Ginseng Benefits And Information: Ginseng As A Powerful Adaptogen!

Ginseng is an herb native to China, North Korea and Siberia that is cultivated throughout the world for medicinal purposes. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years. The Chinese believed that using ginseng regularly would promote longevity and improve mental and physical health. The herb was used to stabilize emotions and to facilitate the pursuit of enlightenment.

Ginseng is an adaptogenic herb, which means it can help the body adjust to all kinds of stress. It is perhaps best known for its ability to increase energy and enhance physical performance, and it is often used to increase sexual stamina as well.

Studies of ginseng's effect on cognitive performance showed that a 400 mg dose of Panax ginseng taken over a period of about two months increased people's ability to think abstractly.

Regular use of the herb also appears to increase markers for psychological health, probably because of its positive effects on brain function and its ability to mediate the effects of stress and reduce fatigue.

Ginseng has also shown some promising potential in the prevention and treatment of cancer. It appears to destroy some lung cancer cells as well as prevent further growth of melanoma cells and other types of tumors. A four year study of more than 4500 people in South Korea suggested that regularly use of ginseng lowered cancer death rates by about 60 percent, and in China, an uncontrolled study suggested that lung cancer patients who combined ginseng with traditional medicine lived three to seventeen years longer than patients who did not use ginseng as part of their treatment protocol.

The Chinese researchers apparently abandoned controls because their preliminary results were so remarkable, so this study is not conclusive but is highly suggestive of the cancer-fighting potential of ginseng.

In combination with Echinacea, ginseng seems to enhance the activity of immune system cells known as natural killer cells. It may also relax blood vessels and help to lower blood pressure as well as levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides. People with diabetes find that drinking ginseng tea appears to lower blood sugar levels and reduce the required dosage of insulin medications.

Ginseng is available in capsules, tablets, tinctures and as a tea. To be effective, a ginseng product should be standardized to contain the active ingredients known as ginsenosides. The most potent teas are made from wild mountain root ginseng known as jilin root or ji lin shen.

There are also less potent teas that are not as effective as well as a number of so-called ginseng products that do not contain real ginseng at all, so it is important to know what is actually in any ginseng product before using it.

The usual dosage is equivalent to 1-2 grams of ginseng root that is standardized to contain 7% active ginsenosides. This is usually between 100 and 400 mg of the standardized extracts that are sold as herbal supplements. The dosage for tinctures is approximately 1-2 ml of 1:1 extract.

While ginseng is generally a safe herb to take, some people find that taking higher doses causes agitation, insomnia or diarrhea. People with medical conditions such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes should talk to their medical providers before using ginseng in an attempt to treat these conditions.

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