Top 14 Proven Ginseng Benefits and Side Effects

Ginseng is one of the slowest growing perennial plant. It has fleshy roots. It belongs to the family of Araliaceae. Its genus is Panax. Its roots are the main source of herbal components. The ginseng root always assumes an interesting shape. It looks like human body.

Ginseng

Ginseng

Ginseng is generally produced in colder climate. It is found in the countries of North America. But the home of Ginseng is Eastern Asia. Korean Ginseng are called true Ginseng. China chi tonic, Eastern Siberia and Bhutan are also claimed to be the host of ginseng.

Siberian ginseng, The scientific name Eleutherococcus senticosis, is not a true ginseng. Because it does not belong to the genus of “Panax”. It does not belong to the family of Araliaceae. So the consumers should aware of it. There are difference and it is not the same as Asian or American ginseng.

Among the world’s ginseng Korean Red ginseng is that the best. It’s ginsenosides makes Ginseng a “King Of Herbs” . Gintonin is another Glycolipoprotein property of it.Ginseng has historically been taken to assist variety of medical conditions. we have tried to discuss it below. However, as a note of caution,there remains very little research on ginseng. So its side effect may harm us. So we should not ignore its side effects.

Types of Ginseng

Ginseng has been classified in many ways. Some specialist classify them according to the cultivation area. We have tried to show there classification as their origination and appearances.

Asian ginseng (root) 

Asian ginseng are called the panax ginseng.  In Korea Ginseng is sold in bottle. There are few types of Asian Ginseng. There are some types of Gingseng in Asia. They are:

1. Korean Red ginseng

Red ginseng is the strongest among all ginseng. It has been using for 2000 years ago.

Korean Red Ginseng

Korean Red Ginseng

Day by day many research is going on to this potion. It is conquering the earth and going to lead the alternative medicine kingdom. In Denmark there are several pill centers which provides Korean red ginseng pill. In winter this herbal product boost our immunity and keep us warm.

Red Ginseng contains more ginsenosides than that of American and Chinese ginseng. These ginseng has many success stories of practical life studies too. To learn more we can watch the below video:

This video has been taken from Francisca S.

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2. Fresh ginseng 

The raw product of Ginseng is known as fresh Ginseng. It could not be found enormously in the market. Its use is limited for its availability. If some one find it directly it has been said that the older the ginseng the bigger the benefits.

3. White ginseng 

White ginseng is a native figure to America. It is fresh quality ginseng. White Ginseng are usually dried without being heated. It can be called as true fresh ginseng. At first it is peeled. Then it has been dried to lessen the water content to 10% or less than that.

White ginseng are being dried in the sun. They might contain less of the therapeutic constituents. it’s thought by some specialists when it is being fried enzymes might be in the root broken down. Drying within the sun bleaches the basis to a yellowish-white color.

4. Wild ginseng 

Wild ginseng grows naturally. It is harvested from where it is found. it is comparatively rare. Wild ginseng is even more and more vulnerable. It has high demand for the merchandise in recent years. Wild ginseng are often either Asian or yankee, it may be processed to be red ginseng.

5. P. quinquefolius American ginseng (root)

American ginseng roots are known as P. quinquefolios. It promotes, According to traditional Chinese medicine, yin energy. It calms the body. On the other hand Asian Ginseng produce or promotes yang energy. It is vice versa of yin. It warms the body.

There are geographical reasons behind claiming differences. In China and Korea yang ginseng are available for the animals and humans who lives in the northern side. It means it is helpful for the people of cold area. Korean ginseng grows in cold geographical region that is also known as Korean Peninsula. It is the coldest space best-known to several Koreans in history. Thus, ginseng from there is imagined to be proudly ruled.

In fact, American ginseng was imported into China via subtropical Guangzhou. It is the harbour next to Hong Kong. Therefor, Chinese doctors believed American ginseng must be beneficial for yang. because it came from a hot area. They did not know, however, that American ginseng can only grow in temperate regions. Nonetheless, the root is legitimately classified as more yin because it generates fluids.[2]

Ontario, British Columbia and Wisconsin of Canada and American states are the producer of ginseng. This type of ginseng are known as p.quinquefolius. In northern China they also grow this type of ginseng.[3]

Other plants sometimes called ginseng

Some other plants which are referred to as ginseng, but they are from a different family and genus.

