History and usage of Ginseng

The first reference to GinsengThe Chinese medicinal book named Classic Herbal of Shennong (Shennong Benacao Jing) is the ultimate reference of every herbal physician and it was written around 100 AD.

The first reference to Ginseng was made in this book. The use of Ginseng in China and in rest of the world began with the descriptions given in this book as the base.

Shennong (Divine farmer) as depicted in a painting by Guo Xu

The Classical Chinese Medicinal principles

The herbs are classified as, Hot/Warm: Used to treat diseases that are

characterized as being cold. Cool/Cold: Used to treat diseases that are

characterized as being hot. Neutral: Used to treat any disease condition.

Taste & Associated organ

According to classical Chinese medicine, the taste of an herb has a major role in determining the efficacy and target organ of action.

For e.g. The Sweet taste is associated with the functioning of Spleen (According to classical Chinese medicine ‘Spleen’ is an organ system that mainly comprises of digestive functions and hence helps in nourishing the whole body).

Shennong about Ginseng

Shennong (Divine farmer) describes Ginseng as,

“Ginseng (renshen) is sweet and little cold. It mainly supplements five viscera. It quiets the essence spirit, settles the ethereal and corporeal souls, checks fright palpitations, eliminates evil qi, brightens the eye, opens the heart, and sharpens the wits. Protracted taking may make the body light and prolong life. Its another name is renxian. Yet another name is guigai. It grows in mountains and valleys”

Complete meaning for Ginseng

Ginseng is Sweet: The freshly picked ginseng root is sweeter than that of many other herbs. Hence it is attributed to supplement the spleen, calm irritation and nourish the body.

A little cold: It means that the herb is relatively mild but still possesses the ability to alleviate heat. Later it was found that Red Ginseng (steamed ginseng) is Warm.

Supplements five viscera: Its action is not only restricted to the spleen, but it also influences the working of liver, kidney, heart and lung.

Complete meaning for Ginseng

Quiets the essence spirit, settles the ethereal and corporeal souls: Ginseng relives mental stress.

Checks fright palpitations: Aids in over-coming anxiety caused due to external and internal worries.

Eliminates evil qi: Protects from disease causing pathogens

Brightens the eye, opens the heart and sharpens the wits: Helps to prevent depression and also to lead an active life.

GinsengNomenclature

The name “Ginseng” was translated from Chinese pronunciation of “ 人生” (Renshen) that refers to the root of ginseng because it resembles a human shape.

The literal meaning of Ginseng - “Essence of man” and is proclaimed as the King of all Herbs.

Medicinal use of Ginseng in Ancient times

The first book that describes with some details the actual medical applications of herbs is the Shanghan Lun (Treatise on Treatment of Diseases Induced by Cold).

The Shanghan Lun presents 107 formulas that had been collected by the physician Zhang. Ginseng is an ingredient in 21 of the formulas, clearly proving to be an important herb.

Lizhong Wan – The Pill to Rectify the ‘center’

The formula contains equal parts of four herbs: ginseng, ginger, licorice, and atractylodes.

The herbs are prepared as a pill (wan). The intended effect of taking the formula is to feel warmth in the abdomen.

The concentration of Ginseng is about 1.5g/pill (9g). Dosage:2-3 pills/day.

Ginseng as medicine in Modern era

Identification of bio-active chemical constituents: The Ginsenosides are concentrated primarily in the

root's cortical tissues (outer layers) compared to the quantities found in the interior portions.

The ginsenoside content of the root hairs (fibrous lateral roots which are mainly cortical type material) is reported to be around 9.7%, while that in the thicker lateral roots is about 6.4%.

Red ginseng has higher ginsenosides

Steaming of fresh ginseng roots results in Red ginseng with higher profiles of ginsenosides due to the conversion of malonyl-ginsenosides into their corresponding ginsenosides by hydrolysis .

The issue of concentration of Active ingredient

The usual recommended dosage of ginseng in Asia is most often in the range of 3-9 grams/day. By contrast, herb product manufacturers in the West may recommend using far less, with amounts that are of questionable potential to provide any of the desired ginseng actions.

Based on the Chinese recommendations for dosage of the roots-and for the dosage of isolated ginsenosides that are sometimes given in clinical studies-the amount of ginsenosides to be taken in one day would typically be about 80-240 mg for long-term administration (several weeks or months). European recommendations are 10 times lesser.

Conclusion

The careful understanding of both the traditional literature and modern Asian & Western research efforts is essential to,

Guide healthcare professionals and consumers in knowing the correct indications and dosages for ginseng,

Selecting appropriate ginseng materials to use and processing treatments to employ, and

Avoiding unsubstantiated claims of beneficial or harmful effects.

References

Dharmananda, 2002. The Nature of Ginseng: Traditional Use, Modern Research, and the Question of Dosage. Journal of the American Botanical Council.

Lee et al., 2015. Characterization of Korean Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer): History, preparation method, and chemical composition. Journal of Ginseng Research. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jgr.2015.04.009)

Xiang et al., 2008. A Comparison of the Ancient Use of Ginseng in Traditional Chinese Medicine with Modern Pharmacological Experiments and Clinical Trials. Phytotherapy Research; 22, 851–858.

Hemmerly, 1977. A ginseng farm in Lawrence County, Tennessee. Economic Botany;31(2): 160–2.