Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D.
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 Sibirischer ginseng. Wissenschaftlicher Bericht. Kooperation Phytopharmaka, Kbln Bonn Frankfurt Bad Homburg.
Obermeier A, (1980) Zur Analytik der Ginseng-mid Eteutherococcusdroge. Dissertation Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Miinchen.
Sprecher E, Pflanzliche Geriatrika. In: ZPT 9(2):40. 1988.
Wagner H, Norr H, Winterhoff H, Drogen mit
"Adaptogenwirkung" zur Starkung der Widerstandskrafte. In:
ZPT 13(2):42. 1992.
Wagner H, Pflanzliche Immunstimulanzien. In: DAZ 131(4):117. 1991.
Wichtl M, Pflanzliche Geriatrika. In: DAZ 132(30): 1576. 1992. |
Mark Bricklin
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 In the Orient, ginseng has long been regarded as the supreme herb, good for everything from sex problems to terminal diseases. We asked Dr. Zofchak what he honestly thought of ginseng.
"First of all, I think that American ginseng is definitely superior— if you can get it. Here, it grows wild in virgin soil, because it needs certain elements to grow and thrive. Korean ginseng is cultivated in the same soil year after year, and the reason why I think it isn't as good as American ginseng is that it is not getting the elements that it needs.
"Does it work? |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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 Ginseng: Studies have shown that the ingredients in ginseng help decrease the amount of wakefulness in a twelve-hour period and increase the amount of slow-wave sleep. Try 200 to 600 milligrams of the extract.
Major Ager
Wacky Hormones
When we were growing up, we may have blamed our hormones for sprouting hair in new places. When we went to college, we may have blamed our hormones for having a sexual appetite satisfied only by the buffet of bodies in the next dormitory. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Also helpful- The herbs astragalus and ginseng are natural energy boosters. Drink a cup of astragalus or ginseng tea daily.
GLAUCOMA
This condition is caused by increased pressure within the eyeball. Regular eye exams should include a check for glaucoma. If it is detected, you may need prescription eye drops and should be under an ophthalmologist's care.
Natural approach: When glaucoma is detected early, dietary supplements can help reduce eye pressure. |
| Caution: Do not take ginseng if you have high blood pressure. If you are taking medication, consult your physician before trying ginseng.
Step2: Stand straight. Poorposture—rounding the shoulders, stooping forward, etc.—can inhibit oxygen intake.
People who stand straight, roll back their shoulders, push their chests out while squeezing their shoulder blades together and keep their chin up can increase lung capacity by 5%.
Helpful: To ensure proper form, practice this while looking in a full-length mirror.
Step 3: Exercise. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
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 Even Daniel
Boone was a ginseng harvester. American ginseng has properties similar to those of Asian gingeng, but it is considered to be milder, and it is more likely to be prescribed for younger people. |
Jack Challem
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 In a study of nicotine addiction, researchers found that ginseng extracts decreased the nicotine-induced activation of dopamine. The same mechanism may apply to nondrug-related addictive behavior. ginseng is certainly worth trying for thirty days. Follow the label directions for use because potencies vary among manufacturers.
N-acetylcysteine. NAC may help to restore normal brain levels of gluta-mate, a calming neurotransmitter that is also needed for GABA production. A study found that high doses of NAC (600 mg four times daily) diminished interest in and desire for cocaine. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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| But little things count too. ginseng, cinnamon, and tea have been shown to help increase insulin receptivity, which can help lower the risk of aging from diabetes. Some studies have shown that one of the substances in ginseng berries (not the root) and a half teaspoon of cinnamon a day can increase insulin receptivity by over 50 percent. The supplement chromium (at 200 meg a day) has been shown to increase sensitivity to insulin as well. If you get diabetes, all is not lost. A small amount of weight loss can make the difference between elevated blood sugar and normal blood sugar. |
Ben-Erik van Wyk
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 Origin & history The plant occurs naturally in the mountain forests of Korea and northeastern China. ginseng has been used as a dietary supplement since ancient times. It is grown commercially in China, Japan, Korea and Russia. American ginseng is found in eastern North America (USA and Canada) where it is also cultivated on a large scale for export to China and for local use in the health food industry. Parts used The fleshy roots. Cultivation & harvesting ginseng is propagated from seeds. The plants are cultivated in partial shade and reach maturity in three to four years. |
Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D.
