People's name: root of life.
Parts used: Root.
Pharmacy name: root of ginseng radix (formerly: Radix Ginseng).
Botanical description. The native land of the present ginseng is East Asia, the false one is South-East and South Asia. The root of the adult plant is about 8-12 cm long and about 2 cm in diameter. The stem reaches a height of 30-60 cm, on it on long petioles there are complex toe leaves, externally resembling maple leaves. Flowers are inconspicuous and, like ivy, grouped in simple umbrellas; berries are light red.
Collection and preparation. When the plant reaches the age of 6-8 years, the root of ginseng is dug out and dried in the air. Since the demand for it exceeds the supply, this medicinal plant is also bred in the culture. However, growing ginseng is difficult, it takes a lot of time and worry. Therefore, the prices of ginseng root on the world market reach fantastic figures. The Korean province of Kumsan supplies very good pharmacy products from cultures.
The active ingredients are ginsenoids, essential oils, vitamins B1 and B2 and estrogens in wild plants.
Healing effect and application. It has been established that the root of ginseng affects metabolism by the type of nonspecific irritant action: it mobilizes the body's defenses, improves adaptability to stressful situations and increased load, increases resistance to infectious diseases, and accelerates recovery. Perhaps, here it is necessary to speak about general toning action, about central stimulation. Those who regularly take ginseng, feel better and are satisfied with life, they are more active and more balanced. This is especially true for older people, who have a noticeable improvement in their overall mood, and who are able to overcome mild depression completely or partially. The specific effects of ginseng on the heart and blood circulation are not confirmed. The ability to increase potency attributed to the root of ginseng is questionable and has not yet been proven. Since the ginseng trade has become a big business, there are a lot of ginseng products on the market, and many of them are of poor quality. It is difficult to say what to give preference to the pure root of ginseng or liquid medicines from it. It seems important to me that the drug was good regardless of its shape. Therefore, use mainly pharmacies, and always follow the manufacturer's instructions when dosing. And remember, large quantities rarely provide a better effect. In addition to ginseng products, there are medicines on sale that contain ginseng only as a toning agent, although they are also called ginseng products for commercial purposes. These products can only be recommended if they contain other active ingredients (e.g. vitamins). They can even be preferred to pure ginseng preparations, as the effect of ginseng is enhanced in combination with vitamins. Never buy ginseng by hand: a non-specialist cannot evaluate the product and suffers twice because of the price and poor quality.
Side effects. Using ginseng in pharmaceutical doses, you can not be afraid of side effects. Occasionally there is an increase in blood pressure.