Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant, and the ability for red ginseng to help minimise cravings has been investigated.
Researchers used self-administration and conditioned place preference (whether a rat spends more or less time in a conditioned location, a.k.a where it accessed meth) tests to examine the effects of ginseng on meth dependence. They also studied motivational and seeking behaviors and analyzed dopamine and NMDA receptor activity.
What they found:
- Ginseng at 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg significantly reduced METH-induced conditioned place preference (CPP), indicating a reduction in addiction behavior.
- Ginseng at 20 mg/kg shortened the withdrawal period and significantly prevented METH-primed relapse, reducing the preference for the drug-paired environment.
- Ginseng at 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg significantly reduced the number of meth infusions and active lever presses, indicating decreased motivation for meth.
- Ginseng treatment reversed meth-induced overexpression of dopamine transporter, dopamine receptor D1 and NMDA receptor in the brain.
While this research is super interesting, these dosages are for rats and also this article was from a grant from the Korean Society of Ginseng, so take it with a grain of salt.
Have you noticed any similar effects?
Here’s the study: Korean Red Ginseng inhibits methamphetamine addictive behaviors by regulating dopaminergic and NMDAergic system in rodents - PMC