Do you know the most effective and secret weapon in the ancient Asian pharmacy? Do you know the medicine that only the royal family uses in old Asia? Well, it’s GINSENG!!
What are the various types of GINSENG? and what are its benefits? That is what we are to know and discuss here in our post.
WHAT IS GINSENG?
Ginseng is a medicinal plant used for more than 2000 years. Different varieties of ginseng root have been used as treatments in Asia and North America for centuries.
There are two main types of ginseng: Asian or Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). Studies have found that the different types have different benefits. In traditional Chinese medicine, American ginseng is considered less stimulating than the Asian variety.
Panax ginseng is a plant that grows in Korea, China, and Siberia. It’s considered an adaptogen, which are natural substances that are believed to stimulate the body’s resistance to stressors. Panax ginseng contains many active chemicals. The most important are called ginsenosides or panaxosides.
Panax ginseng is taken by mouth for memory and thinking skills, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support many of these uses till now, TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) assures these benefits.
Don’t confuse Panax ginseng with other plants sometimes referred to as ginseng, like American ginseng, Blue Cohosh, Canaigre, Codonopsis, Eleuthero, or Panax notoginseng. These are different plants with different effects.
POWERFUL AND COOL TYPES OF GINSENG
Powerful Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng)
Asian ginseng, also known as Korean ginseng, is considered true ginseng because it contains ginsenosides which are the active constituents of this root. Asian ginseng has a warming, heat-producing, or stimulating effect. It is more suitable for the elderly and short-term (3 months). The effects of this root are known to increase physical endurance reduce fatigue, and improve the ability to cope with stress, it is also used to help boost the immune system and balance blood sugar levels. To gain all these benefits you should use the best red ginseng extract.
Cool American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)
American ginseng is also considered true ginseng due to its ginsenoside content, but with a different chemical makeup from Asian ginseng. American ginseng is considered cooler in nature and less stimulating than Asian ginseng. It is suitable for young and middle-aged people and can be used long-term.
Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus)
Siberian ginseng, despite its name, is actually not a ginseng as it does not contain ginsenosides. It is instead rich in eleutherosides, the active constituent that provides the adaptogenic effects of this herb. Siberian ginseng can be used long term to help increase energy and the body’s resistance to stress, and is commonly used to alleviate general fatigue, and improve mental and physical performance during periods of stress.
Indian Ginseng (Withania somnifera)
Indian ginseng, also known as Ashwagandha, is also another medicinal herb not related to the ginseng family despite its popular name. This herb is frequently referred to as Indian ginseng because of its rejuvenating properties even though botanically ginseng and Ashwagandha are unrelated. Much of Ashwagandha’s pharmacological activity is from the withanolide content in this herb. It can be used long term and is known to have a more gentle and less stimulating effect compared to American ginseng.