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| Habitat: Siberian ginseng grows in Siberia, northern China, Korea and Japan.
Production: Siberian ginseng consists of the dried roots and/ or rhizome of Eleutherococcus senticosus as well as their preparations in effective dosage. |
Jack Challem
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| What else you should know: Several different species of herbs are called ginseng, and all of them function as "adaptogens," or substances that help people adapt to stressful situations. Adaptogens are useful, but it's important to find other long-term ways of reducing stress in your life.
When we're chronically stressed, our memory often becomes worse. High levels of the stress hormone Cortisol interfere with memory and the production of new brain cells. ginseng supplements can buffer some of that stress, at least temporarily. |
Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D.
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| Production: ginseng root consists of the dried main and lateral root and root hairs of Panax ginseng. |
Bill Sardi
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 Not all ginseng products deliver the ginsenoside active ingredients required to quell cancer. A study conducted in the United States of 25 commercial brands of ginseng found the ginsenoside content varied by as much as 15 to 36 times in capsules and liquids. [American Journal Clinical Nutrition 73: 1101-06, 2001] The possibility for cancer prevention may be nullified in this case by inferior products. Second, the dosage used in various studies, animal and human, is wide ranging, it is difficult to determine what an adequate daily dose is. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 The Complete German Commission E Monographs—an authoritative guide to herbal medicine, translated by the American Botanical Council—approves ginseng to help fight lack of stamina. The monograph notes research supporting ginseng's ability to improve the quality of life in persons subjected to high stress as well as its use in the treatment of functional fatigue. It's been investigated for dozens of other applications as well, including its ability to improve blood sugar, cerebral blood flow, and cognitive function. |
| In any event, ginseng's ability to lower blood sugar, by anywhere from 10 percent to 22 percent, is good news indeed for people with or without diabetes.
The extremely reliable and accurate database The Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine (www.naturalstandard.com) considers ginseng likely unsafe when used in patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding. I also wouldn't use it for people with blood disorders or depressed liver function, unless recommended specifically by a health-care provider.
Horny Goat Weed for Impotence
EVER HEAR OF Epimedium sagittatum? Me, either. |
| Compared to the placebo group, all of the ginseng takers experienced an 18 to 22 percent lower level of blood sugar after drinking a sugar solution. In the second study, researchers compared three different doses of American ginseng with diabetic subjects and found that any one of the doses—3 g, 6 g, or 9 g—worked equally well to lower blood sugar after drinking a sugar solution. The third study also tested three different doses—this time 1 g, 2 g, and 3 g—and found that there wasn't much difference. Even 1 g did the trick. |
| In three different studies, a dose of ginseng given before drinking a sugar solution lowered participants' blood sugar significantly more than a placebo. These studies, performed jointly by researchers at the University of Toronto, St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and the University of Ottawa, demonstrated that doses as small as
Natural Prescription for Boosting Immunity
Panax or American ginseng: 100 rng-1g ? |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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 In animal studies, ginseng increased testosterone levels in males.199 Given the potential influence of testosterone on sexual function in women, this may partly account for its effect in women as well. Therapeutic effects of ginseng on the reproductive system of female animals also include accelerating ovarian function, enhancing ovulation, and stimulating egg production.200
(Enhancing pelvic and specifically genital circulation is also a consideration for which one might consider ginkgo. |
Jack Challem
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| Dosage: Take 100 to 200 mg of a standardized ginseng extract daily. Rhodiola
Principal use: For chronic stress.
What else you should know: Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) is considered an adaptogen and has been reported to be helpful in preparing for and weathering physical, mental, and emotional stresses. It appears to work by reducing the breakdown of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
Like the adaptogenic herb ginseng, rhodiola is probably best used for relatively short periods, such as weeks or months rather than years, as an interim means of bolstering resistance to stress. |
J. Douglas Bremner
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 So if you want to drink some ginseng tea to make yourself feel better, go ahead and enjoy it. There are no adverse effects of ginseng tea to worry about.
GREEN TEA
Widely consumed in Asian countries, green tea is believed to have antioxidant and anticancer effects. Steeping fresh leaves in very hot (not quite boiling) water makes green tea, which inactivates oxidizing enzymes and leaves intact polyphenols, which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties in animal models. |
Benjamin H. Natelson, M.D.
