ginsEng.(wonders of the medical herb)

getting to the root of this versatile herb

EARLY GINSENG TRADERS PROBABLY NEVER CONSIDERED THE impact they made on the American wilderness by digging millions of tons of wild American ginseng. They filled their bags with roots and their pockets with money and depleted the woods of wild ginseng. In 1824, over 600,000 tons of roots were exported. Today, wild American ginseng is increasingly rare, but--with prices topping $600 a pound--it is still harvested. Just what makes this rather ugly root so attractive? Read on to learn more about ginseng's amazing healing properties.

all in the family

Ginseng has a well-deserved reputation for increasing physical and mental stamina as well as general well being. Ginseng actually designates several different plants. Most famous of the clan are Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) and the closely-related American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). Another member of this extensive ginseng (Araliaceae) family, although it is not considered a true ginseng, is Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) or Eleuthero.

The ginsengs have been coined adaptogens because they help the body adapt in many ways. They regulate, normalize, and balance physical functions and increase resistance to disease. I like the way Dr. James Duke, author of several herb books including The Green Pharmacy, describes adaptogens as providing an "herbal potpourri" from which your body selects whatever it needs to cure itself. For example, the ginsengs lower or increase blood sugar and cholesterol, protect or break down red blood cells, promote or inhibit cell division, and increase or diminish the heart, breath, and blood pressure--all depending upon an individual's needs.

getting physical

If you do physical labor or work out at the gym, or even if you're just a weekend warrior, the ginsengs can help you withstand physical extremes such as fatigue and help you adjust to cold or hot temperatures, or darkness or bright light. They do so by improving your cardiovascular health and by fueling your muscles through an increase of oxygen and storage of glycogen and the enzyme ATP (adenosine triphosphate). The also reduce accumulation of lactic acid, and thus diminish muscle stiffness and cramping. Research shows that ginseng users do recover faster from strenuous exercise.