Thai ginseng (Kaempferia parviflora)
Summary
Thai ginseng (Kaempferia parviflora) is a ginger-family rhizome rich in polymethoxyflavones. In 12-week trials, 180–360 mg/day improved grip strength in young athletes, and a purified extract reduced visceral fat in 80 overweight Japanese adults. A single pre-exercise dose did not improve sprint or endurance performance. Erectile-function data come from a 14-man uncontrolled study.
Key facts
- Rhizome of Kaempferia parviflora (black ginger), a member of the ginger family, not a Panax ginseng[3][7]
- 194 adolescent male athletes, 360 mg/day for 12 weeks: grip strength, back-leg strength, VO2 max and sprint time improved[1]
- A single dose 90 minutes before exercise did not improve sprint or endurance performance in college men[3]
- 12 mg/day of purified polymethoxyflavones for 12 weeks reduced visceral fat in 80 overweight adults[4]
- 750 mg/day of extract for 4 weeks caused no adverse events or lab abnormalities in 52 healthy adults[6]
- 5 graded human outcomes on this page
- October 13, 2026
How it works
ProposedThai ginseng is rich in polymethoxyflavones such as 5,7-dimethoxyflavone. Animal studies suggest effects on blood glucose, energy metabolism and erectile function; a 2024 meta-analysis pooling animal and human studies found lower fasting glucose. How it might affect muscle performance in humans is proposed, not established.[7][4]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome
| Outcome | Grade | Effect | Strongest evidence | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | Grade C | Improved | RCT · n = 194 · 2022 | 2 rows |
| Body fat | Grade C | Improved | RCT · n = 80 · 2021 | 1 row |
| Endurance | Grade D | No effect | Crossover RCT · n = 35 · 2010 | 1 row |
| Sexual health | Grade D | Improved | Open-label · n = 13 · 2018 | 1 row |
Every graded row
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical fitness and heart-rate variability in adolescent athletes | Improved | Grade C | RCT · n = 194 · 2022 Male adolescent sport-school students Form: Standardised Kaempferia parviflora extract · Dose: 360 mg/day · Duration: 12 weeks Right grip strength, back-leg strength and VO2 max rose and 50 m sprint time fell versus placebo; flexibility and agility did not change; blood tests stayed normal. | 33272042 (opens PubMed)Source [1] |
| Visceral and total abdominal fat area (CT) | Improved | Grade C | RCT · n = 80 · 2021 Overweight Japanese adults (BMI 23–30) Form: Polymethoxyflavones purified from Kaempferia parviflora · Dose: 12 mg polymethoxyflavones/day · Duration: 12 weeks Visceral fat area fell and was lower than placebo at 8 and 12 weeks; total fat area was also lower; no related adverse events. | 33475663 (opens PubMed)Source [4] |
| Physical fitness in soccer players | Mixed | Grade D | RCT · n = 60 · 2015 Soccer players at a sports school Form: Kaempferia parviflora extract capsules · Dose: 180 mg/day · Duration: 12 weeks Right grip strength rose at weeks 4, 8 and 12, but back-leg strength, sprint, agility, flexibility and cardiorespiratory fitness did not differ from placebo. | 25957542 (opens PubMed)Source [2] |
| Repeated sprint power and time to exhaustion after a single dose | No effect | Grade D | Crossover RCT · n = 35 · 2010 College men (two studies of 19 and 16) Form: Kaempferia parviflora · Dose: Single dose (amount not stated in the abstract) · Duration: Single dose, 90 minutes before exercise No differences in Wingate power, fatigue, lactate, time to exhaustion, perceived exertion or heart rate versus placebo. | 20845210 (opens PubMed)Source [3] |
| Erectile function (IIEF) in men with mild erectile dysfunction | Improved | Grade D | Open-label trial · n = 13 · 2018 Healthy men aged 50–68 with self-reported mild erectile dysfunction Form: Ethanol extract of Kaempferia parviflora rhizome (KaempMax) · Dose: 100 mg/day · Duration: 30 days IIEF erectile function, intercourse satisfaction and total scores improved from baseline. | 29880257 (opens PubMed)Source [5] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaempferia parviflora rhizome extract | Varies[1][2][5][6] | No human absorption data in the cited trials.[1][6] | 750 mg/day for 4 weeks caused no adverse events or abnormal lab results; blood tests stayed normal at 360 mg/day for 12 weeks.[6][1] | Fitness, erectile function and safety trials (100–750 mg/day) |
| Purified polymethoxyflavones from Kaempferia parviflora | Varies[4] | No human absorption data in the cited trial.[4] | No adverse events associated with the product in 12 weeks.[4] | Visceral fat trial (12 mg/day) |
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from 100 mg/day (30 days, erectile function) to 180–360 mg/day (12 weeks, athletes) and 750 mg/day (4-week safety study). A purified product supplied 12 mg/day of polymethoxyflavones for 12 weeks.[1][2][4][5][6]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
