“Ginseng” covers several plants: Korean or Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng), which is the one made into red ginseng; American ginseng; and Siberian ginseng, which is not a true ginseng at all. Skip it in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and ask your doctor first if you take medicine or HRT. For menopause support, Hwa Ae Rak Turning Me is a once-a-day Korean red ginseng drink for women with six women’s herbs, fish collagen and seven berries.
We sell two Korean red ginseng products in Singapore, one made for women, so this guide explains the plant first and the products second.
See also: GL Pro Core, a once-a-day Korean red ginseng shot from Jung Kwan Jang.
What are the benefits of ginseng for women?
Women take ginseng for three main reasons:
- Energy and tiredness. Ginseng is one of the oldest tonics in Korean and Chinese tradition, taken for stamina.
- The menopause years. Korean red ginseng is the base of women’s formulas used for hot flushes, night sweats, sleep and mood.
- General wellbeing. Immunity, focus and memory are common reasons too. The Korean box of Hwa Ae Rak Turning Me, for example, names it a health functional food for women’s health through menopause, immunity, tiredness, blood flow, memory and antioxidant protection.
The active compounds are ginsenosides; a useful label gives them in milligrams. The evidence is real but uneven: some uses have trials behind them, others rest mostly on tradition.
Korean red ginseng vs other ginseng: which is best for women?
- Korean (Panax) ginseng is the classic ginseng and the one most women’s formulas use. Fresh or simply dried it is white ginseng; red ginseng is fresh ginseng root that has been steamed and dried, which keeps it longer and changes its ginsenoside profile.
- American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), the hua qi shen many Singapore families brew, is traditionally seen as the cooler, milder choice.
- Siberian ginseng (eleuthero) is a different plant altogether and contains no ginsenosides.
For energy plus support through hormonal change, a Korean red ginseng formula made for women is the most targeted choice. Check root age too: both Jung Kwan Jang products we sell use 6-year Korean red ginseng.
Is red ginseng heaty?
In traditional Chinese terms, Korean red ginseng is seen as warming and American ginseng as cooler. Our Hwa Ae Rak page answers the question this way: not the way a heaty herb is; the brand describes red ginseng as a warming tonic, and a mild warm feeling as your body gets going is normal. If you run hot, take it after a meal and stop if you notice any unusual reaction.
Can women take red ginseng during perimenopause and menopause?
Yes, that is the main use of women’s red ginseng formulas. Our Hwa Ae Rak page quotes one study of Korean red ginseng: “In a 12-week double-blind study, 72 women aged 45 to 60 who took Korean red ginseng every day scored significantly better on two menopause scales than women on a placebo.” That was a study of Korean red ginseng in general, not of one brand. Hwa Ae Rak is made for women aged 30 and above, from the first changes of perimenopause through menopause and the years after. One important exception: our page says it is not to be taken together with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), so ask your doctor first.
Pregnancy, fertility and who should avoid ginseng
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: avoid it. Hwa Ae Rak is not for pregnancy or breastfeeding, and GL Pro Core’s page asks you to check with your doctor first.
- Trying to conceive: there is no good evidence that ginseng helps women conceive, and nothing we sell is made for it; ask your doctor before any herbal supplement while trying for a baby.
- Medicines: ginseng can interact with some medicines. Our page says that if you take medication for blood sugar or blood thinners, or any prescription medicine, check with your doctor before you start.
- Hormone-sensitive conditions: if you have, or have had, one, ask your specialist first.
- Allergies and diet: Hwa Ae Rak contains fish collagen (tilapia) and deer antler extract, so it is not for vegetarians, vegans or anyone allergic to fish.
Hwa Ae Rak Turning Me: what it is and what is inside
Hwa Ae Rak is the women’s line of Jung Kwan Jang, the red ginseng brand of Korea Ginseng Corp. (you may also see the name Cheong Kwan Jang), and Turning Me is its newest formula, made in Korea. Each 70 ml sachet carries ginsenosides Rg1, Rb1 and Rg3 (25 mg) from 6-year Korean roots, with white peony root, angelica, cnidium, atractylodes, poria and bamboo leaf, low-molecular collagen from fish, seven berries and pomegranate, and vitamin C, biotin and deer antler. You drink one sachet a day; one box holds 30 sachets of 70 ml, and our price is S$230 a box, delivered free in Singapore.
Not in the menopause years, or vegetarian? GL Pro Core is a 25 ml once-a-day shot with 23 mg of ginsenosides, banaba leaf and bitter melon, made to help reduce fatigue, boost immune defence and sharpen memory. It has no sugar, and the brand says it has no animal-derived ingredients.
