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Ginseng
Description:
Ginseng, also known as panax, is one of the most widespread herbal enhancers in the Western world, often added to products like juices, teas, energy tonics and vitamin supplements. It has antioxidant properties and is said to reduce fatigue, improve digestion, increase mental stamina and lower blood cholesterol.
Concentrated in the root of the ginseng plant are chemicals called ginsenosides, which can boost the immune system, stimulate the central nervous system and protect against the effects of stress. It is thought that the herb balances the stress hormones released from the pituitary and adrenal glands and may also help the brain produce more endorphins, which provide a sense of calm and well-being.
Some athletes claim ginseng increases their endurance. Other studies suggest ginseng powders may prevent the growth of certain kinds of cancer cells. Ancient Chinese healers used ginseng as an aphrodisiac, and clinical studies have shown it may well increase testosterone levels and sperm production.
Panax ginseng, also known as Asian, Chinese or Korean ginseng, is not to be confused with its loosely related cousin, Siberian ginseng.
Properties & Uses:
Demulcent - an agent which smooths the mucous membranes on contact.
Panacea - a remedy for all diseases.
Stimulant - an agent that temporarily increases activity or physiological processes. Stimulants may be classified according to the organ upon which they act; for example, an intestinal stimulant is that which stimulates the intestines.
Stomachic - a substance which excites, strengthens and tones the stomach.
Ginseng is called the "King of the Herbs" in the Orient. It is a general stimulant which helps the body overcome stress and fatigue, both physical and mental, to improve work capacity. Considered a panacea, it is used to normalize blood pressure, reduce blood cholesterol, and prevent atherosclerosis. It acts as an antidote to various depressant drugs and toxic chemicals, and is said to protect the body from the effects of radiation sickness. Claims are made that ginseng improves vision and hearing, checks irritability, and improves composure. In China it is used as a preventative tonic and is thought to slow the aging process. The constituents of ginseng will alter carbohydrate and albumin metabolism, lower liver glycogen content, and promote the biosynthesis of cholesterol, lipid, RNA, DNA, and protein.
Some members of the ginseng saponins produce effects directly opposite those produced by others, and under certain conditions ginseng acts in opposite directions. The type of food consumed influences the behavior of ginseng saponins on liver glycogen. Excess fat, protein and carbohydrates correspondingly decrease or abolish liver glycogen production. Fasting or lack of food enhance the saponins' effects on liver glycogen production.
Siberian Ginseng works by regulating energy, nucleic acid and protein metabolism in your tissues. Under stress, a complex substance is generated in your blood. This complex inhibits energy-giving substances from entering cell membranes and also interferes with normal cell activity. Siberian Ginseng contains substances that disrupt this negative process, decreasing the competition and minimizing the deleterious effects of the "bad guys" - the stress-released complex. Now your cells can function normally, despite the stress.
Siberian Ginseng allows muscles to release less glycogen, and also preserves other substances which diminish energy. At the same time, mobilization of lipids is accelerated. If all this is confusing, suffice it to say that the data suggest that the regulation of energy underlies the biological action of Siberian Ginseng. Since any functional activity requires high expenditure of energy, it is the ability of Siberian Ginseng to oversee, guard and control these important energy processes that is the scientific basis of its wide biological range of action.
Here's an example. If you jog for 15 minutes, the activity provokes an inhibition of RNA activity by 50 percent because of competition for energy between the RNA reactions and muscle activity. Siberian Ginseng doubles the process of recovery, thereby normalizing the biosynthesis of nucleic acids more rapidly. In other words, Siberian Ginseng helps to normalize cell activity.
The exceptional quality of Siberian Ginseng to normalize deviations from the norm is attributed to its active principles, glycosides. Glycosides act as drugs, increasing the general nonspecific resistance to diverse chemical, physical, and biological factors.
Toxicity Levels:
Ginseng does not combine well with certain herbs. Black Hellebore, for instance, in as small an amount as one tenth of an ounce, can destroy the functional properties of an ounce of ginseng. One study conducted at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine suggested that subjects who took ginseng orally suffered from hypertension, nervousness, sleeplessness, skin eruptions, and morning diarrhea. All subjects also used caffeinated beverages as well. Ginseng caused leukocytosis and erythrocytosis in rabbits, but there is no evidence of such effects in humans.
Recommended Dietary Allowances:
Standardized extracts of American ginseng, unlike Asian ginseng, are not available. However, dried root powder, 1–3 grams per day in capsule or tablet form, can be used.8 Some herbalists also recommend 3–5 ml of tincture three times per day.
Food Sources:
Asian ginseng is a member of the Araliaceae family, which also includes the closely related American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and less similar Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), also known as eleuthero. Asian ginseng commonly grows on mountain slopes and is usually harvested in the fall. The root is used, preferably from plants older than six years of age.
Like its more familiar cousin Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng), the root of American ginseng is used medicinally. The plant grows wild in shady forests of the northern and central United States, as well as in parts of Canada. It is cultivated in the United States, China, and France.
Side Effects & Interactions:
Occasional cases of insomnia or agitation have been reported with the use of American ginseng. These conditions are more likely, however, when caffeine-containing foods and beverages are also being consumed.9
References:
1. Duke J. Ginseng: A Concise Handbook. Algonac, MI: Reference Publications, 1989, 36.
2. Bensky D, Gamble A, Kaptchuk T. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica. Seattle: Eastland Press, 1993, 358–9.
3. Bensky D, Gamble A, Kaptchuk T. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica. Seattle: Eastland Press, 1993, 358–9.
4. Shibata S, Tanaka O, Shoji J, Saito H. Chemistry and pharmacology of Panax. Econ Med Plant Res 1:218–84.
5. Morris AC, Jacobs I, McLellan TM, et al. No ergogenic effect on ginseng ingestion. Int J Sport Nutr 1996;6:263–71.
6. Vuksan V, Sivenpiper JL, Koo VYY, et al. American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Arch Intern Med 2000;160:1009–13.
7. Vuksan V, Sivenpiper JL, Koo VYY, et al. American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Arch Intern Med 2000;160:1009–13.
8. Foster S. Herbs for Health. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press, 1996, 48–9.
9. Yun TK, Choi Y. Preventive effect of ginseng intake against various human cancers: A case-control study on 1987 pairs. Cancer Epidem Biomarkers Prev 1995;4:401–8.