American Ginseng
Native to North America, American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) has been used in traditional medicine and is still being actively researched due to its adaptogenic, immune-modulatory and hypoglycemic properties. As always unlike Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) among Asian populations American ginseng has many beneficial compounds and characteristics giving it a wide therapeutic range especially in stress, immune and metabolic disorders management. This article analyzes the health benefits of american-ginseng and its possible applications, ranging from temperature to over-the-counter drugs, along with its supporting literature focusing on research of ginseng on the human organism.
Outline Of Botanical Classification
Botanical Name: Panax quinquefolius
Family: Araliaceae
Common Names: Sang, seng, xi yang shen (Chinese)
Taste/Energy: Sweet, bitter, slightly warm, moist
Parts Used: Root and (less frequently) leaf
Cultivation and Habitat:
American ginseng is mainly harvested in eastern US and Canada’s deciduous forest and ranges in semi-rich humus cloistered by thick forests. Its cultivation has a significant impact on its availability and conservation status as it takes about a minimum of 7 years before the matured roots are harvested.
Active Constituents and Pharmacology
The main active compounds in American ginseng are triterpene saponins. Ginsenosides and panaxosides are also known as the glycoside forms [type of ginsenosides]. These compounds are associated with a wide range of therapeutic properties. Some of the mechanisms comprising the pharmacological basis of ginsenosides (Gs) include the Sep pathway, which provides a rate-limiting step that controls Gs entry into the cell membrane, and the PLC pathway that directly impacts the Gs active form. The report only reported the inhibition of the activity of Gs by G-tail conjugated to an antibody. The data also suggest the recruitment of Gs to membrane caveolae after HT29mtCAF. Moreover, these saponins possess low toxicity since they are produced in microorganisms instead of plant tissue by genetic engineering.
1. Ginsenosides: The mentioned saponins are thought to promote the ability of the immune system to become resistant to pathogens, have the function to reduce oxidants and be stress adaptogens through the regulation of the body’s stress response for this (Mahady et al., 2000).
2. Sesquiterpenes: Sesquiterpenes are the family of organic chemicals responsible for the relieving of the bitter taste of the Amerging ginseng. These are subordinate metabolites that help digestion and encourage the secretion of gastric until the site in the stomach where the most uptake of the food octane occurs. Insect fungi programs the behavioral changes (Qi et al., 2011).
Therapeutic Properties:
American ginseng, on the other hand, is considered as an adaptogen, mild central nervous stimulant, immune amphoteric, and hypoglycemic agent. These characteristics are responsible for the therapeutic effects of American ginseng on the HPA axis, stress response, metabolic function, and immune modulation.
Health Benefits of American Ginseng
1. Stress Adaptation and Hormonal Balance
Ginseng as an adaptogen is helpful to the body in handling both physical and mental stress by changing the hypothalamic control over the pituitary and adrenal regions. Adapting to adaptogens alone cannot provide the sought for
Location/Habitat:
American ginseng is indigenous to parts of eastern United States and Canada, from the Catskill Mountains of New York and the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts north into Ontario and west to Iowa, and south to Arkansas and Kentucky and east through the highlands of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. American ginseng prefers rich soil, with much humus, and shade. It is especially well suited to the deciduous woodlands, especially with tulip poplars. It will take at least seven years to mature its roots after germination. Since American ginseng is now listed as endangered, wild plants should not be disturbed, and you should avoid buying products labeled as “wild American ginseng.” The organically grown best American ginseng available is wood-grown in the woods where the plant originally evolved. It is sold labeled as “organic woods-grown American ginseng.”.
History
American ginseng has been used by native peoples for thousands of years. Both Panax quinquefolius and P. trifolus, or dwarf ginseng, are used in Cherokee medicine for shortness of breath, coughing, digestive upset, headaches, convulsions, fatigue, female reproductive problems, and general weakness (Banks 2004). The Seminole calls the herb “white medicine”; they use it as love medicine, for cough, as a general tonic and topically for arthritis, boils, sore eyes, earaches, and gun shot wounds. The Iroquois uses the root to stop vomiting, if one has no appetite and as a mild stimulant for fevers and asthma, and like the Seminole, topically for sores, earaches, and painful eyes. The ethnobotanical literature indicates that numerous other native people, such as the Muscogee (Creek), Seminole, Delaware, Mohegan, Meskwaki, and Menominee, used ginseng root or leaf as a spiritual and ceremonial medicine to improve hunting, for protection, to gain affection, and to enhance the power of other herbs in difficult-to-treat cases.
In 1716, Jesuit priest Father Joseph-François Lafitau discovered American ginseng growing in the woods just outside of Montreal. He recognized the plant from accounts by Jesuits living in China of its cousin, Panax ginseng. This “panacea” triggered a commercial relationship that today exports American ginseng to China. American ginseng is widely used in Chinese medicine, referred to as xi yang shen or western seas ginseng. It is mainly prescribed for yin deficiency of the lungs and kidneys. This herb is believed to be an effective treatment for dry coughs accompanied by hemoptysis, fatigue, asthma with wheezing, dry mouth, diabetes, and gastritis.
Daniel Boone, in Kentucky, made his fortune trading ginseng, although he is remembered as a fur trader. It is recorded in a book called Woodland Nuggets of Gold that George Washington wrote to Boone, “The war effort needs money, bring ginseng.” American ginseng helped support the revolutionary war effort, and the most valuable cargo to leave New York by ship in that time period was in the Empress of China, which was carrying American ginseng to the Orient.
