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Ginseng

Natural Health, March-April, 1998 by Nathaniel Mead

This root can increase your energy level and help your body handle stress better.

WHAT IT IS

Ginseng is a slow-growing root herb with an ancient reputation for promoting vitality and longevity There are three main types: Chinese or Korean (Panax ginseng), American (Panax quinquefolius), and Siberian (Eleutherococcus senticosis). Siberian ginseng is not true ginseng but its effects are similar.

HEALING CLAIMS

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Ginseng is often called an "adaptogen," because it bolsters the body's ability to resist physical and mental stress. As such, ginseng may reduce fatigue, and promote physical endurance. Ginseng also works like a tonic, protecting the body against disease. Along with increasing resistance to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and various infections, the medical literature on ginseng claims that it can improve memory, increase fertility, protect the liver against many toxins, and protect the body from radiation.

THE EVIDENCE

More than 300 papers have been published on ginseng. Seven European clinical studies showed that ginseng use increased alertness, concentration, and both visual and motor coordination. In 1984, the Russian Ministry of Health observed that telegraph operators improved their performance--transmitting text faster and making fewer errors--after taking Siberian ginseng. In another study, Russian soldiers who took Asian ginseng ran consistently faster than soldiers ingesting a placebo. A study of 1,500 factory workers found that those who took ginseng had significantly fewer sick days. And a recent study found that impotent men who took ginseng experienced a 60 percent improvement in their libido and in their ability to achieve an erection compared to men receiving either a placebo or drug treatment.

HOW IT WORKS

The active chemicals in ginseng are called ginsenosides, and many of these are known to have specific effects on the immune, hormonal, cardiovascular, and central nervous systems. How exactly ginseng exerts its effects is unclear, although several ginsenosides have been found to either stimulate or depress the activity of the central nervous system. Many ginsenosides are antioxidant compounds that protect cells.

HOW TO TAKE IT

Ginseng is widely available and comes in various forms. Typical recommendations for the powder form range from one-half to one teaspoon per day. A common method is to add one-half a teaspoon of the dried, pulverized root to one cup of boiling water. The dose for this method is two cups per day. Note: You probably won't get an immediate energy boost; instead, your energy should increase over time. Some herbalists suggest using ginseng for a month, followed by a two-month hiatus.

Asian ginseng (as well as Siberian) is best suited for people who are very weak, says K. H. Lee, Ph.D., a professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, but American ginseng may be better for people who are in good health.

People with specific health problems are advised to see an herbalist or traditional Chinese doctor. Use should be discontinued if any side effects result such as headaches, insomnia, nervousness, or increased blood pressure. It is generally advisable to avoid ginseng if you have a fever, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, high blood pressure, or cardiac arrhythmia.

CAVEATS

Many ginseng products, such as those sold in food marts or gas stations, are probably counterfeit. One analysis by Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science concluded that 60 percent of the fifty-four ginseng products analyzed were "worthless."

Only mature ginseng has health-promoting value, because ginseng needs at least six years to accumulate the active compounds. And the purity of the herb is also a concern. While the only way to be certain of ginseng's age and purity is to know the grower or grow it yourself, wild-harvested ginseng is less likely to be contaminated. But wild ginseng is difficult to find and is very expensive.

Ginseng

Natural Health, March-April, 1998 by Nathaniel Mead

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