Ginseng: Facts and Folklore

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Cautions

Taking a ginseng supplement or tea in moderation is safe for many people, but it is not appropriate for:

• people with high blood pressure (ginseng has been shown to increase blood pressure in some ­people);
• those with emotional or psychological imbalances, headaches, heart palpitations, insomnia, asthma, inflammation, or infections associated with high fever (ginseng may make these conditions worse);
• pregnant women (ginseng may raise estrogen levels);
• infants or young children.

If you have a serious condition or symptoms of any condition persist more than ten days, consult a qualified health-care provider. If ginseng is right for you, use the information at right as a guide for taking it.

Taking Ginseng

Ginseng Tea: Boiling water breaks down the cell walls of dried ginseng root to release its constituents, but the whole roots, especially red ones, require long cooking because they are so hard. Dried, sliced red ginseng, which is available from many dealers in Chinese herbs, softens more rapidly than the whole root.

Use 3 teaspoons of the dried or sliced root per cup of water. Place both in a glass or stainless steel pot and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Strain the tea. Drink a cup two or three times a day.

You may refrigerate leftovers, covered, for as long as four days.

Ginseng Extract: Tinctures of ginseng are easy to make (see “Primer” in Herbs for Health, September/October 1996) or may be purchased. I recommend taking 1/2 teaspoon in a little warm water or tea two to three times a day for one to two months, then stopping for a week. You may continue taking the tincture for one to two more months.

Choosing Ginseng Products

Look for products that are standardized to at least 4 to 5 percent ginsenosides. Follow label instructions; 100 mg one to two times a day is the usual dose. It is important to use a bottle of capsules or tablets within a year of purchase, as ginsenosides becomes less effective over time.

Additional Reading

• Bensky, D., and A. Gamble. Chinese Materia Medica. Seattle: Eastland Press, 1986.
• Chong, S.K.F., and V. G. Oberholzer. “Ginseng: Is There a Use in Clinical Medicine?” Postgraduate Medical Journal 1988, 64:841–846.
• D’Angelo, L., et al. “A Double-Blind, Placbo-Controlled Clinical Study on the Effect of a Standardized Ginseng Extract on Psychomotor Performance in Healthy Volunteers”. Ethnopharma­cology 1986, 16:15–22.
• Duke, James A. Ginseng: A Concise Handbook. Algonac, Michigan: Reference Pub­lications, 1989.
• Hess, F. G., et al. “Effects of Subronic Feeding of Ginseng Extract G115 in Beagle Dogs”. Food Chemical Toxi­cology 1983, 21:95–97.
• Hu, S. Y. “The genus Panax (Ginseng) in Chinese Medicine”. Economic Botany 1976, 30:11–28.
• Pieralist, G., et al. “Effects of a Standardized Ginseng Extract Combined with Dimethylaminoethanol Bitartrate, Vitamins, Minerals, and Trace Elements on Physical Performance during Exercise”. Clinical Therapy 1991, 13:373– 382.
• Rosenfeld, M. S. “Evaluation of the Effi­cacy of a Standardized Ginseng Extract in Patients with Psychophysical Asthenia and Neurological Disorders”. La Semana Médica 1989, 173:148–154.
• Scaglione, F., et al. “Immunomodulatory Effects of Two Extracts of Panax Ginseng C. A. Meyer”. Drugs and Experimental Clinical Research 1990, 16:537– 542.
• Von Ardenne, M. “Measurements of the Increase in the Difference between the Arterial and Venous Hb-Oxygen Saturation Obtained with Daily Administration of 200 mg Standardized Ginseng Extract G115 for Four Weeks: Long-Term Increase of the Oxygen Transport into the Organs and Tissues of the Organism through Biologically Active Substances”. Panminerva Medica 1987, 29:143–150.
• Wagner, H., and N. Farnsworth, eds. Economic and Medicinal Plant Research. New York: Academic Press, 1985.
• Yun, T. K., and S. Y. Choi.“Preventive Effect of Ginseng Intake and Cancer”. International Journal of Epidemiology 1995, 19:871–886.

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