Ginseng Plant
All about the Ginseng Plant
Because the demand for ginseng has increased dramatically around the world in the last decade, the ginseng plant is now considered endangered, and most countries have regulated its import and export. The ginseng root is in the botanical family named Araliaceae, and it includes several kinds of ginseng, specifically Asian ginseng (Panax) and North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). There is also a Siberian ginseng plant, but it does not have the same chemical make-up as the other two types.
In China, the ginseng plant has been used for over five thousand years for its medicinal properties. The ginseng plant root looks a little bit like a parsnip root. The plant itself has clusters of five leaves with greenish-white flowers. At maturity it can range from one to two feet high and it has bright red berries. It is the root of the plant that is used.
It takes almost ten years for a ginseng plant to reach maturity. That is one of the reasons it is hard to restore the plant to the abundance it once experienced. Ginseng is considered to be a stress-reducer and to heal all sorts of physical and mental problems. Ginseng can give you a boost much like caffeine which can keep you awake. It aids brain functions circulatory problems, respiratory problems like asthma and bronchitis, diabetes, cancers, and helps to treat colds and the flu.
One of the reasons ginseng may have so many uses is because during its prolonged period of underground growth, it absorbs phosphorus, manganese, potassium, copper, magnesium, calcium, sodium, and silica. It contains vitamins as well, B-1 and B-12. The ginseng plant root is usually reduced to the form of powder and taken with hot water. Ginseng tea has become a very popular form of ginseng consumption. Now it can be found in such other foods as soups, sodas, honey, jelly, wines and even chewing gums.
The ginseng plant has been important to Asian culture for thousands and thousands of years, and is thought to restore the balance or natural flow of the body. American ginseng was popular among Native Americans and used medicinally for many of the same purposes. In 1716, a Jesuit priest discovered what is known as American ginseng in Canada near Montreal, and began the first exporting of ginseng to China.
There are five different ways in which the ginseng plant can be grown. There is wild ginseng, which grows naturally; simulated wild ginseng, which is when ginseng seeds are scattered where it has been known to grow naturally; ginseng that is grown in the woods under trees in containers; ginseng plants, which are grown and cultivated like other garden plants; and organic ginseng plants.
Although wild ginseng and wild simulated ginseng are considered the most potent versions, no matter how ginseng is grown, there is a market for it today. Because of the high demand, many inferior ginseng products are making their way into the stores. Whenever you buy a ginseng supplement, be sure to read the list of ingredients to make sure it is the real thing.