THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF PANAX GINSENG
Ginseng root has been used for centuries all over the world to treat everything from fatigue, dementia and cancer to diabetes, menopause and erectile dysfunction. While there are close to a dozen varieties of ginseng, in this article I will deal only with Panax ginseng (also known as red, Asian or Korean ginseng) which is the most researched.
Panax ginseng that grows in the wild can take many years to mature. Because of over harvesting, wild ginseng is hard to find. Most ginseng in the marketplace is cultivated ginseng which means it is grown as a farmed product. Ginseng root can be classified as fresh, white or red. Fresh ginseng is the raw unprocessed root of the ginseng plant. White ginseng is made by first peeling the roots skin and then sun or hot air drying the root shortly after harvesting. Red ginseng is made from the whole root (skin included) by first steaming and then drying the roots. It is this process that turns the ginseng roots red in color and increases the amount of ginsenosides.
Ginsenosides are the active components in ginseng that account for much of its value. Around 40 ginsenosides have been identified. Red ginseng has been shown to have the greatest amount of ginsenosides. These ginsenosides and their metabolites have been shown to produce specific health benefits. Metabolites are intermediate products of metabolic reactions produced by various enzymes in the cells of the body.
For example, a ginsenoside called compound K has been identified as a metabolite of the ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2 and Rc which along with ginsenosides Rg5, Rk1, Rg3 and Rg6 have been shown to improve memory, protect the brain from age-related cognitive decline, reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and protect against loss of blood flow to the brain.
Several Chinese studies demonstrated that the Rg3 ginsenoside found in Panax ginseng facilities the process of apoptosis (cell death) in human oral and liver cancer cells. A 2018 Korean study showed that Panax ginseng stopped lung cancer cells from continuing to replicate. A Chinese study showed the same for colorectal cancer cells.
The Journal of Ginseng Research reported on a 2017 study that shows that red ginseng’s Rg1 and Rb1 ginsenosides help the body curb the production of blood vessels to cancerous tumors. A Korean study published in 2001 revealed that people who used Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) had a 56% lower rate for all types of cancers compared to those who did not consume this ginseng.
Panax ginseng has been used for centuries to address low libido, infertility and sexual dysfunction in general. Ginsenosides in Panax ginseng have been shown to increase the body’s production of nitric oxide which increases blood flow throughout the body including to the penis. A double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trial reported in the Asian Journal of Andrology showed some very positive results from using red ginseng. Out of 60 men with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction (ED), more than 66% of those taking red ginseng reported improved erection and other improved markers of sexual vitality. A follow-up study involving 86 men with ED found that those using Panax ginseng for eight weeks had noticeable improvement in their erections. Men taking a placebo had no improvement in erection.
The above mentioned results associated with the use of Panax ginseng are just a few of the benefits revealed in the book “The Healing Power of Red Ginseng.” This 88-page book is available free of charge at Milk ‘N Honey. In addition to the health issues cited above, this book provides information showing the effectiveness of red ginseng in dealing with fatigue, diabetes, inflammation, stress and other health related problems.
This book also provides information on a new and revolutionary red ginseng product called HRG80 that has been shown to have a wide range of ginsenosides including rare ginsenosides not found in other Panax ginseng products. Research has shown that the ginsenosides in this product are more potent and bioavailable than any ginseng product available in the marketplace.