The Spotlight On Ginseng

Ginseng was mentioned briefly in our blog post on fatigue, so let’s learn about this ever popular herbal remedy.

Ginseng is great for the endocrine system. It will help you to build and strengthen the adrenal glands, increasing your ability to handle stress. Let’s familiarise ourselves with it’s rich history before learning about it’s potent health benefits.

The History of Ginseng

In today’s world we find it sold as either Asian Ginseng or North American Ginseng. These two types hint at the herb’s unique history in these two parts of the world.

The history of Asian Ginseng begins over five thousand years ago in China. Ancient people saw the herb as a symbol of divine harmony, and liked how the herbs takes on a shape similar to the human form!

The first documented evidence of Ginseng in herbal medicine was during China’s Liang Dynasty (220 to 589 AD). Legends tells us that early Chinese emperors used Ginseng as a remedy for all illnesses and not only consumed it, but also used it topically in soaps, lotions and creams. By the third century, China was enjoying huge international trade of the herb to other parts of the world.

While Native Americans almost certainly used Ginseng, and William Bartram, a naturalist in 1791 is quoted saying,

“The Cherokees speak of the plant as a sentient being, able to make itself invisible to those unworthy to gather it…”

1716 is when North American Ginseng enters the history books. A Canadian Jesuit priest was searching for the herb in areas of French Canada, that are quite similar to that of the terrain where Asian Ginseng is found. After searching for three months, he finally found a nearly identical herb near Montreal. 

Health Benefits of Ginseng

It is an adaptogenic herb, which means it belongs to a group of herbs that are extra healthy for your adrenal glands. Your adrenal glands in charge of managing your body’s hormonal response to stress. So, not only is it great for your adrenals, it can also help to treat a large variety of illness. From weight control, to a cold and flu remedy, let’s look at a few of its many health benefits:

Weight Control

There is no magic pill for weight loss, it takes a real lifestyle change to lose excess weight. However, ginseng is believed to be effective against obesity, and helpful with weight control in that it can naturally lower your appetite.

Menstrual Problems

If you are one of the women who suffers from period pain, I would like to direct you to this article. Ginseng can also aid you at that time, as it is believed to help decrease period pain.

Cold and Flu

Research studies done on the herb found that it “was also […] a safe and effective treatment for reducing the risk of colds and the mean number of colds per person.” You can read more here.

Precautions

Do not take this herb if you are pregnant, nursing, or if blood pressure is a concern. As you can’t consume Ginseng directly from any natural food source, it is important that you choose a supplement from a trusted company. We stock Western Botanicals Ginseng Plus, which you can see below.

Our Favourite Formula

Have you tried Ginseng before? How has it helped you on your health journey? Let us know in the comments below, we would love to hear from you!