1. Angelica sinensis (female ginseng, dong quai)

2. Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian ginseng)

3. Oplopanax horridus (Alaskan ginseng)

4. Pfaffia paniculata (Brazilian ginseng, suma)

5. Codonopsis pilosula (poor man’s ginseng)

6. Gynostemma pentaphyllum (southern ginseng, jiaogulan)

7. Lepidium meyenii (Peruvian ginseng, maca)

8. Pseudostellaria heterophylla (prince ginseng)

9. Panax notoginseng (familiar as tian qi, san qi or tien chi; component in yunnan bai yao)

10. Withania somnifera (Indian ginseng, ashwagandha)

11. Schisandra chinensis (five-flavoured berry)

Top 14 Ginseng benefits and side effects

Ginseng is considered as the ultimate herb in the east. It is a profound treasure of traditional health care. It is evidently used to promote our health and longevity, strengthen reproductive power and enhance physical and mental endurance. It gives the power of spiritual realization. We already mentioned that Panax means “panacea”. It is a Greek word. It means the cure of all illness. The name of Ginseng is telling us how precious the herb is.

Ginseng health benefits and side effects are related to each other. Though ginseng is a herbal product and its side effects are not detected or launched by FDA of Germany there are some side effects examined by some specialists and users. We should utilize Ginseng health benefits and side effects of it should not be ignored.

Top 14 health benefits of ginseng

Ginseng is a special herb and it has many known and unknown health benefits. Starting from the point of simple cold and flue it spreads its immunity shield towards the realm of cancer like deadly diseases. Below we have described top 14 health benefits of ginseng.

Generally, ginseng has been used to cure a number of different diseases. However, it should be focused that therapeutic properties of ginseng are often questioned by Western scientists. The health professionals asked it because the lack of “high-quality” study for determining to ginseng’s real effectiveness.

1. Improve Immunity system

Ginseng is a well herb for its immunity improvement. We can say that the The upper most program that has been installed in Ginseng is its immunity improvement. Gisenosides and seven other constituents of ginseng have immune-suppressive effects. This experimental news has been published according to the journal of Translational Medicine. 

Boosting up Immunity definitely a unique feature of ginseng. The people who lives in Northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere should take red ginseng pill or syrup daily to fight against long winters. On the other hand the people of tropical area where summers are longer than winter they should take American ginseng for keep themselves free from weather related disease. Some people are experienced in regaining the energy after their long sickness by the help of ginseng.

Ginseng ameliorate immune system and avian influenza by its great properties. So in case of influenza the immune response of ginseng will be outstanding.

2. Boosting Sexual Energy, Creative Drive and Physical Strength

Specialists of US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health used sales data from the most popular retailers who provides men’s sex health supplements. They aimed to identify the top-selling products of the market to improve men’s sexual health. After data collection they summarized the available information. They has taken the customers review and found that Ginseng is one of the top product which boosts sexual energy and improves sex strength. [4] 

Yang ginseng or Korean red ginseng are welly known as the provider of creative drive and physical strength. A polish citizen opines that in their country red ginseng are used us strengthen people. In the cold region it works as a energizer and warmer.

3. Respiratory System

In winter our respiratory system are usually being attacked by and flu. Not only that different types of virous infection occurs in this period. Red korean Ginseng has warming components. They keep our respiratory system proactive. As a result cold and flue cannot touch their hand in it.

4. Digestive System

In ginseng there are a number of components that helps to grow appetite and boost up digestive system. In the marvelous book, By Linda G. Rector-Page named:Linda page’s healthy healing: A guide to self- Healing for Everyone, the author denotes that polysaccharides of Ginseng helps to improve our digestive tract.[1]

5. Helps Kidneys

Both vitro and vivo activity of ginseng helps to keep kidneys well. Ginseng helps the nephropathy. According some study the researcher found ginsenosides Rk1, Rg3 and Rg5 gathered in the heat treatment of ginseng. It improve the renal damage condition by using anti inflammation and anti apoptosis effects. This evidently results that renoprotective effects and therapeutic potential ginseng and its active ginsenosides ameliorate nephropathy. [6]

6. Provides Energy and Prevents Fatigue

Ginseng is an energy booster. We can call ginseng as the natural energy drink. It stimulates physical and mental activity. It is a great energy provider for weak and tired persons. It also gives energy to the person who has suffered from long sickness and in a very weak state. A Mayo Clinic study revealed that ginseng displayed good results in providing cancer patients with fatigue.

