Asian Ginseng
Asian, Chinese, Korean, or "true" ginseng are all common names for Panax ginseng, one of the world's oldest known herbal medicines. The word Panax, of Greek derivation, means "all-cure" and gives rise to the word panacea. In Chinese, "ginseng" (schinseng) refers to the human-shaped figure of the root, which is believed to suggest powerful properties. White ginseng refers to the unprocessed dried root, while red ginseng refers to the steamed root, which is red or caramel colored.
Uses and Benefits:
Ginseng has been used for thousands of years in Asian countries to boost energy, relieve stress, improve concentration, and enhance physical and cognitive performance. It is claimed to be a general restorative, tonic, or adaptogen, which restores the body's balance, enhances stamina, and increases resistance to stress and disease. Among many other claims, ginseng is also recommended as an aphrodisiac, for cardiovascular diseases, to prevent or treat cancers, and to prolong life. In traditional Chinese medicine, ginseng is used to restore the vital life force (qi or chi) in the body. Asian ginseng is considered more stimulating or heating (yang), while American ginseng is considered more calming or cooling (yin).
Pharmacology:
The triterpene saponins, commonly referred to as ginsenosides, are considered to be the main pharmacologic constituents of P. ginseng. At least 30 of these steroidal compounds have been described, based on their sugar side chains. The most abundant or important ginsenosides are Rg-1, Rg-2, Rb-1, Rb-2, Rc, Rd, and Rf. Like lipid-soluble steroid hormones,ginsenosides may insert into cell membranes and interact with membrane channels and proteins, or transverse the membrane to initiate genomic effects. In addition, polysaccharides, polyacetylenes, and other non-saponin constituents of P. ginseng have pharmacologic activity.
Hundreds of in vitro and animal studies, mostly from the Asian and Russian literature, have investigated the biochemical and pharmacologic activities of P. ginseng, and numerous properties have been described. For example, pharmacologic effects on the cardiovascular system (anti-ischemic, antiplatelet, vasodilatory), endocrine system (hypoglycemic, ACTH-stimulating), immune system (immunostimulatory, anti-inflammatory), and nervous system (CNS-stimulating and inhibiting) have been reported. Cytoprotective, cognitive, and anticarcinogenic activities are also alleged. Cytoprotective effects include resistance against ischemia, toxins, oxidation, and radiation.
Clinical Trials:
Fifty-seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were found in a systematic review of the worldwide clinical literature, but many have significant methodologic flaws. The Chinese and Russian literatures in particular are unreliable, as methodologic quality, flawed criteria, and publication bias are common oncerns.Therefore, double-blind RCTs in the American and Western European literature with statistically significant results are discussed here. Most of the best RCTs used a European proprietary product (G115, standardized to 4% ginsenosides) as either a mono-preparation or a combination product containing a mixture of vitamins and minerals (sometimes combined with deanol, or dimethylaminoethanol bitartrate) .
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