The root of the American ginseng is said to
resemble the human body. The word Panax means all illness and as
such this root has been used like a cure all to the ancients. Over
the years several studies on ginseng with promising and positive
results in treating degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's,
cancer, male impotence, enhance libido, heart disease, respiratory
problems, and lack of physical and mental energy.
Quotes from The Natural Physician's
Healing Therapies by Mark Stengler, NMD
In contrast to Siberian ginseng, which
has a neutral temperature, and Chinese ginseng, which is
warning and more stimulating, the species known as American
ginseng is a cooling herb.
Panax quinquefolius - the genus and
species name of American ginseng-translates as "five-leafed Panax." Indigenous to North America, it grows wild in
forests of northern and central United States, as well as
parts of Canada. It is also commercially grown in the United
States, China, and France. Historically, Native Americans
such as the Iroquois and Cherokee used American ginseng for
a wide variety of medicinal purposs. They used it to treat
fevers, improve digestion, heal wounds, and ease menstrual
problems. It was also used to relieve shortness of breath.
Chinese doctors value the herb because
it's more cooling than Chinese ginseng and can be applied to
more health conditions. During hot summer weather, Chinese
physicians prescribe it regularly as a cooling tonic.
For more complete understanding of this
great herb we have added this article about American Ginseng
by David Bunting:
American Ginseng
For nearly 300 years, the small perennial known as American
Ginseng has been a healer, magic talisman, and major U.S.
botanical export. Hunted to the point of exhausting wild
stands, it has become more mystical as it has grown more
elusive. Still, fetching hundreds of dollars per pound in
the Orient and offering the promise of a long life and
sexual vitality, this plant continues to stir desire in
those who know it.
The common name "Ginseng" is most accurately applied only to
plants in the genus Panax. The most well known Ginsengs are
Chinese or Asian Ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American
Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). Because the name Ginseng
carries such authority and reverence in herbal medicine,
many other plants have been given common names that contain
"Ginseng," often in association with the name of the country
of their origin. Today, it is against U.S. law to market any
plant outside of the genus Panax as Ginseng. Ginseng,
meaning "man-root" due to its similarity to the human form,
as it often possesses branched ‘arms," "legs" and in some
cases a center root reminiscent of a male appendage. The
root and the plant are attributed with mystical powers due
to the root’s appearance. The plant has been attributed with
volition and the ability to hide from unworthy or
mean-spirited Ginseng hunters. Interestingly, the Iroquois
name for the plant, Garentoguen, also refers to the humanoid
shape of the root.
A species native to eastern North America from Quebec to
Manitoba and south to northern Florida, Alabama and
Oklahoma, American Ginseng has long been an export
commodity, sold primarily to China. Due to its immense
popularity, it has been severely over-picked, leading to a
drastic decline in wild populations. Because of this
exploitation, it is listed by United Plant Savers as "At
Risk" and exportation of the raw root is regulated by the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
(CITES). Cultivation in the western hemisphere began in
earnest at the turn of the twentieth century and has grown
into an important agricultural business. It is commercially
cultivated in Canada and the U.S., with heavy cultivation in
Wisconsin. Herb Pharm’s American Ginseng liquid extract is
prepared from fresh Panax quinquefolius root that has been
certified organically grown in the Pacific Northwest.
As part of the native materia medica (articles of medicine),
various North American Indian tribes used American Ginseng
for both physical medicine and magic. It is reported that
the Chippewa people used the root internally to treat
stomach ailments and prolong the life of a dying person.
Both uses are found for Ginseng in Chinese medicine. Creek
Indians used it to treat fevers and in shortness of breath,
conditions for which Chinese medicine employs American
Ginseng. They also reportedly carried the root to ward off
evil spirits; a common cause of disease in many parts of the
world and the Pawnee used it as part of a love charm.
