Ginseng
American and Korean
By Steven H. Horne
Our theme this month is Chinese herbs, and nothing says Chinese herbs quite as clearly as ginseng, the one Chinese herb practically everyone knows. Ginseng is one of the finest tonic herbs in the world and has been valued as a medicine for about 7,000 years. Difficult to cultivate, Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) is very rare in the wild, so when an older wild ginseng root (like the one pictured in the photo) is found it can sell for thousands of dollars.
Wild populations of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) have similarly been destroyed, although some can still be found. Cultivation is a problem because it takes four years to get a crop, and unfortunately most cultivated ginseng is heavily sprayed with pesticides. That’s why it’s great that NSP has wild American ginseng.
Why is ginseng so highly prized?
Well, as we get older (I’ll turn 52 this year) we usually start to feel the effects of our age. We just don’t have the stamina we used to have. Our immune system often weakens, too. And for some people, sex drive diminishes as well.
All of this is due to increasing hormonal deficiencies and imbalances that occur as our glands get tired and start to wear out. Ginseng acts as a tonic to these glands. It helps restore energy and vitality to the elderly and enhances their immune function. It was traditionally taken by men and women (middle-aged and up) in Northern and Central China to help keep them healthy during the winter. It also acts as a sexual tonic in men, stimulating male hormone production, and helping overcome impotence in older men.
American ginseng, in particular, also acts as a digestive tonic. Digestive function tends to decline with age, causing an increase in fat deposition and a decrease in lean muscle mass. Wasting also occurs frequently in the elderly as they lose bulk and muscle tone. Again, American ginseng was often given to the elderly in Native American society to keep them from becoming depleted.
Ginseng is also adaptagenic, meaning it reduces the output of stress hormones that contribute to the aging process. It has been shown to help build the blood, counteracting anemia, reduce high blood sugar, thus aiding diabetes, and to help balance blood pressure.
People often abuse ginseng in this country. They want to use it like caffeine as a stimulant, but traditional wisdom says that ginseng is not a remedy for the young (especially teenagers who are already suffering from raging hormones). It’s also not a remedy for excess conditions (fever, inflammation, hyperactivity, etc.). It’s a corrective for deficiency and has its best effect on those of us who are middle-aged and up.
As a daily tonic, you only need 1-2 capsules of ginseng per day to help maintain stamina and resistance. A little goes a long way, and more is not better in this case.
Korean ginseng is the more warming remedy, and works best for those who tend to be pale and cold. American Ginseng is a cooler remedy and better for those who tend to have a “hotter” constitution. Besides being available as a single, ginseng is also found in many NSP formulas, especially the Chinese ones.
Selected References
The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants by Andrew Chevallier.
The Comprehensive Guide to Nature’s Sunshine Products by Tree of Light Publishing
