Ginseng
Parts Usually Used
: (Otherwise known as Siberian ginseng) Root
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
: A perennial slow growing plant with a large spindle-shaped fleshy root and a smooth erect stem; 1-2 feet high. Root sometimes resembling human form, spindle-shaped or forked. At the top of the stem are 3 large leaves palmately divided into 4-5 (occasionally 3-7) sharp-toothed oblong-lance-shaped leaflets. In the leaf axil grows an umbel of yellow-green, scented, flowers. June to July.
Fruits 2-seeded red berries follow the blossoms. Partial shade in zone 4. : (Chinese Panax ginseng) Asiatic ginseng is a small perennial plant; the aromatic root common only grows to a length of 2 feet or more and is often divided at the end. The simple, glabrous stem bears near the top a whorl of 3 or 5 palmately compound leaves consisting of 5 oblong-ovate, finely double-serrate leaflets.
From June to August the plant is topped by a solitary simple umbel of greenish-yellow flowers. The fruit is a small, red, edible, drupelike berry. : Known as Dwarf Ginseng: it is a globe-rooted perennial; 2-8 inches high. Leaves divided into 3 (occasionally 5) toothed, oblong to lance-shaped leaflets. Flowers are white to yellow (or sometimes pinkish), in small umbels; April to May.
Fruits green or yellow. : (Otherwise known as Siberian ginseng) In Russia today, scientists are researching many subjects. As a part of this research, the Russians have been working to find the true medicinal value of plants, and they have been trying to promote a plant of their own, E. senticosus, which they claim has characteristics very much like ginseng. It is a stimulant, increasing the general tone of the organism, normalizing arterial pressure and reducing an elevated blood sugar level.
Helps people resist bad effects of stress more effectively. This herb is not technically ginseng at all but has many of the properties of ginseng and is used the same way. Other varieties: Japanese ginseng (Panax japonica); and Tienchi Ginseng (Panax notoginseng), no English equivalent name, also called sanchi. Tienchi is used in processed form, never raw, available in markets in processed slices of the root called Tian Qi Pian.
Where Found
: Rich woods. Maine to Georgia; Oklahoma to Minnesota. Now an endangered species in much of this area. Wisconsin-grown ginseng is highly valued throughout the Orient. : Found in damp woods of Manchuria and is cultivated primarily in Korea. : Rich woods. Nova Scotia to Pennsylvania, Georgia mountains; Indiana, Iowa to Minnesota. : (Otherwise known as Siberian ginseng) Grown in Siberia.
Medicinal Properties
: Demulcent, tonic. : (Otherwise known as Siberian ginseng) Demulcent panacea, stimulant, stomachic, nervine, tonic
Biochemical Information
: Arabinose, calcium, camphor, gineosides, iron, mucilage, panaxosides, resin, saponin, starch, and vitamins A, B12, and E. : Arabinose, calcium, camphor, gineosides, iron, mucilage, panaxosides, resin, saponin, starch, and vitamins A, B12, and E. : Arabinose, calcium, camphor, gineosides, iron, mucilage, panaxosides, resin, saponin, starch, and vitamins A, B12, and E. : (Otherwise known as Siberian ginseng) Eleuherosides
Legends, Myths and Stories
Used in China for over 5,000 years, ginseng was known to 9 th century Arab physicians. Over 400 million people have been using this herb for centuries. Marco Polo wrote of this prized wonder drug and when a delegation from the King of Siam visited Louis XIV, they presented the king with a root of gintz-aen. From then on, ginseng was widely used by wealthy Europeans for exhaustion and debility.
By the 18 th century, it was also popular in America, especially when P. quinquefolius was found to be indigenous. ” The Mandarin name for ginseng, len seng, literally means “root of man,” so named because the root resembles the shape of the human body. It is said that the botanical name of ginseng is derived from the Greek word for panacea, because of the great reverence in which the herb is held.
Ginseng was known to Judah in the market place of Israel (Ezekiel 27:17). Trading was done in wheat, oil balm, honey, and “Pannag,” or all-healing ginseng. : No medicinal herb is more famous than Ginseng. For over 200 years wild American Ginseng has been harvested and shipped to the Orient. Today, over 95% of the American Ginseng crop (wild-harvested and cultivated) is shipped to eastern Asia.
Interstate commerce of the root is regulated by the federal government. It is unethical and illegal to harvest the roots before the red berries ripen and set seed in late summer or early autumn. In China for centuries, Ginseng was considered an almost magical drug, a cure for bodily woes. Among the Chinese healers Ginseng is regarded primarily as a “man’s herb” although it may be taken by both men and women.
