Ginseng for the Modern World

Ginseng for the Modern World

By Rev. Laura Perry, MSNH

Ask your friends and neighbors what natural supplement they take to relieve stress and gain energy, and chances are they'll say ginseng. But did you know that there are at least three different plants that go by the common name ginseng? They all have different active compounds and different effects on your health, so it pays to know which is which.

The two “true” ginsengs are commonly referred to as Asian ginseng and American ginseng. Both are very slow-growing perennial plants requiring a minimum of five years of growth before their roots can be harvested. Harvesting the roots necessarily kills the plant, so these types of ginseng are not a quick-and-easy crop.

Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) is native to northeastern China and is widely cultivated throughout China, Japan, Korea and the former Soviet Union. American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a native North American plant that is now very rare in the wild due to irresponsible and unethical harvesting. Fortunately, organizations such as Seed Saver's Exchange are helping to keep it from extinction. If you use herbal supplements that contain American ginseng, please make sure the ginseng is cultivated rather than gathered from the wild in order to protect this valuable herb.

Asian and American ginseng have similar medicinal properties. They are both adaptogens, that is, they help the body shift and adapt to stress and a changing environment. This is a very valuable property in the high-stress modern world. Though sometimes touted as an energy-giving “pick-me-up,” these two ginsengs are not stimulants. Rather, they help the body's systems run more smoothly and efficiently, so that you have more energy even under stress. Asian and American ginseng have the added benefit of being alteratives. That means that they help the body rid itself of toxins that accumulate due to stress, illness, lack of exercise and poor diet.

The third most popular herb commonly called ginseng is Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus). Siberian ginseng is not a “true ginseng” and, in fact, is not even related to Asian or American ginseng. But it has many similar health effects and is often used interchangeably with the true ginsengs, or in combination with them. Unlike Asian and American ginseng, Siberian ginseng is actually a stimulant, much like caffeine though milder in its effects. In addition, Siberian ginseng is also an adaptogen, so it really is a “pick-me-up” herb for stressful times.

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