Contemporary perceptions of ginseng among individuals with health needs: A nationwide questionnaire survey

As market interest and consumer demand for ginseng increase, there remains a limited understanding of ginseng among individuals with health needs. This study investigated these perceptions and their influencing factors through a nationwide survey in China.

A multicenter, cross-sectional questionnaire survey was carried out from September 26 to October 10, 2025, across 15 medical institutions in China, involving a total of 5041 patients.

Individuals with health needs showed different ginseng perceptions based on their health status. Those without chronic diseases demonstrated higher awareness of traditional ginseng benefits such as boosting immunity (89.05%) and combating fatigue (76.22%), greater familiarity with American ginseng (77.18%), and primarily relied on family/friends (70.22%) for information. Individuals with chronic conditions demonstrated a diminished awareness of traditional benefits but a heightened recognition of mood and mental state improvement (61.84%), and an increased familiarity with ginseng cultivated in Korea (71.41%) and mountain-cultivated ginseng (73.45%). Their information sources were predominantly from physicians, pharmacists, and nutritionists (63.26%). Medical professionals demonstrated limited awareness of niche varieties like mountain-cultivated ginseng (23.94%) and specific disease-management benefits like blood sugar regulation (26.02%). Regarding safety perception, 69.56% held neutral or unaware views on potential side effects, and 20.99% incorrectly believed ginseng was suitable for everyone.

There exists heterogeneity in the understanding of ginseng across various groups, and the public health education should employ targeted strategies for people with different health statuses to encourage rational use of ginseng.