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 Half the patients received ginseng and the other half placebo. Both groups showed an improvement in their fatigue over the two months of the trial, but the improvement was the same for the two groups. A subgroup analysis suggested that the ginseng treatment did help those patients with less severe fatigue, but there is a problem with subgroup analyses: they tend to be done only when the primary outcome turns out to be negative. When that happens, investigators start sifting through their data in the hopes of finding something useful. |
Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D.
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| Other Names: Papoose Root, Squawroot, Blueberry Root, Beechdrops, Blue ginseng, Yellow Ginseng
ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY
COMPOUNDS
Quinolizidine alkaloids: main alkaloids (-)-anagyrines, (-)-N-methyl-cytisines
Magnoflorine (isoquinoline alkaloid)
Triterpene saponins
Caulosapogenin
EFFECTS
An unspecified glycoside, which has been localized from the drag, and then injected into the ears of rabbits, causes a strong local irritation. Applying a solution into the rabbit's eyes leads to inflammation. Glycoside is supposed to have an oxytoxic effect. |
Steven V. Joyal
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 Korean red ginseng {Panax ginseng) improves glucose and insulin regulation in well-controlled, type 2 diabetes: Results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of efficacy and safety. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2006 Jul 21.
Weber C et al. Effect of dietary coenzyme Q10 as an antioxidant in human plasma. Mo IAspects Med 1994; 15 Suppls:97-102.
Wright E Jr. et al. Oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes: The role of fasting and postprandial glycaemia. Int J Clin Pract 2006 Mar; 60(3):308-l4.
Wu S, Ren J. |
| The recommended dose is 200 mg daily of ginseng extract standardized to 4 percent ginsenosides. In sensitive individuals, the most common side effects are excitability and nervousness, which usually decrease after the first few days. Children and pregnant or nursing women should not take ginseng without their doctor's knowledge, because it has estrogen-like effects.
Vitamin D and Calcium
The scientific data on vitamin D's myriad of beneficial health effects are just starting to accumulate. |
| When the researchers administered ginseng to an experimental test group with diabetes, the group's blood glucose levels, sensitivity to insulin, cholesterol levels, and weight improved, and appetite decreased. The study's investigators concluded that the chemical makeup of the berries differs from that of the root, yet the berries were very effective in treating diabetes.
The recommended dose is 200 mg daily of ginseng extract standardized to 4 percent ginsenosides. |
Gary Null and Amy McDonald
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 A number of good stimulants use ginseng and fo-ti. Fo-ti nourishes the brain and the brain cells and the moisture in the body, and ginseng balances and speeds our metabolism. So we need both, the hot and the cold, the yin and vang.
"People sometimes feel chilled and weak and have sexual weakness, which can lead to depression. They also have frequent urination. They feel weak from the waist down. This kind of depression happens after jet lag, after childbirth, with chronic asthma or chronic diarrhea. There are a couple of wonderful things you can take for that. |
| This study found that 50 mg/kg x 7d of ginseng root saponins enhanced the memory and learning of male rats. The same dosage of ginseng stem-leaf saponins had even stronger effects on antielectroconvulsive shock-induced memory impairment.
Bipolar Disorder_
Pronounced Cognitive Deficits Following an Intravenous L-Tryptophan Challenge in First-Degree Relatives of Bipolar Patients Compared to Healthy Controls. Sobczak S; Honig; et al. Neuropharmacology, 2003 April, 28(4):711-719. |
Peter J. Whitehouse and Daniel George
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 The theory was that ginseng acted as a cholinergic agent, increasing levels of acetylcholine in the brain. These findings were not consistently replicated, and since we lack data on the long-term safety of ginseng ingestion, it is difficult to recommend the herb clinically.
Fish oil and alpha lipoic acid. These compounds have been claimed to lower inflammation, cholesterol levels, and oxidative stress in animal models. Epidemiological data suggests that the consumption of foods high in omega-3 fatty acids may provide protection against Alzheimer's and other age-related conditions. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 We're also seeing research on ginseng and how ginseng extracts prevent colds and flus during the flu season. The list goes on and on.
Research is finally starting to show that diseases are not only prevented, but in many cases reversed, by consuming foods as medicine. And that's good news, because that's the kind of research that empowers people. It gives people options to taking prescription drugs and undergoing radical therapies such as chemotherapy.
So the big news in all of this is that it's all coming out, but it's just taking time. |
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