Description

Common Name: American Ginseng (Wisconsen )

Dosage: 1/2 oz. each time, boil for 50 minutes and drink daily

Properties:

sweet, bitter, cooling, moistening, restoring, raising, relaxing, nourishing

Meridians:

Heart hand shaoyin, Kidney foot shaoyin, Lung hand taiyin

Actions:

1. tonifies the Qi (Lung, Spleen/Stomach/Intestines- digestive function)

2. nourishes Yin (Lungs)

3. clears Fire from Lung Yin deficiency

4. moistens via generating body fluids

Indications:

– Yin deficiency with Heat (dry cough with blood tinged sputum, insomnia, irritability, night sweat, anxiety, flushed cheeks, loss of voice, wheezing).

– after a febrile disease the Yin is usually damaged

– poor appetite, fatigue, weight loss (emaciation), dyspnea, hot flashes, general weakness, stress, palpitations

– Pulmonary Tuberculosis

People use it for (indications):
increasing resistance to environmental stresses, general tonic, stimulant, diuretic, digestive aid, anemia, diabetes, insomnia, neurasthenia, gastritis, impotence, fever, hangover, immune function, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), pseudomonas infections in cystic fibrosis, aging, stamina, blood and bleeding disorders, atherosclerosis, loss of appetite, vomiting, colitis, dysentery, cancer, insomnia, neuralgia, rheumatism, memory loss, dizziness, headaches, convulsions, and disorders of pregnancy and childbirth.

Dosage:
Traditionally- 2.5-9g is often cooked separately from other herbs in a double boiler. Good quality is hard, light weight, and aromatic with dense striations on the surface.

Tincture 1-4ml.

With occasional breaks of several days, it can be administered continuously for maintenance in people who tend towards Qi and Lung Yin deficiency.

Science today- young healthy people 0.25-0.5g twice per day, elderly 0.4-0.8g twice per day, children with ADHD 200mg twice daily with Ginkgo Biloba, for reducing postprandial glucose levels in type 2 diabetics 3-9g no more than 2 hours before a meal (this helps avoid potential hypoglycaemia).

Some recommend to take the root for 15-20 days then taking 2 weeks off, repeating as desired.

History
Xi Yang Shen (American Ginseng) was actually discovered in 1716 just north of Montreal Canada by a missionary named Francois Lafiteau.

In Folk medicine it was used primarily by the Native American tribes; Senecas, Cherokees, Menominees, & Penobscots as a restoing, relaxing, and strengthening tonic.

Once it was adopted by Eupoean Folk settlers & the Chinese, its use expanded to improving stress resistance, preventing aging, improving stamina, blood and bleeding disorders, atherosclerosis, loss of appetitie, vomiting, colitis, dysentery, cancer, insomnia, neuralgia, rheumatism, memory loss, dizziness, headaches, convulsions, chronic illness, lung tuberculosis conditions, and disorders of pregnancy and childbirth.

Today it is used in some soft drinks, soaps and cosmetics.

The older the root, the greater the medicinal properties and price. The shape is also of utmost importance to the Chinese, a good root is said to be the shape of a young healthy strong man walking tall & comfortable.

In 1976 a four hundred year old root was found on an island off the shore of Korea- it sold for $10,000an once. Its total weight was fourteen and one-half pounds which meant that its total value was no less than 1.32 million US dollars! These crazy prices happen through tales of herbalists living healthy lives of over 200 years!?!

Therapeutic Mechanism of action:
The principle constituents of American Ginseng are known as ginsenosides or as panaxosides. It contains primarily ginsenoside Rb-1, which reportedly lowers blood pressure, is antihemolytic, antipyretic, antipsychotic, depresses the CNS, protects the GI from ulcers, increases GI motility, and decreases islet insulin concentrations. It also decreases LH (leutenizing hormone) levels and seems to increase serum ceruloplasmin oxidase activity (a measure of estrogenic activity in the liver) in animals. Some research says it may reduce breast cancer cell growth, although some say its estrogenic effects outweigh its possibility for this use. It may have immunomodulating activity. American ginseng also seems to activate monocytes and induce tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha.

Other sources say that is has a neuroendocrine restorative effect. Treating cerebral deficiencies (chronic depression, memory loss, insomnia). It is also said that it has a adrenocortical restorative action therefore making it great for the endurance needed by the immune system for stress. Here it is also said that it can help gonadal and estrogen deficiencies.

A Russian scientist once stated that this root produces and ‘M-Ray’ which is a force quite similar to the force made when cells divide during mitosis. He concluded that if faulty cell division is a major cause of aging then this root would prove wonderful for this purpose. Others after him feel that it helps in the transfer-RNA mobility and DNA coding during protein synthesis.

American Ginseng has a special influence on the endocrine system. It tones the glands and increases their power and optimal functioning. This may be why it has been esteemed as an aphrodisiac. Particularly for men, it has a unique ‘increase of male hormone production’ effect on the male androgens and testes, therefore making it a good choice for impotency and libido. Also, because of this, it is not recommended for long term use by females as it can induce secondary male characteristics to develop. Women should not use it for more than a six week period followed by a six month break.

This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.