American Ginseng

Panax quinquefolium

American Ginseng Tartar Root Parts used Uses Habitat and cultivation How much to take Side effects and cautions

This variety of the herb is a deciduous perennial plant which normally grows to reach a height of about a foot or 30 cm when fully mature. The American ginseng is characterized by having oblong to oval leaflets borne on a smooth stem; the plant also bears a large number of small and greenish colored flowers, and gives out scarlet berries which are peculiarly kidney shaped in structure.

Female fertility was thought to be increased by eating this herb in the Native American culture and many native peoples used this herb for that purpose. Once international trade with China picked up around the middle of the 18th century, a virtual gold rush ensued as an insatiable market for this herb was found in China and the herb was exported there, settlers of that early era report that entire villages of Native Americans would go out collecting the herb leaving whole villages almost deserted in the mad rush to find the herb. Replanting of seeds from collected herbs was not universal practice, though some native tribes like the Ojibwa people had a tradition of planting seeds to replace herbs collected in the wild. By the turn of the century, and toward the end of the 19th century itself, the wild American ginseng became a rarity due to the ginseng herbal trade with China.

PARTS USED

Root.

USES

Milder in its effects compared to the Chinese variety, the American ginseng is still though to posses a similar beneficial action such as that possessed by the Chinese ginseng and it is used in all herbal roles in which the Chinese variety is normally utilized. The tolerance of the body to any stress is increased markedly by taking the American ginseng. The main role of the herb is as a yin tonic in the traditional Chinese system of medicine, it is used primarily in the treatment of physical weakness in the body of patients, in the treatment of conditions such as fever, in treating wheezing, and in the treatment of coughs in affected patients.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

This variety of the ginseng grows in many parts of North America and also in some areas of the Himalayan region. The sighting of this plant in the wild is now a rarity as this woodland plant has been subjected to over harvesting down the centuries. The American ginseng is now commercially cultivated in many places, and cultivation occurs in the American state of Wisconsin, it is also cultivated in France and in China as well. Autumn is the season, during which the roots of the American ginseng are gathered for processing and sorting before storage and sale.

HOW MUCH TO TAKE

Dosage regimens for different varieties of ginseng differ and depend on the chemical constituents of the variety, for example, the standardized herbal extracts of the best researched forms of the ginseng herb contain approximately 4-7% of the chemical compounds called ginsenosides per plant. The effectiveness of some of the more concentrated herbal extracts can sometimes be much lower due to a reduction in the levels of the compound called panaxan - which is another compound normally found in the ginseng. Normally doses for most persons consist of taking about 100-200 mg of the herbal extract daily during the supplemental period. The intake levels of the non-standardized herbal extracts need to be significantly higher due to the lower active compound content, the dosage regimen of the non-standardized herbal extracts are typically 1-2 grams of the extract taken once every day in the form of tablets, if preferred about 2-3 ml of the fresh herbal tincture can also be taken daily instead of tablets. Rest periods between the supplemental regimen is ideal when taking ginseng, normally the herbal extract is taken for two to three weeks on a regular basis, this is punctuated by a one to two weeks rest period, following which the supplementation can be resumed.

SIDE EFFECTS AND CAUTIONS

The ginseng is one of the safest herbs for supplemental use, and when taken at the recommended dosages, safety is almost guaranteed. There are a few exceptions and in some individuals over stimulation of the body can result in rare instances, insomnia is another possible side effect in those using the herbal extract at extremely high doses. The risk of disturbing the gastrointestinal system and over stimulation of the body substantially increases when people consume caffeine with supplemental ginseng - this practice is not recommended. Ginseng should also be avoided by all individuals who tend to suffer from uncontrolled high blood pressure problems. Menstrual abnormalities can be caused in some women who are use ginseng in the long term, in these women breast tenderness may be another side effect particularly if the supplementation has been for a very long period of time. Nursing women and women in a term of pregnancy are advised against using the ginseng in any form.