THE MANY BENEFITS OF GINSENG

Ginseng is one of the most popular herbal remedies in the world today.  This herbal medicine is a slow growing perennial plant with fleshy roots. It is believed to restore and enhance normal well-being.  The herbs consist of a light-colored, forked-shaped root, a relatively long stalk and green leaves with an oval shape.  The word Ginseng comes from the chinese term "rénshen", which literally translates into "man root". It is thought to have been given this name because the root of the plant looks like the legs of a man.

Ginseng is believed by many people to restore and enhance normal overall health, and has traditionally been taken to aid a number of medical conditions. However, much research is still needed in cementing ginsengs entire role in health maintanence. 


Traditionally Ginseng has been used to treat a number of different ailments. However, it should be noted that Ginseng's therapeutic properties are often questioned by Western scientists and health professionals because of little "high-quality" research determining its true effectiveness in medicine.


Reported benefits include:




Improved cognition, it may improve and quicken thinking ability.  Research from a medical school in China found some beneficial effects on cognition, behavior, and quality of life.

Provides energy and helps prevent fatigue.  A study done by a Mayo Clinic showed promising signs that ginseng helped with fatigue from cancer patients.

Has anti-inflammatory effects -Ginseng has some constituents, ginsenosides, which have immuno-suppression effects, according to results of experiments which were published in the Journal of Translational Medicine.  Allan Lau, who led the study, said that "the anti-inflammatory role of ginseng may be due to the combined effects of these ginsenosides, targeting different levels of immunological activity, and so contributing to the diverse actions of ginseng in humans".

Prevents cancer - There may be substances in Ginseng that have anticancer properties. 
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center researchers found that Ginseng improved survival and quality of life after the diagnosis of breast cancer.  The American Cancer Society reported that "clinical trials are still needed to determine whether it is effective in people."

May help men with erectile dysfunction - Men may take Ginseng to treat ED (erectile dysfunction).  A 2002 Korean study revealed that 60 percent of men who took ginseng noticed an improvement in their symptoms. In addition, research published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology provided “evidence for the effectiveness of red ginseng in the treatment of ED.”

Ginseng is relatively safe, but some reported side-effects are; headaches, increased heart rate, nausea, restlessness, and sometimes insomnia.  Doctors do not recommend taking Ginseng along with a class of antidepressants called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), because it can cause manic episodes and tremors.  Ginseng can alter the effects of blood pressure and heart medications, including calcium channel blockers such as nifedipine. Never mix Ginseng with heart medications without consulting your doctor first.  In addition, Ginseng can increase the risk of bleeding when taken with drugs that affect blood clotting (such as warfarin or aspirin).