Ginseng

Overview

Ginseng comprises one of the largest sales categories of commercial herbal products in North America. For the past 25 years numerous advanced ginseng products have been sold in tea, capsule, tablet and extract forms. Consumers purchase ginseng in its various forms because they seek the presumed health benefits of the fabled root. The so-called tonic and adaptogenic properties, the apparent basis of much tradition and mythology, have been subjected to studies in both Asia and Europe. The primary types of ginseng on the US market are Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng), American ginseng (P. quinquefolius), and Eleuthero or Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus, formerly known as Acanthopanax senticosus). All are members of the plant family Araliaceae.

Veterans of the ginseng and general herb industries, as well as research scientists, have long suspected that some of the products claiming to contain ginseng may be mislabeled and/or adulterated. Herbal promoters will cite adulterants as the reason ginseng did not work well when tested. Skeptics will link the reported benefits to the adulterants. For example, stimulants such as ephedrine and pseudoephedrine will increase energy levels for a period of time.

Common Uses: