He great Chinese remedy to combat asthenia, stress and weakness It is Korean ginseng or red ginseng (Panax ginseng CA Meyer), a prodigious root with adaptogenic and stimulating properties that also provides benefits for the health of the heart and to promote the memory.

With the generic name of ginseng some plants that share with Panax ginseng a certain stimulating and invigorating action, such as eleutherococcus or Siberian ginseng, maca or Amazonian ginseng, ashwaganda or Indian ginseng, or rhodiola or Nordic or Arctic ginseng. However, all these plants They are not related at all with nominal ginseng.

Instead, we have plants that are related, as are different species of ginseng of the same genus Panax, very similar to Korean ginseng, such as japanese ginseng Panax pseudo ginseng and its varieties, the chinese ginseng either San Chi Panax notoginseng, or the call American or five-leaf ginseng Panax quinquefoliumwhich is indeed grown in North America. They show some morphological differences, such as the shape of the leaves and the color of the flowers, but they share some – not all – of their therapeutic properties.

Korean ginseng grows naturally in the area of Manchuria, South Korea, central Siberia, Nepal and other areas of central Asiabut above all it is grown in large medicinal nurseries. Ginseng is never lacking in Chinese street markets and markets, both in China and in the Chinese neighborhoods of other cities outside of China.

Ginseng properties

Ginseng is a herbaceous plant, one meter or a little more tall, with leaves composed of five leaflets and yellowish-green flowers grouped in dense, globular inflorescences. The berries are fleshy, deep red. But the medicinal part is the rootwith a shape that in some cases could resemble that of a human figure.

The root of red ginseng or Korean ginseng is very aromatic and bitter in taste. It is collected in the sixth year of the plant’s life and contains triterpene saponosides such as ginsenosides or panaxosidestraces of essential oil with limonene, citral and other volatile substances, phytosterols (beta-sitosterol), phytoestrogens, mineral salts and vitamins of group B and vitamin C, as well as resins.

Ginseng root acts as central nervous system stimulant. It has been shown to increase non-specific resistance to disease and promote recovery after strenuous physical exercise. It is therefore attributed a very marked adaptogenic capacity, as well as a slight immunostimulating action.

It has also been considered an aphrodisiac and tonic, hypertensive, hypocholesterolemic, slightly hypoglycemic and a non-negligible cardiotonic action.

What is ginseng used for?

Red ginseng or Korean ginseng has been considered a medicinal panacea in traditional chinese medicineand its generic name of Panax, for Panakos (panacea), warns of this. Recent research has helped confirm some of the benefits attributed to this traditional medicine, in addition to helping to establish other beneficial effects. These are its main indications:

• It is the great chinese remedy to combat stresssince it affects the central nervous system, helps to confront the pressure that stress exerts on the body and allows it to be overcome.
• It is also indicated as natural support in periods of convalescence and weakness after an illness or after a depressive episode. Among its benefits would be to contribute to recovering normality in the nervous system or homeostasis.
• It is imposed as a first-rate herbal remedy for treatment of symptoms of astheniasuch as weakness, apathy, and physical and metal fatigue. It is recommended for its benefits for extreme athletes, expeditionaries or people subject to high psycho-physical demands.
• It has been indicated as support in mild anxiety attacksincipient or transient, combined with other herbs that reinforce the sedative action. Among the benefits of ginseng would be to promote the development and enhancement of cognitive processes, which would help relativize problems, avoid states of panic and overcome the anxious state in its initial facets.
• He is credited with the ability to promote memory and the power of concentrationthis being one of the usual attributions of traditional Chinese medicine.
• Ginseng, as demonstrated by different clinical studies, shows a certain non-specific action that would favor the lymphocyte proliferation and antibody productionthereby increasing the body’s autoimmune response against the action of free radicals and preventing the appearance of infections.
• It has been tested at a preventive level as an anti-cancer agent. on some types of tumors, due to its function on pathogenic cells, but also as a natural support for chemotherapy treatments, as stated in Evidenced-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
• Ginseng shows some effectiveness as a cardiac tonic, producing a slight hypertensive effect in treatments of no more than two months. It has been indicated as support in case of low blood pressure or hypotensionor to tone the heart rate in people with bradycardias (slow or irregular heartbeat).
• It is attributed a certain hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic action. In traditional Chinese medicine it is used, in this case, to treat high cholesterol levels, to prevent vascular accidents and to support diabetes.

