Ginseng--The Wonder of the World?

The Natural Connection

Perhaps no herb known to the Eastern or Western world is shrouded in as much mystery and promise as ginseng. The herb exists throughout both China and North America in two major species. The Asian form, Panax ginseng, has been harvested for medicinal use for over 7,000 years in China, and wars were waged in China over control of the forests where it flourished.

American ginseng, Panax quinquefolium, has enjoyed a relatively short popularity of only 300 years. American ginseng began to be harvested in the wild in the 1700’s by Jesuit priests in Canada for export to China, who was suffering from ginseng shortages due to over harvesting. Settlers often described that Native American villages were found empty as the entire population was out collecting ginseng! Daniel Boone was said to have traded ginseng.

Both the Asian and American forms of ginseng are highly revered by traditional healers throughout the world. The word ginseng is said to mean “the wonder of the world”. Due to the fact that the harvested roots often take a surprisingly human form, complete with offshoots that resemble arms and legs, it has also been named “the man root”, and is considered to be the “king of herbs”.

The active ingredients in ginseng are a group of compounds known as ginsenosides. When present in sufficient quantities, they appear to have remarkable qualities that cause them to be labeled as “adaptogens”. This means that they have the ability to help the human body adapt to stressful events such as severe illness, cold stress, and fatigue. Studies suggest that they help women with the discomforts of menopause, and may improve memory function in both men and women. Athletes have been shown to have improved endurance capacity when taking ginseng.

Both forms of ginseng are reputed to enhance sexual vigor in both men and women, and both have mildly estrogenic activity. Therefore, ginseng can increase the symptoms in women with estrogen sensitive problems such as fibrocystic breast disease, uterine fibroids, and possibly even breast cancer. Ginseng can also enhance the stimulating effects of caffeine, as well as aggravate high blood pressure, if taken to excess.

Until recently, most of the research focused on Asian ginseng, and has been done in the Eastern world. Very little solid scientific evidence existed for the usefulness of its American counterpart, except in rats. A recent Canadian study, however, demonstrating that American ginseng controls blood sugar in diabetics may indeed earn its reputation as the “wonder of the world”.

Published in the major medical journal, Archives of Internal Medicine April 10, 2000, Canadian scientists reported that American ginseng in rather high amounts (3 grams) given 40 minutes before a glucose challenge decreased the blood sugar of Type II diabetics not on insulin by approximately 20%. A similar result occurred when the ginseng was taken at the same time as the glucose “meal”. This study was a well-controlled randomized placebo double blind trial. This is the “gold standard” of medical research in the United States, and the results appear to be valid.

When ginseng was administered to non-diabetic patients along with glucose, their blood sugar did not fall. However when a person without diabetes took ginseng on an empty stomach, their blood sugar also fell 20%, causing the authors to caution non-diabetics to always take ginseng with food to avoid hypoglycemia.

With the epidemic of diabetes in younger and younger patients that our nation is facing, it is encouraging to see an increase in good quality studies evaluating the effectiveness of alternative methods of control of this disease. Although one study is not sufficient to allow us to recommend that all our patients consider ginseng as part of a diabetes control program, it is encouraging to see that excellent research is beginning to take place.

Doctors know that most diabetes can be controlled in the early stages, with adherence to a healthy lifestyle that includes aerobic exercise and calorie control. (However, advising people to get off their behinds and push away from the table is one thing. Getting them to do it is another!) Perhaps in the next few years we will see safe and effective herbal remedies for diabetes as well.

Ginseng is a powerful herb, and it is not without side effects. Ginseng should not be taken by pregnant women. If you have high blood pressure or heart problems, you should definitely discuss the use of the herb with your doctor. And if you are a diabetic, it appears that ginseng in high amounts may lower your blood sugar, so again you must discuss your use of ginseng or any herbal medicine with your physician.

To receive a Patient Information Sheet on American ginseng, please write to:

The Natural Connection, c/o Dr. Pauline Bellecci, PO Box 777, Waycross, GA 315012 or visit www.swampdocs.com