Ginseng information
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Ginseng, also known as Ginnsuu in some regions of Asia, mainly China, is any one of eleven distinct species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the Panax genus in the family Araliaceae. It grows in the Northern Hemisphere in eastern Asia (mostly northern China, Korea, and eastern Siberia), typically in cooler climates; Panax vietnamensis, discovered in Vietnam, is the southernmost ginseng found. This article focuses on the Series Panax ginsengs, which are the adaptogenic herbs, principally Panax ginseng and P. quinquefolius. Ginseng is characterized by the presence of ginsenosides.
Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is not a true ginseng, but a different plant that was renamed as "Siberian ginseng" as a marketing ploy; instead of a fleshy root, it has a woody root; instead of ginsenosides, eleutherosides is the active compound. Eleutherosides are classified as another adaptogen. (see below).
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[edit]Etymology
The English word ginseng derives from the Chinese term rénshēn (simplified: 人参; traditional: 人蔘), literally "man root" (referring to the root's characteristic forked shape, resembling the legs of a man). The English pronunciation derives from a southern Chinese reading, similar to Cantonese jên shên (Jyutping: jan4sam1). It is closer to The Southern Min language, or Min Nan (Hokkien: Bân-lâm-gú), ("Southern Fujian" language) pronunciation "jîn-sim"
The botanical/genus name Panax means "all-heal" in Greek, sharing the same origin as "panacea," and was applied to this genus because Linnaeus was aware of its wide use in Chinese medicine as a muscle relaxant.
Traditional uses
Both American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) roots are taken orally as adaptogens, aphrodisiacs, nourishingstimulants,[citation needed] and in the treatment of type II diabetes, as well as sexual dysfunction in men. The root is most often available in dried form, either whole or sliced. Ginseng leaf, although not as highly prized, is sometimes also used; as with the root it is most often available in dried form.
This ingredient may also be found in some popular energy drinks: usually the "tea" varieties or functional foods. Usually ginseng is present in subclinical doses and it does not have measurable medicinal effects.[citation needed] It can be found in cosmetic preparations as well, with similar lack of effect.
Modern science and ginseng
It has been difficult to either verify or quantify the medicinal benefits of ginseng using science, as there are contradictory results from different studies, possibly due to the wide variety and quality of ginseng used in the tests. High-quality studies of the effects of ginseng are rare.[1]
Ginseng is promoted as an adaptogen (a product that increases the body's resistance to stress), one which can to a certain extent be supported with reference to its anticarcinogenic and antioxidant properties,[2] although animal experiments to determine whether longevity and health were increased in the presence of stress gave negative results.[3]
A comparative, randomized and double-blind study at the National Autonomous University of Mexico indicates it may be "a promising dietary supplement" when assessed for an increase in quality of life [4].
A recent study at the University of Hong Kong has identified Ginseng to have anti-inflammatory effects. The study found that out of the nine ginsenosides they identified, seven could selectively inhibit expression of the inflammatory gene CXCL-10.[citation needed]
P. ginseng appear to inhibit some characteristics associated with cancer in animal models; nevertheless, this effect is unclear in humans.[5] A randomized, double-blind pilot study noted ginseng appeared to reduce fatigue in cancer patients.[6]
There are references in literature, including authoritative compendiums, that show interactions with ginseng. Herbalist Jonathan Treasure of the United States National Institute of Mental Health traces the growth of misinformation on an alleged adverse herb-drug interaction between the monoamine oxidase inhibitor phenelzine and Asian ginseng (P. ginseng C.A. Meyer). This originally was mentioned in a 1985 editorial by Shader and Greenblatt in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. Shader and Greenblatt devoted a couple of lines to the case of 64 year-old woman who took an undisclosed dose for an undisclosed time of a dietary supplement product called “Natrol High” while concurrently taking phenelzine 60 mg qd. She experienced symptoms of “insomnia, headache, and tremulousness”. Treasure contacted Natrol by email and discovered within ten minutes that there was no P. ginseng in the formula, but instead Eleutherococcus senticosus which was then called by the popular name "Siberian ginseng" and it was given in a subclinical dosage mixed with a variety of other herbs. The purported interaction effects are well-known side effects of phenelzine alone, which had been given in a high dosage and are not at all suggestive of Eleutherococcus. However this misinformed article with a misidentified herb has been picked up in literature searches, megastudies and is now documented by conventional medical authorities such as Stockley’s, and is repeated in several botanical monographs e.g. World Health Organization (WHO 1999).[7][8][9]
Ginseng and reproductive activity
A 2002 study by the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (published in the annals of the New York Academy of Sciences) found that in laboratory animals, both Asian and American forms of ginseng enhance libido and copulatory performance. These effects of ginseng may not be due to changes in hormone secretion, but to direct effects of ginseng, or its ginsenoside components, on the central nervous system and gonadal tissues.[10][11] In males, ginsenosides can facilitate penile erection.[12] This is consistent with traditional Chinese medicine and Native American medicinal uses of ginseng.
Ginseng is known to contain phytoestrogens.[13][14][15]
Use With Other Medications
Although generally well tolerated, caution is advised when consuming ginseng along with over-the-counter or prescription drugs.
Side effects
According to a Sports Nutrition FAQ published by UMass Amherst, one of P. ginseng's most common side-effects is the inability to sleep.[16] However, other sources state that ginseng causes no sleep difficulties.[17] Other side-effects can include nausea, diarrhea, headaches, epistaxis[18], high blood pressure, low blood pressure, and mastalgia.
