Although many different kinds of ‘ginseng’ may be sold in Canadian and American retail outlet, two species are commonly seen in pharmacy practice: Panax Ginseng and Panax quinquefollius L. Other closely related species include: Panax pseudoginseng Wallich var, japonicus, Panax pseudoginseng Wallich var, notoginseng are rarely seen.
Panax is derived from the Greek roots pan meaning “all” and akos meaning “cure” and refers to the “cure all” and “panacea” quality generally attributed to the herb. The name ginseng means “essence of the earth in the form of a man,” and refers to the resemblance of the roots to a human form.Ginseng has been an important part of Traditional Chinese Medicine for over five thousand years. It is considered to be a bitter sweet herb with a warming character. Within Traditional Chinese Medicine, ginseng was used to restore ‘yang’ quality and to treat general weakness, deficient qi (chi) patterns, anemia, lack of appetite, nervous agitation, thirst and impotence. It is classified as an adaptogen, which is thought to increase non specific resistance to adverse influences such as stress and infection. Traditionally it was used as a tonic to “increase strength, increase blood volume, promote life and appetite, quite the spirit, and give wisdom.” It was generally thought to improve vitality.
Ginseng and Health Benefits
