Ginseng
is a hot item these days. One version of it or
another can be found in health food stores, supermarkets,
pharmacies, convenience stores, and even at some
liquor stores. The list of ailments the herb is
purported to cure is endless.
The plant’s
botanical name, Panax, is Greek, meaning heal
all and is the root of the word panacea. Curiously,
there is really no specific disorder that ginseng
cures and there are no specific actions the herb
has on our bodies.
Oriental ginseng
is the most potent species of this mysterious
medicinal plant, with the most valued plants coming
from Korea today. Once a native plant growing
wild in Manchuria, most of the world’s supply
of wild ginseng has been eradicated and can now
be found only cultivated.
Western medicine
has a term, adaptogen, indicating a substance
that has the ability to adapt to a particular
circumstance, although that circumstance may vary
from time to time and person to person. All ginseng,
including Oriental ginseng, is an adaptogen.
Oriental ginseng
is best used on an intermittent basis to maintain
a healthy balance in the body. It can work as
a stimulant or relaxant, as need be, and helps
the immune system ward off ill effects of stress,
trauma, illness, and surgery. As an adaptogen,
it works only on body systems that are out of
balance and helps restore these poorly functioning
systems to a healthy, normal balance.
Because the benefits
of using Oriental ginseng are more holistic than
specific, using ginseng as a generalized tonic
from time to time and on a long-term basis is
believed to lead to a longer life span where a
greater sense of well being and mental acuity
is enjoyed.
Reference:
Kruger, Anna; An Illustrated Guide to Herbs: Their
Medicine and Magic; A Dragon’s World Book;
Limpsfield and London; 1993
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