Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Ginseng owes its Healing value to several chemicals called ginsenosides, They are not fully understood, and their effects can be downright confusing. For example, some ginsenosides stimulate the central nervous system; others depress it Some raise blood pressure; others reduce it. These observations need to be clarified with additional research. But researchers have learned a great deal about this herb and its many effects.

Resistance to Disease - Some advocates of ginseng call the herb an adaptogen, a technical term for what traditional herbalists call a tonic. Chief among ginseng’s adaptogen advocates is Soviet researcher Israel I. Brekhrnan, a professor who studied ginseng for almost 30 years at the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences. Brekhman wrote ginseng “possesses a remarkably wide range of therapeutic activities … protecting the body against stress, radiation, and various chemical toxins … and increasing general resistance.”

American scientists often view Soviet research with suspicion. But some U.S. researchers agree ginseng is an adaptogen. among them, Norman R. Farnsworth, Ph.D., research professor of Pharmacognosy at the University of Illinois School of Pharmacy, who described the herb’s many effects in the journal Economic and Medicinal Plant Research.

The term adaptogen covers a broad range of effects. Various studies of Russian, Korean, and Chinese soldiers, sailors, athletes, proofreaders, factory workers, and telephone operators show the herb:

• Counteracts fatigue without caffeine and improves physical stamina. Russian, Chinese, and Korean Olympic athletes use ginseng in their training and before events, and some American athletes have begun using the herb as well.
• Counteracts the damage caused by physical and emotional stress.
• Prevents the depletion of stress-fighting hormones in the adrenal gland.
• Enhances memory.

Immune Stimulant - Ginseng appears to stimulate the immune system of both animals and humans. It revs up the white blood cells (macrophages and natural killer cells) that devour disease-causing microorganisms. Ginseng also spurs production of interferon, the body’s own virus-fighting chemical, and antibodies, which fight bacterial and viral infections.

Russian researchers gave 1,500 factory workers 4 milligrams of ginseng a day. Compared with workers who did not receive the herb, the ginseng users lost significantly fewer work days due to colds, flu, tonsillitis, bronchitis, and sinus infections. Russian cosmonauts take ginseng to increase stamina and prevent illness in outer space.

American researchers have confirmed ginseng’s antiviral and immune-boosting effects. In one study, ginseng eliminated chronic herpes sores, the result of herpes virus infection. After the herb treatment ended, the sores reappeared.

High Cholesterol - Ginseng reduces cholesterol, according to several American studies. It also increases good cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins, or HDLs). As good cholesterol increases, heart attack risk drops.

Heart Attack - If the arteries that supply blood to the heart have been narrowed by cholesterol deposits (atherosclerotic plaques) and blood clots form in them, the result is a heart attack. Ginseng has an anticlotting (anti-platelet) effect. which reduces the risk of these clots-and heart attack.

Diabetes - Ginseng reduces blood sugar levels, suggesting value in managing diabetes. Diabetes is a serious condition requiring professional treatment. Diabetics might try the herb in consultation with their physicians.

Liver Protection - Ginseng protects the liver from the harmful effects of drugs, alcohol. and other toxic substances. In one experiment. researchers gave what should have been fatal doses of various narcotics to experimental animals pretreated with ginseng extract. The animals survived. And in a pilot human study, ginseng improved liver function in 24 elderly people suffering from cirrhosis, liver damage from alcohol.

Radiation Therapy - Ginseng can minimize cell damage from radiation. In two studies, experimental animals were injected with various protective agents, then subjected to doses of radiation similar to those used in cancer radiation therapy. Ginseng provided the best protection against damage to healthy cells, suggesting value during cancer radiation therapy.

Cancer - Chinese researchers claim to have extended the lives of stomach cancer sufferers by as many as four years using ginseng. Soviet scientists say the herb shrinks some animal tumors.

Loss of Appetite - Asians have always considered ginseng particularly beneficial for the elderly. As people age, the senses of taste and smell deteriorate, which reduces appetite. In addition, the intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients declines. As a result, some older people suffer undernourishment, which reduces their energy and alertness and increases their risk of illness. Ginseng enjoys a thousand-year-old reputation as an appetite stimulant, and one study showed it increases the ability of the intestine to absorb nutrients, thus helping prevent undernourishment.

Intriguing Possibilities - Several studies have investigated the ancient Chinese belief that ginseng is a mild sex stimulant. None involved humans, and one must be extremely careful about applying animal sex research to people. In animals, instinct controls sex. In humans, more complex social and psychological factors govern it. But, for what it’s worth, Russian studies suggest ginseng treatment increases the sperm quality in bull semen. And a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Medicine showed that ginseng-treated experimental animals are more sexually active than animals that don’t receive the herb.

A Question of Adulteration

Many ginseng studies have produced impressively beneficial results. But critics cite others that have shown no benefits whatsoever. What gives? Adulteration appears to be a big part of the answer.

Because of ginseng’s rarity and enormous value, adulteration has been a problem for centuries. It still is today. It’s quite possible some researchers have used “ginseng” that contained little or none of the herb. One study evaluated 54 so-called ginseng products available in U.S. health food stores. The researchers judged 60 percent “worthless” because they contained too little of the herb to have any biological effect. Twenty-five percent contained no ginseng at all.

The health food industry denounced this study, and the health food trade journal Whole Foods commissioned an independent test. It showed essentially the same results.

The most notorious of the nonginseng “ginsengs” was “wild red American ginseng” or “wild desert ginseng,” which appeared in health food stores during the late 1970s. Ginseng is a shade-loving, moisture-demanding plant, so “desert ginseng” is an impossibility, but many consumers fell for the fraud. The phony ginseng was actually red dock, a laxative plant. An outcry from responsible herbalists forced most “wild red ginseng” off health food store shelves by the early 1980s.

Rx for Ginseng

Even if you start with real ginseng, it may not work because it may not be mature. Ginseng roots should not be harvested until they are six years old, but sometimes younger roots are mixed in to stretch the amount, a form of adulteration which may render the herb useless.

Finally, processing can also decrease ginseng quality. Researchers urge consumers to take “great care in selecting ginseng products.” But how? Unfortunately, the only way to be absolutely certain of ginseng purity and age is to grow it yourself, which is much easier said than done. If you buy ginseng, read labels carefully. Look for products identified by species made with whole, unprocessed, six-year-old roots.

Ginseng tastes sweetish and slightly aromatic. To take advantage of ginseng’s many Healing benefits, use root powder, teas, capsules, or tablets, all of which are available at health food stores and through herb outlets. Recommendations range from the equivalent of about ½ to 1 teaspoon per day. Some sources say ginseng may be used daily. Others suggest daily use for a month, followed by a two-month layoff.

You can also make a decoction from dried, pulverized root material. Use ½ teaspoon per cup of water. Bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Drink up to 2 cups a day.