Ginseng and sexuality

Ginseng is not a miraculous aphrodisiac, but as a stimulant of the nervous system, added to its fatigue-relieving action, helps to overcome states of apathy, reluctance or sexual apathy.

He is credited with the ability to restablish erectile capacity in men of any age, especially in maturity, to help recover sexual appetite and correct impotence, but there does not seem to be scientific evidence to support it.

In any case, ginseng would act on a mental levelas a fast-acting stimulant, which would allow, in some people, to overcome inhibition and gain interest in social and sexual contact.

How to take ginseng

Ginseng is usually sold in the form of dried or powdered root.

It is taken in the form of decoctionbetter if we combine it with other herbs, no more than two glasses a day, the last one away from going to bed at night.

It is also found in the form of tincture or liquid extract, and in capsules and tabletsof which it would be enough to take the equivalent of 200 and 400 mg daily, depending on the condition to be treated, without exceeding one gram per day.

In herbalists and pharmacies there is a wide variety of products with ginseng, which It often appears associated with other substances.such as royal jelly, saffron, ashwaganda, ginkgo and others, as well as with vitamin compounds.

Ginseng herbal tea for asthenia

• Ingredients: Powdered ginseng root, rosemary, savory, mint and lemon.
• Preparation: Mix the herbs well in equal parts and separate 5 g of the mixture per glass of water. Boil for 2 minutes, let it rest and add a lemon peel or the juice of half a large lemon.
• How to take it: Up to two glasses a day, the last one away from bedtime.

Ginseng herbal tea for stress

• Ingredients: Ginseng, gentian, ginger, lemon balm, rosemary, hibiscus and bitter orange.
• Preparation: Mix the plants in equal parts and separate one tablespoon of the mixture per cup of water. Boil for 2-3 minutes, let stand and strain.
• How to take it: Two or three glasses a day are taken, well spaced.

How long does ginseng take to take effect?

When purchasing ginseng, it is worth Make sure first that it is really red or Korean ginsengbecause products are marketed with other related ginseng or that even have nothing to do with it, and their therapeutic properties could be different from those sought.

And as with most treatments, not just herbal ones, the time it takes to give verifiable results can vary a lot from one person to another. As with, for example, caffeine, which affects some people more than others, the same could apply to ginseng.

Experts recommend treatments up to 4 to 6 weekswith rest periods of about three months, and if the symptoms persist, you should see a specialist. AND do not exceed the intake of 1 g per dayin any of its presentations.

However, some studies indicate that effectiveness may be reduced after eight weeks treatment with ginseng.

Side effects and contraindications

Continuous or persistent intake of ginseng can produce, as has been shown in some clinical studies, hyperestrogenismwith metrorrhagia and mastalgia, as well as a tendency to increased blood pressureespecially in case of long treatments.

Ginseng is not a plant that can be taken lightly. There are different considerations that should not be lost sight of:

• Do not take ginseng if you have suffered estrogen-related diseaseslike breast cancer.
• Don’t take ginseng if you are hypertensivenot even if you are taking treatment with antihypertensive drugs.
• Don’t take ginseng for diabetes if you are following drug treatment. Ginseng may interact with insulin.
• Patients are also discouraged from following treatments with medications that develop antiplatelet effects, as well as others heart drugs, such as digitalis derivatives. Or in any case, it is necessary to consult with your family doctor. It should not be combined with antidepressant, anxiolytic and sleeping pills.
• Due to its clear effect on the immune system, you should be well advised before taking it in case you suffer from any autoimmune diseasesuch as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or multiple sclerosis.
• It should not be taken in case of insomnia, nervous irritability and presence of palpitations.
• Should not be administered to children under 12 years and is discouraged pregnant and lactating women.

Jordi Cebrián Advisor: J. Mª. Teixé, herbalist from «El Manantial de Salud»