From personal experience, I’ve found the effects of most herbal teas and suppliments obvious, if sometimes a little subtle. You’ve got herbs that soothe (chamomile, passion flower, kava kava, valerian), stimulate (tea, coffee, guarana, mate), make the tummy feel better (peppermint, ginger), cure headaches (white willow), and so on. But I’ve never felt any discernable effect of ginseng, whether American, Mongolian, Siberian, or Korean, and whether as a pill, extract, or tea.
So what does ginseng actually do? Or, does it do anything at all? Sure, one reads about all it’s fantastic benefits but the experimental evidence finds it lacking. Are it’s effects cumulative and are only long-term benefits (and who likes those? I need instant gratification) enjoyed?
It does seem to be a mild stimulant. Unfortunately, it is a stimulant that makes me very irritable. no other effects that I have noticed.
Ginseng doesn’t do anything useful. Some people think that it does because ginseng roots sometimes resemble body parts. For instance, if you had a sore arm you would find a piece of ginseng that looks like an arm, and eat it or make tea out of it. The more a piece of ginseng resembles a body part, the more valuable it is.
There you have it. Ginseng is considered to be a tonic, and the best results are obtained after long term use.
The most dependable benefits of ginseng, short-term and long-term, are enjoyed by ginseng vendors.
So, with no dissenting opinion, then, it seems that ginseng is, indeed, probably more of a placebo than panacea.
Ginsenosides, the active ingredients in ginseng root, may enhance immunity, but many “ginseng” products contain little or none of the active ingredients.
Many studies that have attempted to verify claims that it can enhance sports performance have been flawed, lacking controls, placebo groups, randomization, and double-blind protocols. Independent researchers have conducted a few well-designed studies which were unable to support an ergogenic effect. Some commercial preparations have been found to include the stimulant ephedrine, and this may be associated with elevated blood pressure, sleep disturbance, agitation, anxiety, depression, and nervousness. (3) (13) (14)
A recent trial concluded that people with diabetes mellitus can derive modest benefits by downing ginseng any time up to two hours before eating (Science News, May 13, 2000) However, studies with purified extracts of ginseng have not found a benefit for diabetics (U.of Cal., Berkeley, Wellness Letter, July 2000)
There is some evidence that Ginseng may generate more nitric oxide from arginine, which could lead to increased blood flow and arousal (Nutrition Action, July/August 2000).
What’s actually in any product labeled ginseng depends on at least two things: what part of the plant it came from and what type of ginseng was used. The leaves, roots, and stems all contain different chemicals. There are two different species in the genus Panax, which is the ginseng genus. In addition, Siberian ginseng, which belongs to a different genus, has other chemicals.
The only worthwhile effects I’ve experienced from ingesting ginseng tea is that some varieties taste kind of good. Other than that, I’ve never experienced any noticeable benefits.
Just what are the purported benefits of ginseng?
~~Baloo
I’ve just recently finished building a Chinese medicine database, so here’s my two cents:
As Barbitu8 says, the ginsennosides are what are purported to have activity. Problem is, there’s so much misinformation, spread knowingly or not, and so little true unbiased research available that it’s hard to say. On the one hand, it’s hard to believe that the Chinese have been using something worthless for 5000 years; on the other, it’s difficult to prove that it’s useful to western satisfaction.
It’s partly a difference in the way medicine is practiced in the east vs the west. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) seeks to restore balance, essentially, rather than focusing on curing a particular disease. In the west we go after pathogens and don’t concern ourselves with “balance.”
The German Commission E Monographs (first edition 1998, published by the American Botanical Council) is a volume of scientifically-researched monographs on herbals. It has sections on both approved, or proven to the satisfaction of scientists, and unapproved herbals. Ginseng is listed on pp138-39 in the “approved herbs” section, listing effects as “…tonic for invigoration in times of fatigue…” Sooooo…it appears that there is some scientific basis for its use, but keep in mind their data is all what we call “rat data,” ie not studied in humans.
All I know is that my entire Kung Fu school dreads hearing our instructor mention that he’s taken ginseng before a workout, because he tends to be hyperactive in these cases. Usually this involves simply a very hard workout, but oftentimes he becomes fairly frenzied, jumping very quickly from one thing to another.
Like the night he all of a sudden decided to teach us how to use the chain whip (a very accident-prone item) and then moved fairly quickly on to staves and then the three-part staff. It was less of a learning experience and more of a “grit your teeth and make it through this class alive” experience.
I tend to be highly suspicious of herbal remedies of any kind, but this one at least seems to have some stimulation effect, though not a very useful one.