7. Improves cognitive function:

Human being is considered to be the best creation of God due to their cognitive progress. But many people suffers in low cognitive function. As a result our mental abilites are damaged. We can not utilize our memories, reasoning power, judgement and decision making power. Even our production of language will also be in threat if we do not improve our cognitive function.

Ginseng improves our thinking ability as well as cognitive function. The Medical School of Nantong and the University of China experimented on it to search whether this announcement is true or false. Their research voted the side of truth. Major author, JinSong Geng, M.D., declared that provided results of the study is clear that “Ginseng appears to have some beneficial effects on cognition, behavior and quality of life.”

8. Ginseng Has Anti-inflammatory Effects

Ginseng helps us by its anti inflammatory effect. It has the nephropathy improvement capacity by saving it from inflammation.[6] On the other hand ginseng develop its anti inflammatory shield in our thyroid, Spinal code etc. It also a has a great neuron anti inflammatory property.[8]

In another study where Mr. Allan Lau is the leader of the research said, “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”.

9. A super food

According to the Macmillan Dictionary, it defines ‘superfood’ as the food which is considered to be very well for our health and helpful for some medical conditions.[9] Ginseng contains some miraculous properties. It also carries some antioxidants, Vitamins and nutrients. Moreover the health benefits of ginseng and its energy giving properties makes it as a super food. 

10. Removes sleeplessness

The most common side effect of ginseng is sleeplessness. But the panax ginseng which is well aged (more than 15 years old) provides faultless sleep. A very small portion of old ginseng root will provide you the pill of sleeplessness. It is also a helpful malady of calming and soothing our brain.

The meditation performer can do his best meditation by taking a small portion of ginseng root. But asian ginseng can be difference and gives negative effect.

11. Improves appetite

Ginseng has been studied as the developer of appetite. It also improve our digestive track. It removes Small intestine bowl syndrome. It improves our intestine health by removing gastrointestinal problems.

Korean Red ginseng are have been considered to be the best herb for boosting our appetite. The people who are suffering digestive problems and lower appetite ginseng would be the best solution.

12. Natural Hormone Balancer for Male and Female

Ginseng works in our body in numerous ways. It develop our body system by boosting up all kinds of cell energy. It concentrates on our hormone with the help of its some effective hormone stimulant. It provides estrogen which is also an important property for female sex hormone.

Some other sutdy proves that ginseng imbalances our body hormone. It hits pituitary to grow our body. It knock CPH4 hormone to enhance celebrant capacity of woman. It develops our adrenal responses. It provides estrogen. So we can simply call it as a product of hormone imbalance.

13.Prevents cancer:

Cancer is the most deadly disease of the world. There are many system of treating cancer. But none of the cancer treatment are reliable. The survivors are not in a good number. Researchers day by day are searching a herb what can defeat the cancer. How paracetamol defeats fever like it a medicine which can act like paracetamol to drive out cancer from our body. There are several survival reports of patient who has been detected as cancer. Doctors have been treated them administrate 36 chemo. And declare their death sentence by binding a life time of less than one year.

This prediction of death causes more harms to the psychology of the patients and the relatives of the patients. So people are searching the reliable source of cancer treatment.   There are several substances in ginseng which have anticancer elements. According to Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea, “A few population studies in Asia have linked the herb’s consumption to a lower risk of cancer.[7]

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center researchers proclaimed that ginseng makes better survival quality and life leading activity after a diagnosis of breast cancer.

14. Help Men with Erectile Dysfunction

Men can take ginseng to cure erectile dysfunction. According to a study of Korea in 2002 we came to know that 60 percent of men succeed in their life to eradicate the problem of erectile dysfunction. They took ginseng and noticed a great improvement in their symptoms. In addition to that the research of NCBL of 2008 also proclaimed the same evidence. [5]

 In the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology provided “evidence for the effectiveness of red ginseng in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.”

Top 14 Side Effects of Ginseng

Most of the physian prohibits not to give ginseng the infant and child. American Cancer Society Still claims that clinical trials to determine ginseng’s effectiveness are still in need.

FDA(Food and Drug Administration) has not reviewed ginseng’s safety and its effectiveness. So we tried to discuss about top common side effects that has been experienced by the people who consumed ginseng. The most common overdose side effects are given below:

 1. Insomnia

Ginseng stimulates our body and mind. Overtaking of ginseng disturbs our sleep. Sometimes it led us to insomnia. If we have our wife or girlfriend with us and if she will go to bed with us our physical relation will remove this problem. But in case of unmarried or single person we should take ginseng in a tolerate level so that it can not effect on our sleep and rest.

