Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

With controversial herbs, critics often blow any side effects out of proportion, prompting outraged proponents to counter that the herb is “completely safe.” Ginseng side effects are no cause for alarm, but no drug, herbal or otherwise, should be considered completely safe.

Problems with ginseng are rare, but the medical journals contain a few dozen reports. Ginseng may cause insomnia, breast soreness, allergy symptoms, asthma attacks, increased blood pressure, and disturbances in heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmias). People with insomnia, hay fever, and fibrocystic breasts should use it only with caution. Anyone with fever, asthma, emphysema, high blood pressure, or cardiac arrhythmia should not use it.

In addition, ginseng’s anticlotting action should place it off-limits for those with clotting problems.

In Asia, ginseng is considered an herb for the elderly. It should not be given to children. Asian studies show ginseng causes no birth defects in the offspring of rats, rabbits, and lambs, but pregnant women should err on the side of caution and not use it.

Abuse of “Abuse”

Ginseng may not be completely harmless. But one study showing serious side effects-the one that came up with “ginseng abuse syndrome” (GAS)-has been found to be badly flawed.

The term was coined in a 1979 article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The researcher studied 133 psychiatric patients who claimed to use ginseng. He said 14, or about 10 percent, developed GAS. The subjects were psychiatric patients, presumably people with problems. The researcher never bothered to identify the problems, but he freely applied his results to the general population.

The psychiatric patients said they used ginseng, but the researcher later admitted he made no attempt to verify that their “ginseng” was, in fact, the herb. He admitted many used “desert ginseng,” which we have seen is not ginseng.

The subjects consumed up to 15 grams of the herb a day many times the recommended amount. And some inhaled and injected it, methods which are unheard-of in traditional ginseng use and which strongly suggest the patients also abused illicit drugs. But the researcher never discussed his subjects’ other drug use, except to mention that many used caffeine regularly throughout the two-year study.

Ginseng abuse syndrome included such symptoms as nervousness, sleeplessness, and increased blood pressure. In rare cases, ginseng may cause sleep problems or raise blood pressure, but these same symptoms are routine effects of caffeine, a drug the subjects consumed freely during the study. With results polluted by caffeine and quite possibly other drugs, it’s impossible to say what caused the so-called abuse symptoms.

Another hallmark of GAS was “morning diarrhea.” This may well have been caused by the nonginseng “desert ginseng,” which is a laxative. Finally, the researcher charged GAS “mimics corticosteroid poisoning.” Even at its worst, the purported symptoms of GAS are nothing like corticosteroid poisoning, a complex condition involving acne, unusual hair growth, fluid retention (edema), increased blood pressure and blood sugar, increased susceptibility to infection, and rounding of the face (moon face).

Nonetheless, ever since the publication of this paper, whenever medical journals or popular press reports discuss ginseng, they invariably mention “ginseng abuse syndrome” and “corticosteroid poisoning.” For the record, ginseng has never been shown to cause either one.

Other Cautions

The Food and Drug Administration includes ginseng in its list of herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults who do not have insomnia, hay fever, fibrocystic breasts, fever, asthma, emphysema, high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, or clotting problems, ginseng is considered relatively safe in amounts typically recommended.

Ginseng should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If ginseng causes minor discomforts, such as allergy symptoms or insomnia, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

“God and the Growers”

Ginseng is extremely difficult and expensive to grow. Prospective ginseng gardeners should heed the words of one frustrated horticulturist: “God and the growers know what they’re doing, but neither one is talking.”

Today, 80 percent of u.s. ginseng is grown in Marathon County, Wisconsin. Plants require shade, so growers drape nylon mesh over frames constructed along their rows. Ginseng is prone to several fungus infections, and it’s a struggle to keep the young plants alive. Meanwhile, roots should be six years old at harvest, so growers must be extremely patient.

When roots are ready to be harvested, the process is pain taking. Their value in the Orient depends in part on the arrangement of their limbs. The more humanlike, the higher the price. Breaking an “arm” or “leg” off during harvesting or drying lowers the price.

Growing Your Own

Root cuttings are often diseased, so most growers start with seeds. Seeds cost $85 a pound. But seeds may also be diseased Before planting, they must be disinfected in a solution of one part chlorine bleach and nine parts water for 10 minutes.

Plant in early autumn in well-prepared, humus-rich beds at a depth of ½ inch with 6-inch spacing. Ginseng grows poorly in sandy or clay soils. Maintain soil pH in the range of 5.0 to 6.0.

Be patient. Germination can take a year. Plants must be shaded, ideally under trees, but covered frames work.

Harvest roots after six years, digging carefully to prevent breaking root limbs. Dry them for one month.