Medicines
- PDE5 inhibitorsPK studyIn rats, Kaempferia parviflora extract lowered sildenafil blood levels (AUC down 60–65%), which could weaken the drug; not studied in people.[8]
Who should be careful
- Erectile dysfunction and heart medicines
- No human interaction studies exist. In rats the extract cut sildenafil blood levels by about 60%; effects with nitrates or blood-pressure drugs are unknown, and the erectile-function study excluded men on prescription treatment for it.[5][8]
- Diabetes medicines
- Pooled animal and human data show lower fasting glucose, so effects could add to glucose-lowering drugs; this has not been tested.[7]
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
How to read the label
- Not Panax ginsengThai ginseng is a ginger-family plant (Kaempferia parviflora). Evidence for Panax ginseng does not apply to it.[3]
- Chronic, not pre-workoutBenefits appeared after 4–12 weeks of daily use; a single pre-exercise dose did nothing for performance.[1][2][3]
- Male-enhancement productsThai ginseng is often sold for sexual performance. The FDA warns that many supplements in this category contain hidden sildenafil or tadalafil, which can dangerously lower blood pressure in people taking nitrates.[9]
Cost per studied dose, without the sales pitch
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Cost per studied dose
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Frequently asked questions
Is Thai ginseng real ginseng?
No. It is black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora), a ginger-family plant unrelated to Panax ginseng.[3]
Does Thai ginseng improve athletic performance?
Daily use for 12 weeks improved grip strength and some fitness tests in young athletes, but a single dose before exercise had no effect.[1][2][3]
Does it help with belly fat?
One 12-week trial of a purified extract (12 mg/day of polymethoxyflavones) reduced visceral fat in 80 overweight Japanese adults.[4]
Does it help erectile function?
Only weak evidence: an uncontrolled 30-day study of 14 men reported better scores at 100 mg/day.[5]
Is Thai ginseng safe?
750 mg/day for 4 weeks caused no adverse events in 52 healthy adults; longer-term safety is not established.[6]
Sources
- [1]Supplementation of Kaempferia parviflora Extract Enhances Physical Fitness and Modulates Parameters of Heart Rate Variability in Adolescent Student-Athletes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study.. J Diet Suppl, 2022. RCT
- [2]Effect of Kaempferia parviflora Extract on Physical Fitness of Soccer Players: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial.. Med Sci Monit Basic Res, 2015. RCT
- [3]No effect of acute ingestion of Thai ginseng (Kaempferia parviflora) on sprint and endurance exercise performance in humans.. J Sports Sci, 2010. crossover-RCT
- [4]Polymethoxyflavone purified from Kaempferia parviflora reduces visceral fat in Japanese overweight individuals: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.. Food Funct, 2021. RCT
- [5]Kaempferia parviflora ethanol extract improves self-assessed sexual health in men: a pilot study.. J Integr Med, 2018. open-label
- [6]Evaluation of the Safety of Daily Consumption of Kaempferia parviflora Extract (KPFORCE): A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial.. J Med Food, 2019. RCT
- [7]A systematic review and meta-analysis of animal and human studies demonstrates the beneficial effects of Kaempferia parviflora on metabolic syndrome and erectile dysfunction.. Nutr Res, 2024. meta-analysis
- [8]Pharmacokinetic interaction between Kaempferia parviflora extract and sildenafil in rats.. J Nat Med, 2015. animal-study
- [9]Sexual Enhancement and Energy Product Notifications. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026. safety-communication
What changed
- Independent adversarial review: added the rat sildenafil pharmacokinetic interaction and the FDA warning on adulterated sexual-enhancement supplements; regraded the 19- and 16-man acute crossover from no-effect to D (too small to show no effect); added the manufacturer note to the visceral-fat trial. All PMIDs re-verified.
- Adversarial second pass: every PMID re-checked against NCBI esummary (title, year, no retraction, erratum or expression-of-concern flags) and every number in each evidence row re-read against its PubMed abstract (PMC full text where the abstract lacked dose or duration). Countries and funding notes kept only where the abstract or full text states them; interactions listed only where a source supports them, otherwise stated as unstudied.
- First draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title and year taken from the record) and abstracts read for the cited rows.