Benefits of Ginseng
The Chinese have revered ginseng for centuries. Among the health benefits of ginseng is its ability to help with a variety of health conditions.
Did you know that ginseng is an adaptogen, that it adapts to what the body needs to correct imbalances? For instance, if blood pressure is too high, it helps bring it down; if it's too low, it brings it up.
Ginseng roots are taken orally as adaptogens, aphrodisiacs, nourishing stimulants, 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.
It may also be found in some popular energy drinks. It has been difficult to verify 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 studies.
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.
Another randomized, double-blind pilot study noted ginseng appeared to reduce fatigue in cancer patients.
Ginseng and reproductive activity
Additionally, 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 is due to direct effects of its ginsenoside components on the central nervous system and gonadal tissues.
In males, ginsenosides can facilitate penile erection, which is consistent with traditional Chinese medicine and Native American medicinal uses of ginseng.