2. Diarrhea

Siberian Ginseng and some other ginseng can causes diarrhea. We should not over eat ginseng. In case of diarrhea we can join the food poisoning care center.

3. Skin Eruption

As a warming potion ginseng can cause skin eruption.

4. Viginal bleeding

Some times overdose of ginseng causes viginal bleeding. Do not panic it will not stay for a long time. But if you are so much weak and having the problem of anemia you must talk to your doctor in case of viginal bleeding.

5. Breast Tenderness

The women who has small breast and want of a healthy on they should not take much ginseng. Ginseng causes breast tenderness.

6. High Blood Pressure

Ginseng sometimes very attacking to the people of  high blood pressure. It raise our blood pressure so the people who are suffering high blood pressure should avoid taking ginseng. But in case of necessity he or she can consult with their doctor before taking ginseng.

7. Restlessness

Emulsion of stimulate properties in our body and brain by ginseng causes restlessness. So to avoid such condition a person should not over eat ginseng.

8. Nurvousness

Due to elevation of heart rate or blood pressure or any other side effects people sometime feel nervousness. So ginseng indirectly causes nervousness.

9. Headaches

Different kinds of ginseng have different types of side effects. Sometimes it causes headache. So Read the product label attentively. If headache occurs ask your doctor or pharmacist for its remedy.

10. Elaveted heart rate

Ginseng stimulate us. It hits the adrenal cod which elevates our heart rate. We should not panic in this situation. We should be patient and enjoy our other function that is very enjoying after taking ginseng. But the person who are suffering for their cardiovascular disease should consult with his physician before taking ginseng.

11. Nausea

The over dose of ginseng will cause high blood circulation. It also causes vomiting and nausea. So we should aware of our present condition of blood pressure before taking ginseng.

12. Difficulty in sleeping

As Ginseng is a warming material it improves our sensitivity. It stimulate us and that may cause sleeplessness. We can take it in the afternoon or early in the evening so that it may not cause sleeplessness. We should not take ginseng before bedtime.

13. Nose bleeding

Ginseng speed up our blood circulating. So the people who has the problem of high blood pressure and risk of stock should avoid ginseng in a large scale. It will rise our heart rate and sometime it causes nose bleeding.

14. Cause Hyper Sexuality

Ginseng improves our sexual energy. It helps men to boost up their sexual power. On the other hand it produce estrogen like hormone which boost the libido of women. A regular taking of ginseng will cause Hyper Sexuality in men and women. So we should take it in a tolerate limit if we have no problem of lower sex power.

A video provided by Dr.James Meschino given bellow to clear knowledge more about the common side effects of ginseng.

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Overdose

Specialist Debra Barton, (Ph.D) of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is fast to entails that quality of the herb is incredibly vital and other people should not essentially rush to their food store and begin taking unspecified ginseng.

She goes on to say: “Off-the-shelf ginseng is typicallyprocessed mistreatment plant product, which may provides it estrogen-like properties that will be harmful to carcinoma patients.”

In case of overdose inspection, contact a poison control center or emergency room right away. US residents should call their poison control center at 1-800-222-1222 Totally FREE. Canada and other states people can also call a their local poison control center.

Interactions

Ginseng has been examined to have adverse drug reactions. It has reactions with phenelzine and warfarin. Some research proved that it has been shown to reduce blood alcohol levels.[10]

People who are experienced in any of the symptoms listed above must stop taking ginseng. They should immediately seek medical attention.


 1. Linda Page's Healthy Healing: A Guide to Self-healing for Everyone
 By Linda G. Rector-Page                p-97  
                                  
2.  Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Third Edition by Dan Bensky, Steven Clavey, Erich Stonger, and Andrew Gamble 2004

3. Agriculture and agrifood in Canada (By the supervision of the government of canada)
4. A Urologist's Guide to Ingredients Found in Top-Selling Nutraceuticals for Men's Sexual Health.  ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26531010)

5.Ginsenoside Rg3 improves erectile function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25442300)

6.(College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam 461-701, South Korea.) 

7.Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea

8. Department of Botany and Microbiology, Addiriyah Chair for Environmental Studies, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.

9. superfood - definition. American English definition of superfood by Macmillan Dictionary

10. Izzo AA, Ernst E (2001). "Interactions between herbal medicines and prescribed drugs: a systematic review". Drugs61 (15): 2163–75. doi:10.2165/00003495-200161150-00002. PMID 11772128.

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