{
  "dataset": "ginseng-cost-by-brand",
  "title": "Panax Ginseng Supplements Compared — cost per serving, species, and ginsenoside disclosure",
  "sourcePage": "https://verifiedsupplementdata.com/ginseng/best-overall/",
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Verified Supplement Data (2026), Ginseng Cost & Species Comparison",
  "dateModified": "2026-07-16",
  "methodology": "The active compounds in ginseng are ginsenosides (dammarane-type saponins), found ONLY in true Panax species (P. ginseng = Asian/Korean; P. quinquefolius = American). \"Siberian ginseng\" (Eleutherococcus senticosus / Eleuthero) is NOT a ginseng and contains ZERO ginsenosides — its actives are eleutherosides. Ginsenoside content varies 15-36 fold across commercial products versus the label (Harkey 2001, PMID 11382666), and most labels disclose no ginsenoside percentage at all; Amazon also hides the Supplement-Facts extract mg. \"verdict\" classifies each product: panax-standardized (true Asian Panax + discloses a ginsenoside %), panax-undisclosed (true Asian Panax, no % on label), american-species (Panax quinquefolius — a true Panax but a different species/profile than Asian), eleuthero-not-ginseng (Eleuthero — not a ginseng, no ginsenosides), blend (multi-species, not a clean comparison). costPerServing = live Amazon price / servings per container. The clinically most-studied standardized extract is Ginsana/Pharmaton G115 (standardized to 4% ginsenosides, ~200-400 mg/day in trials); it is cited as the benchmark but is not reliably purchasable on Amazon US, so it is excluded from this buy-ranked table.",
  "headline": {
    "productsCompared": 9,
    "discloseGinsenosidePct": 2,
    "trueAsianPanax": 5,
    "notRealAsianPanax": 4,
    "cheapestStandardizedBrand": "Nature's Way",
    "cheapestStandardizedCostPerServing": 0.44,
    "note": "Of the products compared, only 2 disclose a ginsenoside percentage, and 4 are not Asian Panax ginseng (American species, Eleuthero, or a blend). The marketed \"ginseng root mg\" tells you nothing about ginsenoside content or even the species."
  },
  "columns": [
    "brand",
    "product",
    "slug",
    "species",
    "form",
    "rootMgPerServing",
    "ginsenosidePct",
    "servings",
    "price",
    "costPerServing",
    "verdict",
    "thirdParty"
  ],
  "units": {
    "rootMgPerServing": "mg ginseng root/extract (marketed weight)",
    "ginsenosidePct": "% total ginsenosides (disclosed)",
    "price": "USD",
    "costPerServing": "USD/day"
  },
  "citations": [
    {
      "claim": "Ginsenoside content in commercial ginseng varied 15-36 fold and differed significantly from labeled amounts.",
      "source": "Harkey MR, et al. 2001, Am J Clin Nutr (25 products)",
      "pmid": "11382666"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Red ginseng improved erectile dysfunction vs placebo (RR 2.40), but trial quality was too low for a definitive conclusion.",
      "source": "Jang DJ, et al. 2008, Br J Clin Pharmacol",
      "pmid": "18754850"
    },
    {
      "claim": "A rigorous Cochrane review found only a trivial-to-small ED effect with low certainty of evidence.",
      "source": "Lee HW, et al. 2022, World J Mens Health",
      "pmid": "34169686"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Ginseng modestly improved memory (dose-dependent) but not overall cognition, attention, or executive function.",
      "source": "Zeng M, et al. 2024, Phytother Res (15 RCTs)",
      "pmid": "39474788"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Ginseng lowered fasting blood glucose by 0.31 mmol/L; no significant overall HbA1c effect.",
      "source": "Shishtar E, et al. 2014, PLoS One (16 trials)",
      "pmid": "25265315"
    }
  ],
  "products": [
    {
      "brand": "Nature's Way",
      "product": "Asian Ginseng, 1,120 mg (100 Capsules)",
      "slug": "natures-way-asian-ginseng",
      "form": "capsule",
      "species": "Panax ginseng (Asian)",
      "rootMgPerServing": 1120,
      "ginsenosidePct": 7,
      "servings": 50,
      "price": 22.18,
      "costPerServing": 0.44,
      "verdict": "panax-standardized",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Auragin",
      "product": "Authentic Korean Red Ginseng, 6-Year Roots (60 Tablets)",
      "slug": "auragin-korean-red",
      "form": "tablet",
      "species": "Panax ginseng (Korean red)",
      "rootMgPerServing": null,
      "ginsenosidePct": 8,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 39.95,
      "costPerServing": 0.67,
      "verdict": "panax-standardized",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Solgar",
      "product": "Korean Ginseng Root Extract SFP (60 Capsules)",
      "slug": "solgar-korean-ginseng",
      "form": "capsule",
      "species": "Panax ginseng (Asian)",
      "rootMgPerServing": null,
      "ginsenosidePct": null,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 15.39,
      "costPerServing": 0.26,
      "verdict": "panax-undisclosed",
      "thirdParty": "None (Kosher/Non-GMO)"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Prince of Peace",
      "product": "Red Panax Ginseng Extractum, Ultra Strength (30 Vials)",
      "slug": "prince-of-peace-extractum",
      "form": "liquid",
      "species": "Panax ginseng (Korean red)",
      "rootMgPerServing": null,
      "ginsenosidePct": null,
      "servings": 30,
      "price": 16.35,
      "costPerServing": 0.55,
      "verdict": "panax-undisclosed",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "KGC Cheong Kwan Jang",
      "product": "Korean Red Ginseng Extract EveryTime, 3,000 mg (10 Pouches)",
      "slug": "kgc-everytime",
      "form": "liquid",
      "species": "Panax ginseng (Korean red)",
      "rootMgPerServing": 3000,
      "ginsenosidePct": null,
      "servings": 10,
      "price": 34.19,
      "costPerServing": 3.42,
      "verdict": "panax-undisclosed",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "NOW Foods",
      "product": "NOW American Ginseng, 500 mg (100 Veg Capsules)",
      "slug": "now-american-ginseng",
      "form": "capsule",
      "species": "Panax quinquefolius (American)",
      "rootMgPerServing": 500,
      "ginsenosidePct": null,
      "servings": 100,
      "price": 12.23,
      "costPerServing": 0.12,
      "verdict": "american-species",
      "thirdParty": "None (NPA GMP brand)"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Hsu's Ginseng",
      "product": "Hsu's Wisconsin American Ginseng, 500 mg (100 Capsules)",
      "slug": "hsus-american-ginseng",
      "form": "capsule",
      "species": "Panax quinquefolius (American)",
      "rootMgPerServing": 500,
      "ginsenosidePct": null,
      "servings": 100,
      "price": 24.99,
      "costPerServing": 0.25,
      "verdict": "american-species",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Nature's Bounty",
      "product": "Ginseng Complex with B-12 (75 Capsules)",
      "slug": "natures-bounty-ginseng-complex",
      "form": "capsule",
      "species": "Blend (Panax + American + red)",
      "rootMgPerServing": null,
      "ginsenosidePct": null,
      "servings": 37,
      "price": 8.58,
      "costPerServing": 0.23,
      "verdict": "blend",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Gaia Herbs",
      "product": "Eleuthero Root, labeled \"Siberian Ginseng\" (60 Liquid Phyto-Caps)",
      "slug": "gaia-eleuthero",
      "form": "capsule",
      "species": "Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus)",
      "rootMgPerServing": null,
      "ginsenosidePct": null,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 30.59,
      "costPerServing": 0.51,
      "verdict": "eleuthero-not-ginseng",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    }
  ]
}