Use Ginseng for Good Health-What Can Ginseng Do for You
Edited by Robbi, Eng, Lynn
Ginseng is a plant that is native to North America, from Canada to the South Eastern United States, and in many other areas. It also grows in China and in other areas of the East.
There are two kinds of ginseng that are known to be beneficial to your health and they are the American ginseng and the Korean or Asian ginseng.
Other plants aside from these are called ginseng, but they do not have ginsenosides, which is an active ingredient in ginseng. This herb has been used for many years in Chinese medicine.
Today, more and more people are realizing its benefits. Let's look deeper into this herb to see what we find.
Some Ways that Ginseng Could Help You
- 1This herb may be able to boost the immune system. You could have fewer bouts with cold and flu. Placebo controlled, double blind research was conducted on 323 participants with American ginseng extract. They took 400 mg each day to see if it would ward off the common cold. The people given the ginseng extract for more than four months had less colds compared to the people given the placebo.Boosts the Immune System.
- 2A Korean study investigated to see if Korean red ginseng have beneficial effects for people with erectile dysfunction. It involved 45 patients, who were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction and a dosage of 900 mg of Korean red ginseng three times each day. This was a crossover, placebo controlled, double-blind study. The results were that this type of ginseng is a viable treatment for erectile dysfunction.Help People with Erectile Dysfunction.
- 3There is some proof the ginseng may increase a person's ability to learn and concentrate. Research with Korean ginseng shows that mental performance improves on such tasks as dealing with memory, concentration and even mental math. Other studies show that when this ginseng is mixed with Ginkgo biloba the effects are also positive.Increase Mental Performance.
- 4The ginsenosides contained in ginseng provide anti-inflammatory benefits to the body. This is believed to be from the fact that these ginsenosides work on various parts of the immune system. This was shown to be true by Allan Lau and his team. The results of his study were reported in the "Journal of Translational Medicine".Anti-Inflammatory Benefits.
What Vitamins and Minerals are in Ginseng?
The following vitamin and mineral content is based on Korean Ginseng. The content could vary slightly between the American and Korean ginseng, but these figures will give you a clear idea of the nutritional value of ginseng.
Vitamins
- 1Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) - 3.9 mg percent of daily recommendations
- 2Niacin Acid (Vitamin B3) - 60 ug/g
- 3Biotin (Vitamin B7) - 9.2 ug/g
- 4Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) - 6.6 to 10 ug/g
- 5Folic Acid (Vitamin B9) - 40 to 70 ug/g
- 6Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) - 0.4 to 0.6 ug/g
Minerals in percentage of daily recommendation
- 1Potassium - 0.97%
- 2Sodium - 0.05%
- 3Iron - 407.0%
- 4Phosphorus - 0.31%
- 5Calcium - 0.32%
- 6Zinc - 36.5%
- 7Magnesium - 0.13%
Resources and Additional Reading
- http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/supplement-guide-ginseng
- http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=21536
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12394711
- http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262982.php
- http://www.ginseng.co.za/index.jsp?page=ingredients
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Article Info
Categories : Herbal Medicines
Recent edits by: Eng, Robbi
