Health benefits of ginseng

CEBU, Philippines - Ginseng, both Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), has always been touted for its medicinal properties. This lowly herb is believed to be an adaptogenic herb, meaning it helps the body adapt to stress, both physical and psychological.

This property of the herb also gave rise to the claims that it helps retard ageing, and perhaps there is truth to this claim since the most potent compound exclusively present in ginseng roots called ginsenosides have been found to address a variety of conditions.

In an article on ginseng, MedlinePlus, the web service of the US National Institutes of Health, honed in on four apparent benefits of the herb, namely thinking and memory, diabetes, male impotence or erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation.

It said that in these four instances, there were evidences that supported the claim. To improve memory, however, NIH recommends that it be taken together with extracts from gingko biloba leaves.

For the following conditions, studies have been made to prove its efficacy, however, the evidence were insufficient, as such, further studies are recommended: Breast cancer; infection of the airways in the lung; common cold; influenza; cancers affecting the stomach, lung, liver, ovaries, and skin; depression; anemia; fluid retention; stomach inflammation and other digestive problems; chronic fatigue syndrome; fibromyalgia; fever; and other conditions aside from those four mentioned above.

NIH also said that there are more evidence disproving the efficacy of ginseng in improving athletic performance, mood and sense of well-being, and hot flashes associated with menopause.

Ginseng preparations

Ginseng can be bought in several forms, most common of which would be in capsule form as health supplements. Ginseng can also be bought as a ready-to-drink beverage or as a balm.

Dried ginseng roots can be bought in Asian specialty and grocery stores, while ginseng plants can also be bought from herbalists. My favorite Asian grocer is located at the corner of Legaspi and D. Jakosalem Sts., just two blocks away from The FREEMAN office.

Recently, I was able to buy a mature ginseng plant from a naturopath in Valencia, Negros Oriental. Although the roots are ready for harvesting, I found it wise to instead propagate it.

Propagating ginseng may not be hard. It grows easily, but it needs patience since it would take almost 10 years before a viable root can be harvested.

How to use

There are plenty of ways to use ginseng as a health supplement.

In Korean cooking, Samgyetang (Chicken Ginseng Soup) is believed to cure and prevent summer illness and as such is eaten mostly during the summer season. Koreans believe that samgyetang has the ability to replenish energy and nutrients lost due to excessive sweating. Samgyetang is whole chicken stuffed with glutinous rice and boiled in ginseng broth laced with jujube fruits, garlic, ginger, and other herbs.

Another very popular preparation would be ginseng tincture, or ginseng extracted through the use of alcohol. Finely chopped ginseng roots are covered in alcohol and left to age for six to eight weeks. This is then strained and bottled. Ten to 30 drops of ginseng tincture per day either mixed in tea or your choice of drink or taken straight is the standard dosage.

Perhaps, the simplest preparation would be ginseng tea, made by boiling ginseng roots in water, served either hot or cold, and with honey as sweetener.

And as mentioned earlier, ginseng capsules can also be bought in health shops. Labels would carry instructions on how these supplements are to be taken.

Caution

As much as ginseng is loaded with health benefits, caution must also be exercised in its use, especially when one is taking chemical-based medicines or other herbs.

The NIH recommends that special precautions should be taken when taking ginseng during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, and for infants and children mainly because some studies have shown that ginseng cause birth defects in animal subjects and poisoning in babies. It said that until further studies prove otherwise, choosing the safest choice, which is not to use it at all, would be wise.

Patients suffering from an auto-immune disease like lupus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis should also avoid ginseng because it increases the activity of the immune system. An auto-immune disease would mean that one’s immune system is in hyperdrive, so in essence, ginseng would worsen the problem.

That would also be true for other illnesses like bleeding conditions, heart conditions, and diabetes. For the latter, ginseng lowers blood sugar levels too much and so if a patient is already taking medications for diabetes, using ginseng would further lower the blood sugar levels to below normal.

Patients with insomnia and schizophrenia should also avoid ginseng because of the root’s hyper-excitability effect, even making it hard for the patient to sleep and to be agitated more easily.

Ginseng’s ability to enhance the function of the immune system could blunt the effect of medications taken by patients who undergoes organ transplants, while the estrogen-like effect of ginsenosides could worsen hormone-sensitive conditions like breast cancer.

Experts, however argue that the benefits of ginseng far outweigh its purported side effects. Still, despite its tag as a miracle herb, as with all herbs and medicines, precautions must be taken especially if the herb is to be ingested. For this, it is best for a patient to consult a naturopath, an herbalist, or an open-minded medical doctor who has sufficient knowledge on herbology. (FREEMAN)