Typical Usage
3-12
droppers per day or as directed by your health care practitioner. There
are 80 squirts per bottle.
Qualities
American Ginseng is not considered to be
the same
herb as Asian Ginseng. Though it is used in much the same way and with
many
of the same goals in mind, American Ginseng is different in its actions
from
the Asian varieties. American Ginseng is an adaptogenic and a Qi tonic.
It
thus provides energy, adaptability and heightened alertness. It is
especially appreciated for its endurance increasing capacity.
American Ginseng is a Yin tonic and is cool in nature. This is in
contrast to Asian Ginseng which is a Yang tonic which is generally
warm, or even hot
in nature. American Ginseng is thus useful for people who are hot but
wish
to take Ginseng. In other words, people who tend to have lots of
energy, high
metabolisms, are aggressive, have high blood pressure, have ruddy
complexions, etc. can take American Ginseng without overheating. In
fact, taking the American
Ginseng will help to balance out the system and can correct overheating
problems,
especially when the excess heat is in the lungs and stomach. American
Ginseng
is often used in China to tonify the lungs of people who have dry
coughs
due to smog, smoking or from other causes. It is said to moisten and
cool
the lungs.
American Ginseng is also extremely popular among people who live in
warmer climates. Since it is a cooling herb which replenishes fluids,
it is especially beneficial during hot weather. American Ginseng is
more widely used in southern
China than Chinese Ginseng. However, in the north where the winters are
cold,
Chinese Ginseng is still favored. Many people now prefer a blend of
American
and Asian Ginsengs, with a shift in balance as the seasons turn,
utilizing
more American Ginseng in the warm months and more Asian Ginseng in the
cold
months.
In China Panax quinquefolium is considered to be the herb of first
choice for asthenia of the viscera and as tonic treatments for anemia
and for asthma.
It is highly regarded for its ability to promote the secretion of body
fluids.
Panax quinquefolium is used for over fifty different disorders and is
now
being widely used for various disorders associated with obstetrics and
gynecology.
It is considered to be especially strengthening to pregnant women and
beneficial
to new mothers. China has used all parts of the plant, including the
roots,
stems, leaves and fruits to develop many new tonic health products, and
these
products are distributed as pills, tablets, teas, wine, oral liquids,
hair
conditioners, beauty creams and cosmetics. American Ginseng is regarded
as
a true panacea in China.
Scientific
Data
Saponins constitute the primary
biologically active
component of Ginseng. American Ginseng contains the following saponins:
Rb1,
Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, Rg1, Rg2, Ro, and F2 , among others. The saponin
content has been reported to be higher in wild roots and in woods grown
roots than in cultivated roots.
Cultivated Panax quinquefolium is dominated by Re, Rc and Rb1 and lacks
completely Rf. Woods grown American Ginseng is dominated by Re and Rb1.
Wild
American Ginseng is dominated by Rg1. American Ginseng root fiber
contains much higher Rg2 and Rg3 concentrations than Chinese or Korean
Ginseng and is dominated by Rc, Re and Rb1. Wild and woods grown
American Ginseng has much more Rg1 and Rb1 than cultivated American
Ginseng.
Rg1 has shown mild CNS (Central Nervous System) stimulant activity and
anti-fatigue action. However, large doses of the same substance
depresses the CNS. Rb1, another Ginseng saponin, has shown
CNS-depressant activity, is anticonvulsant, analgesic, antipyretic and
is antipsychotic. This antagonistic activity of the various saponins
probably explains much of the regulating, adaptogenic activity
associated with Ginseng.
Ginseng is considered to be the quintessential adaptogenic herb.
Laboratory animals as well as humans that are consuming Ginseng have
been found to adapt
to dark and light more easily, handle high and low temperatures more
easily,
perform work more efficiently, and in general adapt to a wide range of
stresses
more effectively. Anti-fatigue activity has been demonstrated in both
animal
and human models. The mechanism by which Ginseng helps humans cope with
stress
is being intensively studied, but it is believed to be due to
peripheral
and neurogenic stimulation of the adrenal cortex, among other mechanism.
American Ginseng, like Asian Ginseng, has a double-direction mechanism
by which it regulates the CNS and endocrine system. Ginseng tends to
stimulate weakened or exhausted animals while it has a sedating effect
on hyperactive animals. It is also dose dependent.
In spite of its long history in America, modern research into American
Ginseng has only just begun---in fact, it is still in its infancy even
though it has become a major economic crop. Most research on Ginseng
has been done in Asia and Europe on Asian species. Much needs to be
done to explain the actions of this powerful tonic herb, the only
Chinese Tonic herb that comes exclusively from America.
Preparation
and Utilization
Use as you would Ginseng for energy.
