| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Fat Three RCTs consistently demonstrate body fat reduction. A 12-week RCT (n=76) found significant reductions in visceral, subcutaneous, and total abdominal fat area with 150mg/day. A second RCT (n=80) using 12mg purified polymethoxyflavone daily reduced visceral fat significantly at 8 and 12 weeks. A 2025 RCT (n=83 analyzed) confirmed significant reductions in body fat mass, body weight, and BMI compared to placebo. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 3 studies | 239 people | ||
Studies that measured body fat
| ||||||
Supplement
Thai ginseng, also called Kaempferia parviflora, is a ginger-family root whose plant compounds, called polymethoxyflavones, seem to influence energy use and blood flow. The evidence is moderate for body fat: three trials in overweight adults found reductions in body fat, including belly fat, over about 12 weeks. Those studies were small, roughly 240 people combined, and findings for strength or erectile function are more limited.
Sources: PMID 40661686; PMID 30214264
- Updated
- How we grade
- 9 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade B
- Conditions studied
- 2
- Outcomes
- 5
- Graded outcomes
- 0131
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erectile Function A small RCT in 45 elderly men (25mg or 90mg daily for 2 months) found significant improvements in erectile response at the higher dose. An open-label pilot study (n=14) reported statistically significant improvements in IIEF erectile function and intercourse satisfaction scores after 30 days of 100mg KaempMax. In vitro studies confirm moderate PDE5 inhibitory activity of polymethoxyflavone constituents, and a 2024 systematic review/meta-analysis supports these findings. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 3 studies | 59 people | ||
Studies that measured erectile function
| ||||||
| Blood Glucose A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of 57 studies found that Kaempferia parviflora extract significantly decreased fasting blood glucose in both animal studies (SMD -0.88) and human studies (SMD -0.51, 95% CI -0.98 to -0.05). Effect sizes in humans were modest but statistically significant. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | |||
| Energy Expenditure A single human study found that acute oral ingestion of Kaempferia parviflora extract significantly increased whole-body energy expenditure (maximal increase of 229 kJ/day at 60 minutes), with a greater response in subjects with high brown adipose tissue activity (351 kJ/day). No effect was seen in subjects with low BAT activity. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 1 study | 20 people | ||
Studies that measured energy expenditure | ||||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Performance Two double-blind, placebo-controlled RCTs in athletes show consistent grip strength improvements. In 60 soccer players (180mg/day, 12 weeks), right-hand grip strength was significantly increased. A larger trial in 194 adolescent athletes (360mg/day, 12 weeks) found significant increases in grip strength, back-leg strength, VO2max, and sprint speed, though flexibility and agility were unaffected. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 2 studies | 254 people | ||
Studies that measured physical performance
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Key findings
- Body FatImproves (the measure goes down)
- Erectile FunctionImproves (the measure goes up)
- Physical PerformanceImproves (the measure goes up)
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Third-party tested Thai Ginseng products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.
- Grade B
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Studies cited
9 studies from PubMed
- Kaempferia parviflora Extract (SIRTMAX) reduces body fat in adults who are overweight: a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of animal and human studies demonstrates the beneficial effects of Kaempferia parviflora on metabolic syndrome and erectile dysfunction
- 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
- Polymethoxyflavone purified from Kaempferia parviflora reduces visceral fat in Japanese overweight individuals: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
- Kaempferia parviflora ethanol extract improves self-assessed sexual health in men: a pilot study
- Daily intake of Kaempferia parviflora extract decreases abdominal fat in overweight and preobese subjects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study
- Effect of Kaempferia parviflora Extract on Physical Fitness of Soccer Players: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial
- Kaempferia parviflora extract increases whole-body energy expenditure in humans: roles of brown adipose tissue
- Kaempferia parviflora, a plant used in traditional medicine to enhance sexual performance contains large amounts of low affinity PDE5 inhibitors