Preventive Effect of Korean Red Ginseng for Acute Respiratory Illness: A Randomized and Double-Blind Clinical Trial

Lee, Chang-Seop; Lee, Ju-Hyung; Oh, Mira; Choi, Kyung-Min; Jeong, Mi Ran; Park, Jong-Dae; Kwon, Dae Young; Ha, Ki-Chan; Park, Eun-Ock; Lee, Nuri; Kim, Sun-Young; Choi, Eun-Kyung; Kim, Min-Gul; Chae, Soo-Wan

The study subjects were recruited between October to November 2010 in Clinical Trial Center for Functional Foods via a local newspaper advertisement. A total of 115 volunteers who responded to the advertisements were pre-screened via telephone interview and screened for the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study subjects were required to be in good general health, between 30 and 70 yr of age. To avoid the confounding effects of vaccination, subjects were excluded if they had been vaccinated against influenza within 6 months. Other exclusion criteria for the study were: 1) HIV infected or cancer patients; 2) cardiovascular disease, neurologic or psychiatric disease, and renal, pulmonary and hepatic abnormalities; 3) upper respiratory infection within two weeks prior to the study; 4) active tuberculosis treated; 5) history of disease that could interfere with the test products or impede their absorption, such as gastrointestinal disease (Crohn's disease) or gastrointestinal surgery (a appendicitis or enterocele surgery were included); 6) participation in any other clinical trials within the past 2 months; 7) abnormal liver function test (ALT > 60 IU/L); 8) connective tissue disease patients; 9) multiple sclerosis disease patients; 10) taking medications such as immunosuppressive drugs, corticosteroids, warfarin, phenelzine, pentobarbital, haloperidol, cyclosporine; 11) allergic or hypersensitive to ginseng; 12) antipsychosis drugs therapy within the past 2 months; 13) laboratory tests, and medical or psychological conditions deemed by the investigators to interfere with successful participation in the study; 14) history of alcohol or substance abuse; 15) pregnancy or breast feeding; and 16) being judged by the responsible physician of the local study center as unfit to participate in the study.