American Ginseng
comes in a multitude of varieties. Raw roots can be cooked with other
herbs,
either Yin tonics or Yang tonics as desired. If you like, combine it
with
other varieties of Ginseng to create a balanced Ginseng blend that
suits
your constitution and condition. Fresh roots are sometimes available
from
herb shops in the Fall for a short period of time. These may be
consumed by
eating several small slices per day, up to 1/2 or even one ginseng root
per
day. Or one or two fresh roots may be placed in a bottle of fine
alcohol (32%
or higher) and extracted for a month or longer before consuming one
ounce
per day, or less often if desired, as a tonic.
Primary
Combinations
Combine with:
1. Asparagus Root and Ophiopogon to strengthen the Lungs, generate yin
and to clear the mind
2. Schizandra Fruit to build yin, tonify the Lungs and strengthen the
mind
3. Licorice Root and Jujube Date to tonify the yin of the Stomach
4. Dendrobium and Raw Rehmannia to relieve thirst and shortness of
breath due to qi and yin exhaustion
Varieties and
Grading
There are three major categories of
American Ginseng:
1. wild, 2. woods grown; and 3. cultivated.
Wild American Ginseng roots are much more common than Asian Ginseng
roots. They can be expensive, but not nearly so expensive as their
Asian relatives. High quality American roots that have grown in the
remote mountainous regions of upstate New York and in Canada can be
very powerful and therefore can be expensive. Old roots are of course
considered to be the best. Very expensive American roots often are
allowed to keep their rootlets. But most wild American
Ginseng roots are carefully clipped down to the main root. This is
unfortunate,
because the rootlets contain a very high concentration of ginsenosides.
At
some herb shops, you can purchase these wild Ginseng rootlets. They
contain
almost twice as much ginsenoside as do the roots. However, the root
contains
the ginsenosides in the optimum ratios and also contain other active
components
that makes it the main part of the herb.
Personally, I do not like very pretty, perfectly manicured Ginseng,
wild or cultivated. I like the gnarly, twisted ones that nobody else
wants. I
especially like the ones that have been attacked by an insect or seems
to
have been damaged in some other way. Sung Jin Park taught me that the
best
Ginseng is Ginseng that had to struggle to survive. In its own struggle
it
had to adapt, and in adapting it had to produce more ginsenosides and
other
substances that helped to survive. My friends are often surprised when
we
get in a new batch of Ginseng how I select the ugliest root for myself.
They
all think I am being very humble, but actually I’m picking out the
premium
root for myself. Besides, nobody else would want such an ugly root, and
if
you try to sell it or give it away, people think you’re nasty. Once
they’re
dried and cleaned, and ultimately boiled, who cares? Actually a study
conducted
at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science discovered (to
their
surprise) that “roots which were diseased (moldy or burned) when
harvested
were generally higher in total ginsenosides than were their healthy
counterparts.
Woods grown American Ginseng is often sold as wild ginseng. It is less
expensive than wild but looks very similar, and in fact is chemically
almost identical. Woods grown Ginseng is grown from wild seed by
casting the seeds in the forest. Just like Chinese and Korean forest
grown Ginseng, this Ginseng is superb.
Cultivated American Ginseng is inexpensive but of generally fine
quality. The difference in quality and price will generally depend upon
the region the roots were grown in and the age of the roots. Older
roots are better. In cultivated American Ginseng, larger roots are not
necessarily better. Check the head for notches. The more notches the
better, because it indicates the root is older. Also, roots that appear
to have had a rougher life are often more potent. If there are any
striations, it is a higher than average quality cultivated root.
Cultivated American Ginseng almost always comes carefully manicured,
that is, without any rootlets or side roots. The root hairs have more
ginsenosides than the roots, so pick the root hairs up separately if
they are available.
There is another species of American Ginseng that appears on the
market, known as Pearl Ginseng, or Dwarf Ginseng. Its official name is
Panax trifolius. Pearl Ginseng comes in a wide variety of qualities
depending on its source. Low grade Pearl Ginseng (which sells for
around $20 per ounce) is very poor
quality and very low in ginsenosides. Higher priced Pearl Ginseng
(selling
price around $160 per ounce), on the other hand is superb and highly
prized.
The difference is in the source and the age. Pearl Ginseng must grow in
very
a place where the winters are very cold, and they must be at least
eight
years old to be worth the price.
History
Panax Quinquefolium has been used by
Native-Americans since prehistoric times. Numerous legends describe the
use of Ginseng in America. It was used by the Seneca elders to give
strength and as medicine. Crow women used it to promote a relatively
painless and quick childbirth. The Seminole used it to stop nosebleed,
to treat shortness of breath and
as a aphrodisiac. The Penebscots, who ironically called it “Man Root,”
used
it to increase the fertility of women. However, it was never as highly
esteemed by Native-Americans as it long since has been by the people of
Asia.
