American Ginseng

American Ginseng Overview 

The American ginseng was discovered in the 1700s but only in the 1880s did ginseng cultivation pick up in right earnest. Wild American Ginseng grows in America and Canada and is the most expensive kind of ginseng available. American ginseng is gnarled and resembles a clawed hand. Perhaps this resemblance led early American Indians to believe that the American ginseng would cure all ills.

Uses of American Ginseng 

Traditionally, American ginseng has been used by Indians for a number of disorders ranging from digestive to sexual problems. It was used primarily as a preventative medicine to treat cases of dysentery, convulsions, headache, exhaustion, croup, breathlessness and problems related to women.

According to recently conducted surveys, American Ginseng combined with ginkgo can help treat symptoms of ADHD. Both the American as well as the Indian varieties of ginseng help slow down the progress of Alzheimer's and help to improve memory.

American ginseng is widely used to treat Diabetes. Studies have found that American ginseng is much more effective in cases of type 2 diabetes than the Asian variety. It also helps treat some of the associated disorders like digestive problems and sexual problems. It helps fight stress and fatigue by supplying lots of oxygen to muscles in the body. Because of its ability to break down and aid the absorption of food, American ginseng is considered to be helpful in treating alcohol intoxication. Ginseng helps in the speedy metabolism of alcohol.

American ginseng cools and soothes. This it does by increasing body fluids and thus moistening the internal organs. American ginseng is also considered to increase levels of HDL (healthy cholesterol) in the body. However, there is no scientific proof to back this claim. Under certain circumstances, American ginseng is also considered to improve blood pressure. Therefore it is advisable to avoid American ginseng in case of people suffering from hypertension.

In many of its physical as well as medicinal characteristics, the American ginseng resembles its Asian cousin closely. However the Asian variety is considered to induce heat and is contraindicated in cases where there is a deficiency of ‘yin’ in the body.

American Ginseng Cautions 

There are no associated side effects. However, people who use the wrong species of ginseng may find after-effects that they had not bargained for. While buying ginseng it is important to read the label carefully to ensure that you are buying the variety that you need. Although some of the characteristics may overlap, each variety of ginseng has its own set of side effects and actions.