The female equivalent of Ginseng is a root called Dong Kwei. The name Ginseng is derived from the Chinese word for “likeness of man” because its roots sometimes resemble a human figure. Ginseng’s genus name Panax, like the word panacea, comes from the Greek word panakeia, meaning “all-healing”. This refers to the plant’s reputation as a Chinese cure-all. Quinquefolium means five-fingered leaf.
Native Americans have used the root of this plant to relieve vomiting and nausea. Some tribes used it in their love potions. American colonists began using ginseng in the early 1700s. The Eclectics, 19 th century physicians who rejected synthetic drugs in favor of plant medicines, recommended American ginseng as a stimulant and aphrodisiac.
Uses
Historically, herbalists regarded the root of *Panax quinquefolius* L. as a demulcent, mild stimulant, and tonic, attributing adaptogenic qualities to it that were believed to aid in adapting to environmental stress, temperature extremes, and physical or mental fatigue. Traditional practitioners recommended it for stimulating the appetite, digestive complaints, rheumatism, headaches, lumbago, sciatica, debility, respiratory issues such as colds, coughs, and bronchitis, as well as menopausal symptoms, constipation, and cystitis.
Certain Native American traditions utilized decoctions of the root for nausea and vomiting, while several tribes also incorporated it into love potions and charms. In traditional systems, *Panax schin-seng* L. was viewed as a general panacea. Historical accounts noted its use for fevers, inflammatory conditions, hemorrhages, and to regulate menstruation. Herbalists traditionally prescribed it to foster physical and mental vigor, mitigate stress, manage rheumatism, and address digestive disturbances, coughs, colds, and chest complaints.
In traditional Chinese medicine, it was historically administered as a heart tonic, as well as for persistent fevers, chronic coughs, severe dyspepsia, hemorrhages, and spermatorrhea. , Native American traditions historically prepared a tea from the whole plant for colic, indigestion, gout, hives, and rheumatism, while the root was chewed for headaches, shortness of breath, and fainting.
Other historical herbal applications included its use for appetite stimulation, colds, chest ailments, and general fatigue. , traditionally referred to as Siberian ginseng, was historically utilized in folk medicine to address physical and mental stress, fatigue, headaches, insomnia, bronchitis, and chronic chest complaints, with practitioners believing it supported stamina and overall vitality.
Warning
: Some caution required, large doses are said to raise blood pressure. Do not use if you have high blood pressure. Because it grows slowly, is rare over much of its former range and because it has been overcollected, wild plants should be left alone. Avoid P. notoginseng in pregnancy; it may adversely affect the fetus. Although ginseng is generally safe, side effects have been reported; avoid other stimulants such as tea, coffee, and cola drinks when taking ginseng.
: Some may find Chinese ginseng too stimulating, especially at bedtime. Use early in the day. High doses may cause jittery feelings. Do not exceed 5 to 10 grams daily. In rare cases, some develop high blood pressure, menopausal bleeding, or headaches. Check with the doctor if Hypertensive (high blood pressure condition), vaginal bleeding, or headaches occur. (This aid for vaginal bleeding during menopause can be mistaken for uterine cancer, so be up front with the doctor about taking ginseng) Ginseng is usually taken an hour before or an hour after eating.
Vitamin C can interfere with absorption of ginseng. If taking vitamin C, wait 2 hours after or 2 hours before taking ginseng. Avoid use or use with care if you have high blood pressure, high fever, inflammatory conditions, or obesity.
Bibliography
, Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994 The Herbalist Almanac , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, copyright 1988, fifth printing, 1994 Chinese Medicinal Herbs , compiled by Shih-Chen Li, Georgetown Press, San Francisco, California, 1973. The Complete Medicinal Herbal , by Penelope Ody, Dorling Kindersley, Inc, 232 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, First American Edition, copyright 1993 Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A.
, Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000 The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. , Pantheon Books, Knopf Publishing Group, New York, 1994, first edition Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A. , Simon & Schuster/Fireside, Rockefeller Center 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R.
, Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, 1973 Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements , by James F. D. and Phyllis A. , West Nyack, NY, 1987. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 An Instant Guide to Medicinal Plants , by Pamela Forey and Ruth Lindsay, Crescent Books (January 27, 1992).
The Magic of Herbs in Daily Living , by Richard Lucas, Parker Publishing Co. (1988). , Special Sale Catalog, 1996 The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine , by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988. The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H.
Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. , 1974