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.

Asia’s Ultimate Tonic

Family: Araliaceae; (includes Ivy)

Genus and Species: Panax Ginseng (Chinese/Korean/Japanese); Panax Quinquefolius (American); Eleutherococcus Senticosus (Siberian)

Also known as: Man Root, Life Root, Root of Immortality, Tartar Root, Heal-all, ‘seng, ’sang

Parts used: Roots

Ginseng is as fascinating as it is controversial. The root of an unassuming ivy-like groundcover, it has been the subject of more than 1,200 books and scientific papers, yet its effects are still hotly debated.

Advocates say it’s completely safe and call it the ultimate tonic-a mild aphrodisiac that enhances memory, learning, productivity, physical stamina, and immune function, while reducing blood cholesterol and sugar (glucose) and minimizing the ravages of stress, aging, radiation, alcohol, and narcotics.

Critics say it does little, if anything, except cause a potentially hazardous “abuse syndrome.”

Man Root

Ginseng is not one herb but three: Chinese or Korean or Iapanese (P. ginseng), American (P. quinquefolius), and Siberian (E. senticosus). The Siberian plant is not true ginseng, but it contains similar active chemicals, and studies show it has similar effects. As a result, all three are grouped together as “ginseng,” and used interchangeably in the West.

Ginseng has a fleshy, multi-branched root. If you stretch your imagination, some roots resemble the human form, with limb-like branches suggesting arms and legs. The ancient Chinese called the plant “man root,” jen shen, which became “ginseng.”

Ginseng figured prominently in the first great Chinese herbal, the Pen Tsao Ching (The Classic of Herbs), compiled by the mythological emperor/sage Shen Nung. Shen Nung recommended it for “enlightening the mind and increasing wisdom,” and noted that “continuous use leads to longevity.” In China, ginseng’s fancied resemblance to the human form led to the belief that it was a whole-body tonic, particularly for the elderly. It was widely used to treat infirmities of old age: lethargy, impotence, arthritis, senility, menopausal complaints, and loss of sexual interest. Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese still consider ginseng the best health promoter, though their calling it the “root of immortality” stretches things a bit.

More Prized Than Gold

As the popularity of ginseng spread throughout ancient Asia, demand soared and rapacious collection decimated the supply. Chinese ginseng became increasingly rare and more valuable than gold. Unscrupulous merchants sold other roots as ginseng, and adulteration is still a problem today.

Unlike other Asian herbs that became favorites in the West (for example, ginger and cinnamon), ginseng remained a mystery in Europe until the 18th century, when missionaries informed early European botanists of its reputation as a longevity herb. Europeans scoffed at Asian claims, but those familiar with Asia-particularly the Jesuits who had many missions in China-appreciated the herb’s great value there.

The Jesuits’ Secret

In 1704, a French explorer returned to Paris with a sample of what turned out to be American ginseng from southern Canada. Jesuits in France alerted their brethren in Canada to its enormous value in China, and some years later, Jesuits in Montreal shipped a boatload to Canton, where other Jesuits sold it to the Chinese for what was then a king’s ransom, $5 a pound.

Immediately the Jesuits began shipping to China as much ginseng as their Indian collectors could find. They made a fortune and kept the lucrative trade a secret for many years. But word eventually leaked that the celibate fathers seemed to take an unusual interest in a certain low-growing herb, which was rumored to be an aphrodisiac in far-off Cathay.

Once the word got out, ginseng was discovered growing as far south as Georgia, and it enjoyed a brief burst of popularity among American colonists interested in sexual stimulation. Most were disappointed. Virginia plantation owner William Byrd wrote in the late 17th century that ginseng “frisks the spirits,” but causes none “of those naughty effects that might make men too troublesome and impertinent to their wives.

By the 1740s, few Americans were consuming ginseng, but news of its incredible value in China hit the 13 colonies like word of the California gold strike 100 years later. Shipping agents circulated handbills offering to buy the herb for the then-fabulous sum of $1 a pound. Foragers scoured the countryside, and frontier scouts, surveyors, and fur trappers collected ginseng as a sideline to their other work. Ginseng quickly became the colonies’ most valuable export-more precious pound for pound than even the rarest furs.

Americans Adopt the Herb

The American Indians learned about ginseng from the Jesuits and used it to combat fatigue, stimulate appetite, and aid digestion. Some tribes mixed it into love potions.

America’s 19th-century Eclectics called ginseng a stimulant for “mental exhaustion from overwork” and prescribed it for loss of appetite, indigestion, asthma, laryngitis, bronchitis, and tuberculosis. King’s American Dispensatory added it “invigorates the virile powers.”

Contemporary herbalists echo the Chinese, recommending ginseng as a tonic stimulant that promotes vitality and longevity They also suggest it for fever, inflammations, colds, coughs, respiratory problems, depression, menstrual difficulties, childbirth, and immune stimulation.

Wild American ginseng is no longer plentiful, but in Appalachia, collectors still forage for the herb. Wild ginseng sells to export agents for about $200 per pound. Most collectors never use the herb themselves. In the words of Georgia ginseng trader Jake Plott, “I never found it worth a damn for anything but to get money out of” Plott’s comment aptly sums up how many Western scientists feel about Asia’s most revered herb. Critics dismiss its purported benefits as “folklore of the Far East” and say the studies showing benefit are seriously flawed. They also charge ginseng causes “serious side effects,” including a combination of nervousness, insomnia, diarrhea, high blood pressure, and hormonal disturbances, known as “ginseng abuse syndrome.”

Meanwhile, scientific literature shows ginseng is reasonably safe and beneficial for some ailments.

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.