"Red Ginseng Improves Endometriosis... No Effect on Female Hormone Levels"

Inhibition of Inflammatory Enzymes and Pain-Inducing Substance Production

Professor Lee Young-joo's research team at Sejong University’s Department of Bio Convergence demonstrated that consuming Hong Sam does not affect female hormone levels while being effective in improving endometriosis.

Professor Lee Young-joo of Sejong University is presenting at the Korean Ginseng Society Autumn Academic Conference held at Maison Glad Jeju Hotel in Jeju since the 27th. [Image source=Korean Ginseng Society]

The research findings were presented at the Fall Academic Conference of the Korean Ginseng Society held from October 27 to 30 at the Maison Glad Jeju Hotel in Jeju.

Endometriosis is a benign condition in which endometrial tissue, which should be inside the uterus, attaches and proliferates in tissues outside the uterus. It causes bleeding, pain, inflammation, and infertility. It is known that one in ten adult women is diagnosed with endometriosis. The incidence is particularly high among women in their 30s and 40s.

Until now, the medical community has treated endometriosis with hormone therapy or surgical treatment, but a definitive cure has not yet been developed. Surgical treatment, in particular, has been noted for its limitations due to side effects such as early menopause. Recently, studies have been published showing that the age of menopause onset correlates with life expectancy and that early menopause can cause various health problems, highlighting the need for the development of treatments.

Professor Lee Young-joo’s team revealed that consuming Hong Sam is effective in improving endometriosis. Through cell experiments, the research team confirmed that Hong Sam inhibits COX-2, an inflammation-inducing enzyme triggered by environmental hormones (phthalates) in endometrial cancer cells, thereby suppressing the production of prostaglandins, which cause pain, and reducing the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is involved in capillary angiogenesis. Additionally, RNA sequencing analysis of endometrial cancer cells showed that Hong Sam regulates inflammation-inducing genes altered by environmental hormones.

Furthermore, in a mouse model of endometriosis, oral administration of Hong Sam (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) demonstrated that the Hong Sam group had reduced endometrial lesion size compared to the control group. Immunohistochemical tissue staining also revealed that Hong Sam significantly decreased the proliferation of endometrial stromal cells.

Moreover, the research team analyzed Hong Sam using an international standardized method developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to evaluate endocrine-disrupting chemicals (environmental hormones) and confirmed that Hong Sam does not affect the synthesis of the female hormone estrogen. In experiments using an ovariectomized mouse model, the 'estrogen treatment group' showed increased uterine weight, whereas the 'Hong Sam administration group' did not induce uterine hypertrophy, indicating no estrogenic activity in the body. It was also found that administering Hong Sam to mice implanted with breast cancer cells did not increase breast cancer tumor size.

Professor Lee Young-joo stated, "These research results are significant because Hong Sam helps improve endometriosis without affecting female hormone levels, suggesting that Hong Sam could be an alternative for the prevention and treatment of female diseases. The protective effect of Hong Sam on endometriosis is expected to help prevent related issues such as early menopause caused by surgery."

Meanwhile, at the conference, researchers from Korea, China, Japan, and the United States presented research results on over 30 topics, including the mechanism of Hong Sam’s suppression of colon cancer growth, gut and bone health through balancing intestinal microbiota, cancer treatment effects, and respiratory virus immunity effects.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.