Articles > Ginseng and its Herbal Benefits

Spring is finally here! The sun is up and everything is out and moving in some direction. In all the fresh excitement you wonder why you just can't get going. Not only is your energy a bit low, but your mind seems muddled and you are definitely stressed out. Instead of experiencing the youthful exuberance of spring you may be feeling your age. But don't let those feelings stay too long. This spring you can find the energy you are looking for with the featured spring tonic, ginseng.

Ginseng was first used by the Chinese where it was revered for its ability to enhance thinking and increase longevity. Many of the Chinese people took and still take ginseng on a daily basis, and some of the early explorers to China believed that ginseng contributed to the excellent health of the Chinese. Later a type of ginseng was discovered in the Americas and has since been known as "American ginseng". Since that time several other types of ginseng have been discovered.

As ginseng became more and more popular worldwide, scientists began to take note of the many healing claims ginseng touted. Ginseng was given the family name of Panax after the word panacea, to represent the herb's wide range of uses. Historically it has been used for aging, anemia, anxiety, arteriosclerosis, asthma, cancer, depression, diabetes, fatigue, headache, heart disease, impotency, indigestion, menstrual problems, nervousness and stress. Western scientists questioned the ability of one herb to have so many actions, but a Russian scientist began an extensive study of the properties of ginseng. Because of his studies in the 1950's, I.I. Brekhman coined a new word to increase our understanding of how ginseng acts in the body. He said that ginseng was an "adaptagen". Defined, an adaptagen is a substance which brings the body to balance or produces homeostasis. When taken it produces no extreme side effects. It has no specific action but rather works to normalize the body systems. Later it was discovered that other herbs had this same balancing property and they too were labeled as adaptagens.

After Brekhman described ginseng as an adaptagen, many scientists began doing studies to find whether this word truly fit the long used herb. The following are some of the results of those studies.

Energy
Ginseng increases the body's energy and fights against fatigue. Mice who were fed ginseng were able to swim longer in cold water than mice who had no ginseng. After taking ginseng, nurses who work the night shift found that they were more alert. Students who took ginseng found that their attention, logical deduction and brain and body functions improved. Athletes taking ginseng were able to increase strength and endurance.

Improves Brain Function
Studies show that ginseng improves brain function. In China the people have long believed that ginseng enhances thinking. Dr. Larry Wang of the University of Alberta found that ginseng may prevent or help Alzheimers. He found that ginseng speeds brain processes. When Alzheimers patients took ginseng they experienced a partial reversal of memory loss.

Stress
Research has repeatedly shown that ginseng helps the body cope with stress. In laboratories in Korea, Russia, Bulgaria, North America and London, mice under stress, but given the herb showed less abnormalities of behavior and distress. In his book, "Ginseng; The Magical Herb of the East," Stephen Fulder, M.A., Phd, reported that when ginseng was taken, following a stressful event, the body activity also settled back to normal more quickly. It is easy to understand why Chinese soldiers have traditionally carried ginseng into battle: to alleviate the effects of stress and shock. Korean and Chinese research has shown that ginseng acts directly on the adrenal glands while others have shown that it may act on the brain itself.

Other volunteers have found greater clarity and awareness when taking ginseng.

Sexual Potency
Ginseng has proven to be useful in increasing male potency. Researchers found evidence that ginseng contains compounds causing sex hormone activity, and in some experiments it reversed harmful effects resulting from the lack of male sex hormones. In other experiments, the ginsenosides encouraged the development of the sex organs in young animals. In Russia, doctors noticed striking improvements when using ginseng in the treatment of patients suffering from impotence. Ginseng has also proven valuable to women in leveling their female cycles.

Cardiovascular Health
Ginseng has been shown to have a positive effect on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. According to Fulder, the Chinese use ginseng as part of their emergency procedures to restore blood pressure after shock and heart attacks. Soviet and German doctors report that ginseng helps to reduce high blood pressure. There are also several studies suggesting that ginseng reduces cholesterol in the circulation. Though the ginseng itself is not a cholesterol lowering agent, better circulation is the side effect of a cleaner metabolism, which it promotes. Because American ginseng is more yin, and less arousing, it may be more successful in this regard than Asian ginseng. According to a researcher at the Unversity of Wisconsin, American ginseng is the most successful at lowering cholesterol levels in animal experiments.

Increase Immunity
Ginseng has been shown to increase immunity. In studies it prevented viral infections in animals. Research shows that ginseng stimulates the macrophages, white blood cells which filter toxins from the blood and lymph. Ginseng also enhances antibody response and natural killer cell activity. The heart is protected by this herb. Ginseng balances the high or low blood pressure. It also prevents arteriosclerosis by reducing cholesterol and fat in the blood. Volunteers with high levels of fat in their blood were able to reduce cholesterol and fatty acid while increasing HDL's (good fats in the blood) by taking ginseng.

Anti-Aging
Mice fed a glucose loaded diet had a drop in their blood sugar after they were fed ginseng. Ginseng may help diabetics lower high levels of blood sugar. Ginseng has been said to prevent aging. As we age, many of our cells die and stop being replaced by the body. This causes tissue damage which often accompanies aging (wrinkles, thin skin, weak organs, etc.). In one study ginseng lengthened the life span of cells in a culture. Ginseng can stimulate cell growth helping the tissues of older people stay strong.

Cancer Treatment
Ginseng has been found to protect the body from the stress of drug and radiation therapy. (The stress during therapy can induce secondary growths of cancer.) Both Korean and Russian studies have shown that patients given a regular dose of ginseng were able to better cope with increased ant-cancer drugs. Scientists in South Korea and elsewhere carried out the following experiments: Mice were given ginseng and subjected to the depressant action of chloral hydrate, barbituates and alcohol; Their recovery improved, the scientists found, and when the mice were irradiated with X-rays, their resistance doubled. The mice also showed a propensity to survive after feeding them an exhorbinant collection of poisons, harmful bacteria and anti-cancer drugs–and subjecting them to stresses associated with changing temperatures and pressures.