What is Ginseng?
Ginseng is a plant that contains fleshy roots. The plant grows very slow compared to many of the other natural products used in these remedies.
These products take advantage of the health benefits that the plant has to offer. There are certain chemicals in the plant that has positive effects on the human body.
Ginseng has a long stalk with a fork like root. The roots of the ginseng plant possess a light color, while the leaves that grow on the stalk of the plant are green. The leaves feature an oval shape.
There are different types of ginseng plants in existence. The effects that these plants have on the body tend to be quite similar to each other.
The two primary ginseng plant varieties include Asian Ginseng and American Ginseng.
Both of these can be found in herbal supplements and are sometimes added to teas and other products. Additionally, a topic cream with ginseng is also available.
Asian ginseng is also known as Panax Ginseng. The alternative named used to refer to American ginseng is Panax quinquefolius, L.
Other varieties include Korean red ginseng capsules. This particular species of these plants are often referred to as white ginseng as well. Another alternative would be red ginseng.
The combination of chemicals that are found in ginseng is very similar among many of the plant species that have been identified. This is why the benefits and effects of ginseng can be obtained with different supplements and products. This is possible as long as one of the main ginseng plant species are used.
What are the health benefits of Ginseng?
The medicinal properties of ginseng have made this a widely used herbal remedy in the modern world.
The product comes from traditional Chinese medicine and has been used for many years.
Even today, ginseng continues to be an in-demand herbal remedy. It is used for several ailments and problems that the general population experience.
To understand the health benefits of ginseng and what the primary uses of the plant should be, it is essential to take a closer look at how this root plant extract works.
We will consider what exactly ginseng extract does in the human body. We also consider the mechanism of action by which the main chemicals in the plant works. This will give you a better idea of how the product might interact with your body and what ginseng products could do for you.
1) Improved libido in women
Studies show ginseng can provide health benefits sexually. Women experiencing low energy, fatigue, and poor libido might be able to benefit from ginseng extract. A study1 conducted in the Republic of Korea looked at how the use of Korean red ginseng capsules affected premenopausal women.
The focus was on women with a decreased sex drive. Many of these women also complained about poor sexual performance.
41 premenopausal women were enrolled in the study and divided into two groups. The first group received a daily supplement that contains a one-gram extract of Korean red ginseng capsules. The second group was a control group, provided with a daily placebo supplement.
There was a slight improvement in sexual function among women who took the Korean red ginseng capsules. These results were compared to the placebo group. The primary improvement among the women who took the ginseng product was in their sex drive. This is a critical element to the performance of a woman in the bedroom. This, therefore, shows ginseng can provide benefits sexually.
2) Alleviate menopausal symptoms
Another study2 was conducted by researchers at the Chonnam National University Medical School in Korea. Scientists looked at how the use of Korean red ginseng capsules could potentially help women who are already in the menopause transition.
The focus was on experiencing improvements in their sex lives. The study had a total of 32 menopausal women who participated. Women were divided into two different groups.
There was a significant improvement in the sexual arousal ratings among women who took the ginseng supplement — particularly when compared to the group of female participants in the placebo group. The ginseng group reported no severe side effects.
3) Erectile Dysfunction
Ginseng can also have benefits sexually for men, too. There are quite a large number of studies that have focused on determining the specific effects that ginseng species may have on men with conditions like a reduced sex drive and those suffering from erectile dysfunction.
This could be as compounds in it may protect against oxidative stress in blood vessels and tissues in the penis and help restore normal function.
To provide more details on how ginseng would be useful for men with issues in the bedroom, we will turn our focus to a study3 that was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
The study looked at several previous clinical trials that were conducted on male patients. These patients complained about poor erectile function. The focus of the research was also to gain more details on how the use of ginseng would affect a male patient’s mind. In particular, if it would increase male sex drive.
The researchers behind the study found that red ginseng seems to be an effective option for men with erectile problems. The erectile function in men with previous signs of erectile dysfunction was improved.
Furthermore, the use of red ginseng also seems to offer men the ability to experience an improvement in their libido. The enhanced libido could further contribute to improved performance during sex. This would also mean more rigid erections. Erections could also last longer.
4) Inflammation
Ginseng has been found to provide a reduction in inflammation within the human body. This may also assist in providing a potential alleviation of pain when inflammation is the cause behind such symptoms.
Some test-tube studies have shown that ginseng extracts and ginsenoside compounds could inhibit inflammation and increase antioxidant capacity in cells
For example, one test-tube study found that Korean red ginseng capsules extract reduced inflammation and improved antioxidant activity is skin cells from people with eczema
The results are promising in humans, as well.
One study investigated the effects of having 18 young male athletes take 2 grams of Korean red ginseng capsules extract three times per day for seven days.
The men then had levels of certain inflammatory markers tested after performing an exercise test. These levels were significantly lower than in the placebo group, lasting for up to 72 hours after testing.
5) Cognitive function
The use of ginseng might also have a positive effect on the brain. Some people have noticed an improvement in cognitive function. This could be helpful for people with Alzheimer’s disease, as well.
One study followed 30 healthy people who consumed 200 mg of Panax ginseng daily for four weeks. At the end of the study, they showed improvement in mental health, social functioning and mood.
However, these benefits stopped being significant after 8 weeks, suggesting that ginseng effects might decrease with extended use
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