The Many Health Benefits of American Ginseng
Widely prized for its medicinal properties, Ginseng is one of the most popular herbs today. The American Ginseng has been used by Native Americans and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners as herbal remedies to support cognitive performance and clear thinking, and helps with depression, anxiety and even weight loss.
What is Ginseng?
The name ‘ginseng’ is used to refer to the American ginseng and Asian/ Korean ginseng. The unique and beneficial compounds within the ginseng are called ginsenosides. Both Asian and American ginseng contains ginsenosides, but they hold different active ingredients types and in varying amounts. It is said that Korean Ginseng has a heaty, stimulating effect while American ginseng possess a stronger flavour and higher ginsenoside concentration
Improves Thinking, Concentration and Memory
A study conducted by the Department of Neurology at the Clinical Research Institute in South Korea has found evidence that Ginseng helps stimulate brain cells and improves concentration and cognitive activities. This makes ginseng a good choice if you want a boost in mental performance.
Improves Mood and Reduce Stress
The main ingredient in the TCM herbal formula Kai-Xin-San, two separate studies found that adding higher doses of ginseng to the diet improved calmness, mental arithmetic and possess significant anti-stress properties which can be used for the treatment of stress-induced disorders.
Helps with Weight Loss
Another surprising ginseng benefit is its ability to work as a natural appetite suppressant. It also boosts metabolism that prevents the deposition of fat in the body, and helps the body burn fat at a faster rate.
Prevents Cancer
Research has shown that ginseng possesses powerful anticancer properties because of its ability to inhibit tumor growth. Although more research is needed on this subject, reports conclude that it’s the improvement in cell immunity involving T cells and NK cells (natural killer cells), along with other mechanisms such as oxidative stress, apoptosis and angiogenesis that give ginseng its anticancer properties.
Research & References
Draxe.com, Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DMN, CNS, 2018: Ginseng Benefits: Less Stress & Better Brain Function - https://draxe.com/ginseng-benefits/
PubMed, Lee ST, Chu K, Sim JY, Heo JH, Kim M, 2008: Panax ginseng enhances cognitive performance in Alzheimer disease - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18580589
PubMed, Reay JL, Scholey AB, Kennedy DO, 2010: Panax ginseng (G115) improves aspects of working memory performance and subjective ratings of calmness in healthy young adults - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20737519
PubMed, Rai D, Bhatia G, Sen T, Palit G, 2003: Anti-stress effects of Ginkgo biloba and Panax ginseng: a comparative study - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14737017
PubMed, Xie JT, Zhou YP, Dey L, Attele AS, Wu JA, Gu M, Polonsky KS, Yuan CS, 2002: Ginseng berry reduces blood glucose and body weight in db/db mice - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12046868
PubMed, Helms S, 2004: Cancer prevention and therapeutics: Panax ginseng - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15387718