American Ginseng was first observed by a non-native American in 1716 by
Father Joseph-Francois Lafitau. Lafitau was a Jesuit missionary working
among
the Mohawks, a forest-dwelling tribe, north of Montreal when he found
the
root growing in Canadian virgin forest. Lafitau had recently read a
report on Asian Ginseng by another Jesuit priest, Father Petrus
Jartoux. Father
Jartoux was in China, which had opened up during the reign of Emperor
Kang
(1661-1722) serving as a missionary in Peking (now Beijing). Jartoux,
an
accomplished cartographer, drew for the emperor the first accurate map
of
Manchuria, or northern China. While in the northern region, he observed
Ginseng
growing and speculated that the same plant could likely be growing in
Canada
due to the similarity of the forested regions. Father Lafitau actively
began
to search for the same herb in the Canadian forests. After several
months
searching, his work was rewarded when he found a Ginseng plant growing
near
his new house in a forested region. He showed the roots to Chinese
merchants,
who were extremely excited at the “discovery.” They taught Lafitau how
they
wanted the roots prepared, and exportation of American Ginseng to China
commenced in 1717.
These earliest exports went to China the long way---via France or
England. Commerce expanded rapidly, and by the 1770’s a brisk trade was
established. There is a record of 55 tons being shipped to China out of
Boston in 1773 on a single ship. The first recorded direct shipment to
China took place out of New York in 1784, on the Empress of China with
a cargo made up entirely of Ginseng, which it subsequently exchanged
for silk and tea. As the Northwest Territory was explored, Ginseng was
found to be growing profusely. During the late 1700’s, records indicate
that about 70 tons per year of American Ginseng was shipped to China
out of New England, and much more was shipped out of New France
(Canada). The trade apparently dried up for unknown reasons during the
first the first two decades of the 19th century, but picked up
again prior to the U.S. Civil War, and in 1858 over 180 tons was
shipped to China. Between 1820 and 1903, 17 million pounds of Ginseng
was exported. The vast majority of the Ginseng collected and cultivated
in American continued to be exported to China, where American Ginseng
had become highly coveted, in many cases even more so than the Asian
species.
Many people made large fortunes trading in Ginseng. Even Daniel Boone
was
a Ginseng trader. Records show that in the winter of 1787-88, Daniel
Boone,
his sons and a number of employed hands spent most of the winter camped
out
in the hills of western Virginia (now West Virginia) and eastern
Kentucky
and collected nearly 15 tons of wild Ginseng. However, the boat
carrying
the Ginseng to market overturned and was ruined. The next year Boone
repeated
his collecting, but records indicate that he had to sell his Ginseng at
a
low price because he had not prepared the Ginseng properly.
The white settlers in America exploited this incredible resource
without consciousness or ecological caution, as they did with so many
resources during
that period, and by the end of the nineteenth century the supply of
wild
American Ginseng had virtually dried up. However, the demand in China
for
American Ginseng remained. In the 1870’s Abraham Whisman, a Virginian,
became
the first American to cultivate American Ginseng, and by the end of the
century
American Ginseng was being widely cultivated. However in 1904 a fungus
attacked
the entire American Ginseng crop and virtually wiped out the industry.
It
did not recover for many years. And the fungus, along with
mismanagement
of the wild resource eliminated wild Ginseng from many of its natural
habitats
throughout America. It took decades for the wild crop to recover
sufficiently
to once again become the object of commerce.
By the 1980’s, American Ginseng had once again became a major export
product, and it is now the most valuable legal cash crop in America. In
1989, 1800 tons of cultivated American Ginseng was exported to China by
the U.S. and Canada at a value of over $75 million and over 150 tons of
wild ginseng was
exported at a value of over $30 million.
In spite of the herbs name, “American” Ginseng, Panax quinquefolium is
now being widely grown in China. Since 1975, when it became popular in
Hong Kong, and ultimately in mainland China, Panax quinquefolium has
been grown in twenty of China’s provinces, and in particular in five
northeastern regions. For example, one Canadian variety of Panax
quinquefolium which the Chinese call Wu Long Ginseng, has been
successfully grown on a large scale in the far northeast of China in
Heilongjiang province. China has currently equaled the production scale
and output of America and Canada combined. Most of this
Chinese-grown American Ginseng is sold in the Chinese domestic market,
in
Hong Kong and throughout Southeast Asia. Some of this Ginseng has
entered into the world market in various Chinese products, where it is
generally refered to simply as Panax Ginseng. China has openly stated
its policy and goal of becoming the world’s largest producer of Panax
quinquefolium.
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