More about Ginseng Health Benefits and Effects

There are numerous ginseng health benefits which we can talk about. Basically the ginseng herb is an adaptogen, aphrodisiac, analgesic, and general stimulant for better performance both physically and mentally.

Efficacy of Ginseng against various Health Conditions

On one hand, positive effects of ginseng have been reported and are well documented for several specific health conditions, including anemia, depression, diabetes, hypertension or high blood pressure, and ulcers.

Ginseng has also been used for other ailments, such as anxiety, cancer, chronic fatigue, heart attacks, impotence, infertility, Lyme disease, menopausal issues, as well as stress, for example during examinations.

On the other hand, most people use the ginseng plant as a general bodily tonic, and not for specific health conditions.

Ginseng Health Benefits on the body as a whole

Generally speaking, ginseng is not usually seen and used as a curative herb which is utilized to treat specific health conditions or ailments. Instead, it is mainly used as an overall health-promoting herb, by boosting the immune system. This is probably the main ginseng health benefit and, in this regard, its use is somewhat similar to the use of various supplements for their nutritional and immune strengthening effects.

The ginseng herb is mainly seen and used as a general tonic for strengthening the whole body. It boosts the immune system and is a potent tonic herb for the immune system.

The health benefits of ginseng also include increasing energy levels - many people find ginseng energy boosting, and improving cognitive ability. In addition, many athletes use ginseng to boost their physical performance.

The adaptogenic effects of the herb is said to increase the body's ability to resist stress. This leads to an overall strengthening of the body and its functions, improving both physical and mental vitality.

These overall benefits of ginseng make the herb useful for certain conditions and situations, such as physical weakness, lack of energy, lack of vitality, chronic fatigue, loss of stamina, loss of concentration, poor memory, as well as during recovery from illness.

A theory about the extensive Health Benefits of Ginseng

There is a theory, laid out in the ancient herbal document "Doctrine of Signatures", which states that any plant or herb which bears a resemblance to a part of the human body, would also bring healthful benefits to that part. So, for example, because they are shaped like kidneys, kidney beans would be thought to be beneficial for kidney health.

The man-like shape of the ginseng root thus gave rise to the notion that ginseng is effective against every disease and condition to befall Man.

Ginseng Health Benefits and their link to Hormones

Though the processes are still far from being fully understood, one possible reason why there are such far-reaching positive ginseng health benefits on the entire human body is the herb's impact on bodily hormones.

Ginseng is believed to positively affect the hypothalamus, the endocrine pituitary gland, as well as the endocrine adrenal glands, which play a key role in the production and regulation of various hormones in the human body.

Ginseng's effect on the adrenal glands is well studied and documented. For example, in some animal studies, those which had their adrenal glands removed were not able to benefit from the consumption of ginseng.

Ginseng helps the body cope with stress by stimulating the biochemical production of large amounts of stress hormones.

The adrenal glands of animals which were given ginseng also seemed to conserve the stress hormones which had been produced even after the period or event of stress had passed away, thereby lengthening the body's period of resistance.

Overall, the adrenals of animals which had been given ginseng or other adaptogens were able to better react to stressful scenarios and were also more adaptable to traumatic events.

Ginseng Studies on the herb's Health Benefits and Properties

From the 1960s to the 1980s, more than 35 separate studies on ginseng health benefits were published. In about half the ginseng studies, significant improvements in the physical performance of participants were noted.

Intellectual performance also got better in about a third of the studies, while improved emotional wellbeing and moods were observed in slightly more than a third of the studies.

However, it is not easy to draw any clear and direct conclusion from these studies, firstly because their methodologies were not always robust, and also due to the fact that the type and dosage of ginseng products which were used also differed.

Conclusion

However, all in all, we can be quite certain of the various health benefits of ginseng. As with any herb, though, the efficacy of ginseng and the beneficial effects of ginseng can only be truly harnessed through a high quality source of the herb. This, though, can be a challenge given the large number of poor quality ginseng products in the market today.

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