see Korean Red Ginseng: traditional processing, research and safety.

What steaming changes in the laboratory

These are chemistry and animal findings, not results in people.

Research on red ginseng is more limited than on white ginseng. [2]

What research in people shows

NIH says most Asian ginseng trials were small (under 200 people) and shorter than 3 months. [4] The red ginseng reviews we read are similar:

• Erectile dysfunction. A systematic review of Korean red ginseng found seven randomized trials of low average quality and called the evidence "suggestive", too limited for definitive conclusions. [8]
• Exercise. A review of 14 red ginseng trials found no improvement in aerobic capacity measures, and said studies were few and mixed. [9] NIH likewise says most research shows Asian ginseng does not improve athletic performance. [4]

Label for both: mixed and limited. Results from one extract or amount do not carry over to another product.

What an official body says

The EMA's herbal medicines committee (HMPC) supports traditional use of Panax ginseng root, as dried (white) or steamed and dried (red), for the symptomatic treatment of asthenia such as fatigue and weakness. [3] "Traditional use" means the conclusion rests on long-standing use and not on clinical study results. [3] The EMA says its summary excludes food supplements, which do not follow the same criteria as medicines. [3]

No universal winner

Red and white are different products with different chemistry, and neither has been shown better for people. If you want to understand your options, bring the product label to a pharmacist and see Asian ginseng and ginseng, blood sugar, blood thinners and other cautions.