Ginseng had very limited usage in the Americas. The mainstream and Eclectic physicians viewed it as a weak bitter tonic or digestive aid only. It was in Appalachia and the Ozarks that American ginseng became so popular as a folk medicine. Perhaps this was because Tommie Bass termed it the “king of herbs”; he used it to cure as an alterative, as a tonic, and as a male libido enhancer.
It is these last two properties for which this plant has been most known: that of male libido and sexual performance, and that one can improve energy and shake off fatigue. To this day, people throughout North Carolina and Tennessee have an ingrained tradition whereby a person will put a lot of fresh ginseng roots into a jug of corn liquor where it gets left to mature. Following a six month, sometimes year, stint it gets strained off into drinking consistency as the “cordial.”. It is thought to be a shot of mountain medicine that will do what is needed, occasionally.
Modern Use
Modern research supports the fact that the American species of ginseng is an endocrine amphoteric and adaptogen useful for mild to moderate depletion of the HPA axis and adrenal glands. People with adrenal depletion because of chronic stress and sleep deprivation often experience dark circles under their eyes, experience chronic fatigue, and often have elevated levels of cortisol. American ginseng is the most helpful for people between forty to sixty years as they are just really starting to notice a drop in endurance, energy, and strength. Since American ginseng positively impacts the HPA axis and the SAS, it can contribute to reduced cortisol levels and improved sleep. Such will also contribute to enhanced immunity, which will increase resistance against both bacterial and viral pathogens.
Amphoterics tend to modulate deficient or excessive functional states, and as a member of the immune group of amphoterics American ginseng can play a role for allergies/asthma/allergic-type conditions and immunodeficiency and autoimmune conditions with signs of dryness (e.g., Sjögren’s syndrome). And it reregulates the over-stressed nervous system, assists insomnia that also occurs with chronic fatigue, and reduces symptoms of jet lag.
The pancreas is also governed by the HPA axis; moreover, American ginseng root has been demonstrated to assist in managing metabolic syndrome (hyperinsulinemia) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). In addressing MetS, I often combine it with goji berry, cinnamon, hibiscus, jiaogulan, or bitter melon. For those with borderline T2D, it can be paired with gymnema, fenugreek, bitter melon, or holy basil. The purported “male sexual tonic” effects of American ginseng may, however, prove to be authentic. For years, many herbalists believed that any sexual enhancement was either attributable to a placebo effect or to the increased vitality associated with an adaptogenic herb. Recent research has uncovered that the related Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) improved erectile function and sexual performance. It is not unreasonable to deduce that the American variant, particularly given its historical usage as a sexual tonic, could exhibit similar benefits as well.
The eclectic physicians utilized this root as a straightforward digestive bitter. However, it possesses a multitude of additional uses; it is, in fact, a beneficial medicine designed to enhance digestion and promote the absorption of nutrients. Chewing on a small piece of the root can stimulate the production of stomach acid (and other digestive juices), making it advantageous for conditions such as achlorhydria (the absence of stomach acid), borborygmus (characterized by intestinal rumbling) and impaired absorption. Although it is primarily recognized for its digestive properties, this root’s versatility should not be overlooked.
Additional Information
About a million years ago, when I was a young man, my uncle king was in the habit of putting a pinch of the dried leaf of American ginseng in almost every herbal formula he dispensed to those he was doctoring. I asked him one day why he did that. My scepticism however was met with his response that everything works better with ginseng (the leaf or the root which is used more often).
Studies found, that is exactly what adaptogens do. Simply put, they reregulate the endocrine, immune, and nervous systems and “make everything work better.” Phytochemical investigations demonstrated that ginsenosides (the active constituents of the plants) are actually more abundant in the leaves of plants in the Panax genus than in the roots. The seed of truth in many ancient traditions, when examined through the lens of science, is quite significant.
Dosage and Safety
Tincture (1:5): 3–5 mL (60–100 drops), three times per day.
Decoction: Take 1–2 tsp. dried cut/sifted root to 12 oz. water. Gently simmer for ½ hour, then steep an additional ½ hour. Take 4 oz. three times per day.
Capsule: Two 500 mg capsules, twice per day.
Safety Issues: None likely.
Herb/Drug Interactions: In a recent human trial, high doses of American ginseng altered the effects of the medication warfarin (Coumadin®), while smaller doses did not. Avoid using large amounts of this herb if taking this medication and use caution if taking moderate doses.
References
1. Attele, A. S., Wu, J. A., & Yuan, C. S. (1999). Ginseng pharmacology: Multiple constituents and multiple actions. Biochemical Pharmacology, 58(11), 1685–1693.
2. Cui, J., Garle, M., Eneroth, P., & Björkhem, I. (2013). What do commercial ginseng preparations contain? The Lancet, 346(8983), 1093–1094.
3. Kennedy, D. O., & Scholey, A. B. (2003). Ginseng: Potential for the enhancement of cognitive performance and mood. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 75(3), 687–696.
4. Mahady, G. B., Gyllenhaal, C., Fong, H. H., & Farnsworth, N. R. (2000). Ginsengs: A review of safety and efficacy. Nutrition in Clinical Care, 3(2), 90–101.
5. Qi, L., & Wang, W. (2019). The role of ginseng in reducing inflammation and immune modulation. Journal of Immunological Research, 2019, 1-11.
6. Vuksan, V., Stavro, M. P., Sievenpiper, J. L., Beljan-Zdravkovic, U., Leiter, L. A., & Josse, R. G. (2001). American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Archives of Internal Medicine, 160(8), 1009–1013.
7. Yuan, C. S., Wang, X., Wicks, S. M., & Qi, L. W. (2010). Chemical and pharmacological studies of saponins from Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen. Phytochemistry Reviews, 9(2), 197–215.