The very important herb to Chinese herbalist – Ginseng!!!!

Posted in Uncategorized - Written by on March 25, 2011

Ginseng has long been a very important herb in traditional Chinese medicine, and with the rise of New Age treatments in the West, it has become more popular here too. It is also known as Panax, the plant’s Greek name, which literally means ‘cure-all’ (like ‘panacea’).

The Chinese are not the only ones who made use of ginseng historically, however: the plant also grows in America, and Native Americans have eaten it for centuries, also using it as a medicine. As there is no way that the two groups could have been communicating with each other, either this is a huge co-incidence, or there must be some health benefits to ginseng.

America and China are the world’s two largest producers of ginseng, but the Chinese believe that American ginseng is very different to their own. They say that their ginseng is Yang, while the Americans’ is Yin. As the Chinese traditionally believe that Yin and Yang must be balanced, there is a lot of demand for American ginseng.

Ginseng can be eaten raw or prepared in various ways, but one of the most popular varieties is red ginseng. This is ginseng that has been heated up in the sun until it has gone red, and is then marinated in herbs. All sorts of extra health benefits are claimed for red ginseng, and many people also find that it tastes better.

Ginseng able to invigorates vital energy and relieves collapse-syndrome, it is normally used for listlessness, weak respiration or exhaustion of vital energy or blood. It prevents yin exhaustion.

In addition to that, ginseng invigorates spleen-energy such as spleen deficiency syndrome manifested as poor appetite, fatigue and emaciation, heamorrhagic diseases, prolapse of uterus and rectum, visceroptosis and anaemia
Some herbalist use it promotes the production of body fluid to quench thirst, febrile diseases with consumption of body fluid and diabetes can be treated with the usage of ginseng.

Most importantly it supplements vital energy and calms the mind. It has strong effects in curing deficiency of heart energy manifested as palpitation, amnesia, insomnia, absent mindedness, spontaneous perspiration, cardiodyriia. In addition, it is also for impotence, sterility, emission, ejaculation praecox, and enuresis.