American Ginseng became a popular and important herb in
Chinese medicine starting in the 1700s. Most historical
accounts attribute the first movement of American Ginseng
eastward to a Jesuit missionary. Father Lafitau, a priest
who had served in China and knew Chinese Ginseng from his
time spent there, traveled to Canada to live with and
convert the Iroquois. There he found a plant resembling
Chinese Ginseng and sent samples back to China for
evaluation. The samples were well received and a booming
trade in American Ginseng soon began.
With China willing to buy all of the roots that could be
supplied out of North America, the practice of Ginseng
hunting grew wildly. Trappers and hunters, men, women and
children all joined in the trade, supplying untold thousands
of pounds annually to the Chinese. It is said that barges on
the Ohio River were loaded with so much Ginseng root in
addition to their normal furs and Goldenseal that they could
barely float. Numerous Indian tribes also became involved in
providing Ginseng for export, with Sioux-gathered Ginseng
earning particular esteem for its quality.
Early botanists considered American Ginseng to be identical
to Chinese or Asian Ginseng. Even the renowned botanist
William Woodville, in his classic 1792 work Medical Botany,
claims that the North American species has been found to
"correspond exactly" to the Chinese species. Although hoping
for a new source of their traditional Ginseng, Chinese
herbalists quickly recognized that while this American root
did have qualities in common with its Asian counterpart, it
also had unique properties that made it a distinct
therapeutic agent.
Rather than the warming, drier energy of Chinese Ginseng,
American Ginseng is a cooler, moisturizing tonic. While
Chinese Ginseng is not used until the recuperative phase of
infections and fevers, American Ginseng can be used in
secondary fevers to allay thirst, moisten, and revitalize
the body. In Chinese medicine, American Ginseng is used to
benefit the vital essence or Qi (pronounced "chee"),
generate fluids and nourish Yin or the fluid, feminine and
building aspects of our constitution. It is also used in
chronic fevers and post-febrile recovery with symptoms such
as weakness, thirst and irritability.
American Ginseng was not widely valued in mainstream
American botanic medicine during the 1800s and early 1900s,
although it was official as a secondary medicine in the U.S.
from 1842 through 1882. The eminent Eclectic physician
Finley Ellingwood recommended it as a nerve tonic, improving
tone of the nerve centers and increasing cerebral capillary
circulation. He prescribed it in failure of digestion
associated with nervous prostration and general nerve
irritation. The cornerstone Eclectic text, King’s American
Dispensatory, calls American Ginseng an important remedy in
nervous indigestion and mental exhaustion from overwork.
American Ginseng is used as a cooling, thirst-quenching
tonic in hot summer months and as a cure for hangovers. Not
as stimulating as Chinese Ginseng, American Ginseng does
serve as an effective energizer and sexual tonic.
American Ginseng is classified as an adaptogenic herb.
Adaptogens help the body to cope with non-specific, chronic
stress, the type we commonly associate with modern life.
Among these modern stressors are environmental pollution in
the form of reduced air, water and food quality, chemical
exposure and noise pollution, work and even the mental
burden caused by the overabundance of information provided
by the media. Chronic stress has a number of negative health
effects including exhaustion, depression and impaired
immunity. The effects of chronic stress are rather
insidious, gradually weakening us at a foundational level,
increasing our susceptibility and decreasing our vitality.
As the generic name Panax suggests, many have considered
Ginseng to be a panacea or cure-all. While there is no true
panacea, Ginseng is an important adaptogen and wonderful
tonic that can have a positive impact on a wide range of
health problems, serve in maintaining health and increasing
vitality. It is a perfect tonic herb for the summer months
and can be taken with other adaptogens and tonics or added
to cooling drinks to help alleviate thirst and other effects
of these hot days.
Use:
Enhances Physical & Mental Energy & Stamina.
Extracted from Fresh Certified Organic Roots.
Contains:
Distilled water, Certified organic grain alcohol &
Ginseng extractives.
Suggested Use:
SHAKE WELL BEFORE USING. Two or three times per
day take 30 to 40 drops in a little water.
Caution:
Keep Out of the Reach of Children