Endometriosis is a serious condition that affects millions of women. Several studies have shown that endometriosis is associated with several risk factors but there is still no conclusive evidence on its causes, Stress, alcohol or genetics. From a study comes hope for women with endometriosis: red ginseng.
Endometriosis is a serious gynecological disease and presents with the presence of endometrial tissue in heteropic location.
Endometriosis involves the development of functional endometrial tissue that develops outside the uterine cavity.
The consequences of endometriosis include severe pelvic pain, dyspareunia (severe pain at the onset of sexual intercourse) and infertility. Although it affects 6-10% of women of reproductive age, endometriosis is difficult to diagnose. In fact, the development of endometriosis seems to be involved by both genetic and environmental phenomena.
Probable causes of endometriosis
Several studies have shown that endometriosis is associated with several risk factors, but there is still no conclusive evidence about its causes.
Among the main factors causing endometriosis, it has been highlighted that alcohol is among the main causes responsible for endometriosis, since its intake would lead to an increase in the level of estrogen in the bloodstream and induce a variety of cells to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines that are directly linked to endometriosis.
The studies placed on the alcohol-endometriosis correlation have aimed to demonstrate that alcohol intake and exposure to “chemical” substances, which interfere with the endocrine system, can be defined as potential risk factors for endometriosis.
In spite of the good quality of the analysis conducted, the authors pointed out that the results on the alcohol-endometriosis correlation should be interpreted with some caution.
Endometriosis and red ginseng, hope?
A recent study, however, has identified a hope for women suffering from endometriosis: red ginseng, the common name of Panax ginseng, a root much appreciated in herbal medicine.
This study has shown that the extract of red ginseng root, exerts anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects on endometriosis, through the regulation of microRNAs. This study confirmed that microRNAs and their target mRNAs are differentially expressed in endometriosis and other disorders of the female reproductive system. Because microRNAs control a broad spectrum of cellular functions under physiological and pathological conditions, they may obtain key roles in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.
According to this very recent study, it was concluded that red ginseng root can improve endometriosis with a strong influence of multiple microRNAs simultaneously rather than acting on a single microRNA at a given time.
Results of the red ginseng study
The study involved two groups of mice: Group A (Treated with red ginseng) and Group B (Not treated with red ginseng “control group”).
It was noted that mice in Group A (Treated with red ginseng) had a smaller uterus size than mice in Group B (Not treated with red ginseng “control group”).
From these surprising results, it is possible that red ginseng extract regulates the expression of more microRNAs and mRNAs, thus alleviating the disorders caused by endometriosis.
The conclusions of this study lead us to affirm that the formulation of red ginseng-based products can be a valuable tool to alleviate the severe pain caused by endometriosis.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
The diagnosis of endometriosis G.B. MELIS, S. GUERRIERO, A.M. PAOLETTI, M. ANGIOLUCCI, S. ANGIONI, B. PIRAS, M. PALOMBA, V. MAIS
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