# Siberian ginseng (eleuthero)

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/siberian-ginseng-eleuthero/  
OnCo record `siberian-ginseng-eleuthero` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Siberian ginseng is not a true ginseng; it is sold as a tonic for stamina and immunity. Human studies are few and none concerns cancer. It raised digoxin levels in a case report.

## Summary

Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is a northern Asian plant used traditionally as an adaptogen, performance enhancer and immune stimulant; it is not a species of Panax ginseng. Memorial Sloan Kettering's About Herbs summary describes neuroprotective, blood-sugar-lowering and steroid-receptor-binding effects in preclinical studies, and calls human studies quite limited: an herbal mixture containing it relieved knee osteoarthritis pain in one small study, and it may improve lipid profiles. No study has tested it in people with cancer. MSK records a subarachnoid haemorrhage in a woman taking a supplement of red clover, dong quai and Siberian ginseng for hot flushes, raised serum digoxin in a case report, and inhibition of CYP2C9 and CYP2E1 in vitro. For fatigue during cancer treatment, the ginseng with trial evidence is American ginseng.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: concept
- Last checked: 2026-11-04
- Also known as: Eleuthero; Eleutherococcus senticosus
- Tags: complementary; supportive-care; evidence:insufficient
- Principle: Eleutherosides and polysaccharides with proposed adaptogenic and immune effects in laboratory models.
- Strengths: Few side effects reported
- Limitations: No studies in cancer; Raised digoxin levels in a case report; Not the ginseng with fatigue trial evidence

## Sources

- MSK About Herbs: Siberian ginseng (page last updated 15 February 2022): https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/siberian-ginseng

## Connected records

- technologies: [American ginseng for cancer-related fatigue](https://onco.cc/technologies/american-ginseng-fatigue/), [Astragalus root](https://onco.cc/technologies/astragalus-root/), [Cordyceps](https://onco.cc/technologies/cordyceps-fungus/), [Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms](https://onco.cc/technologies/dietary-supplements-treatment-interactions/), [Evidence-based integrative oncology](https://onco.cc/technologies/integrative-oncology/)
- fronts: [Supportive Care & Survivorship](https://onco.cc/fronts/supportive-care/)
- bottlenecks: [Misinformation and unproven therapies](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-misinformation/)

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