Panax ginseng has long been valued for its numerous health benefits. Traditional healers, mostly found in China, Japan, and Korea, have been using it for medicinal purposes for almost a thousand years. Panax ginseng is mostly classified as an adaptogen and a restorative tonic. Briefly, an adaptogen is something that enables a person to respond healthily to stimuli such as physical and mental stress. A restorative tonic, on the other hand, is a medicine or any other agent that helps to promote the restoration of health and strength as well as mental consciousness. Given these two qualities, one can see how favorable it is for a person to take advantage of the numerous benefits that panax ginseng can offer.
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Blood sugar regulation
One of its benefits is blood sugar regulation. Several medicinal references state that it has been proven beneficial in reducing the amount of sugar in blood. More specifically, it has been shown to exhibit efficacy on patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. On top of that, it can reduce glucose levels in blood without causing abrupt changes or dangerous declines in blood sugar levels. It reduces sugar levels without putting one in danger of extremely low sugar levels or hypoglycemia.
Cancer prevention
Panax ginseng is also known for its cancer prevention properties. It has been shown to possess antioxidant properties as well as immune-modulation properties. Antioxidants help prevent certain types of cancer. Panax ginseng showed greater protective effect in cancers involving the lip, pharynx, lung, esophagus, and liver. An epidemiological study entitled, “Preventive effect of ginseng intake against various human cancers: a case-control study on 1987 pairs” by Yun TK and Choi SY, even demonstrated that patients taking ginseng have a 50 percent lower risk of a recurrence of cancer when compared to those not taking ginseng. The study also showed that patients taking ginseng for one year exhibited a 36 percent decrease in cancer incidence while those taking ginseng for 5 years showed a decrease of 69 percent.
Increased immune function
Increased immune function is also a known benefit of panax ginseng. Its natural mineral and vitamin content is said to be responsible for its effect on increasing one’s immunity. Additionally, it is known to improve the efficacy of antibiotics and even vaccines, thus making it an ideal supplement and also a complementary medicine. Even some trials show that healthy people who take ginseng have more numerous and more active immune cells when compared to those not taking it.
Improved cardiovascular health
Because of its antioxidant properties, ginseng also increasescardiovascular health. Its antioxidant properties help protect the body against several severe forms of cardiovascular diseases. Being an antioxidant, it protects LDL cholesterol from oxidative damage and in the process prevents problems like heart attack, stroke, or heart failure. It can be used as a preventive supplement against serious cardiovascular problems.
Enhanced mental performance
Lastly, panax ginseng is most famously known for improving one’s mental performance. Several studies demonstrated that regular intake of ginseng results in increased attention spans, higher capacity for thinking, improved focus and in turn improve a person’s overall mental performance. While scientists are unable to pinpoint the specific effects of ginseng on a person’s mental performance, they all seem to agree that those who take ginseng seem more alerts and show improved performance on concentration, memory and arithmetic exercises.
The aforementioned benefits are just some of the advantages of supplementing one’s diet with ginseng. This crop has come a long way from being just a traditional herbal medicine to becoming one of the most studied natural medicine and supplement to date. While it was originally an Asian product, its uses and popularity have spread throughout the western side of the globe in continents like North America and Europe. Countries like Denmark now have access to a readily available selection of ginseng supplements.
Iris Aroa and Joyce Del Rosario are lifestyle bloggers. They write for Bodylab.dk, a trusted health and fitness website in Denmark.
Image Credits: Flickr
Blood sugar regulation
One of its benefits is blood sugar regulation. Several medicinal references state that it has been proven beneficial in reducing the amount of sugar in blood. More specifically, it has been shown to exhibit efficacy on patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. On top of that, it can reduce glucose levels in blood without causing abrupt changes or dangerous declines in blood sugar levels. It reduces sugar levels without putting one in danger of extremely low sugar levels or hypoglycemia.
Cancer prevention
Panax ginseng is also known for its cancer prevention properties. It has been shown to possess antioxidant properties as well as immune-modulation properties. Antioxidants help prevent certain types of cancer. Panax ginseng showed greater protective effect in cancers involving the lip, pharynx, lung, esophagus, and liver. An epidemiological study entitled, “Preventive effect of ginseng intake against various human cancers: a case-control study on 1987 pairs” by Yun TK and Choi SY, even demonstrated that patients taking ginseng have a 50 percent lower risk of a recurrence of cancer when compared to those not taking ginseng. The study also showed that patients taking ginseng for one year exhibited a 36 percent decrease in cancer incidence while those taking ginseng for 5 years showed a decrease of 69 percent.
Increased immune function
Increased immune function is also a known benefit of panax ginseng. Its natural mineral and vitamin content is said to be responsible for its effect on increasing one’s immunity. Additionally, it is known to improve the efficacy of antibiotics and even vaccines, thus making it an ideal supplement and also a complementary medicine. Even some trials show that healthy people who take ginseng have more numerous and more active immune cells when compared to those not taking it.
Improved cardiovascular health
Because of its antioxidant properties, ginseng also increasescardiovascular health. Its antioxidant properties help protect the body against several severe forms of cardiovascular diseases. Being an antioxidant, it protects LDL cholesterol from oxidative damage and in the process prevents problems like heart attack, stroke, or heart failure. It can be used as a preventive supplement against serious cardiovascular problems.
Enhanced mental performance
Lastly, panax ginseng is most famously known for improving one’s mental performance. Several studies demonstrated that regular intake of ginseng results in increased attention spans, higher capacity for thinking, improved focus and in turn improve a person’s overall mental performance. While scientists are unable to pinpoint the specific effects of ginseng on a person’s mental performance, they all seem to agree that those who take ginseng seem more alerts and show improved performance on concentration, memory and arithmetic exercises.
The aforementioned benefits are just some of the advantages of supplementing one’s diet with ginseng. This crop has come a long way from being just a traditional herbal medicine to becoming one of the most studied natural medicine and supplement to date. While it was originally an Asian product, its uses and popularity have spread throughout the western side of the globe in continents like North America and Europe. Countries like Denmark now have access to a readily available selection of ginseng supplements.
Iris Aroa and Joyce Del Rosario are lifestyle bloggers. They write for Bodylab.dk, a trusted health and fitness website in Denmark.
increase in Fertility
ReplyDeletePanax ginseng is often used to lower blood sugar
ReplyDeleteit helps the body adapt to all types of stress, whether it be physical, emotional or environmental. For this reason, panax ginseng may help to combat the fatigue that often accompanies these types of stress.
ReplyDeleteIt is as an immune system stimulant
ReplyDeleteIt Decreases senility and improving memory and behavior.
ReplyDeleteDecreases harmful LDL cholesterol and increases beneficial cholesterol HDL levels.
ReplyDeleteLowers the blood alcohol content by reducing absorption from the stomach
ReplyDeleteHelps to relieve symptoms, improves emotional balance with the benefits enhanced when combined with a vitamin and mineral supplement
ReplyDeleteIt is encouraged to discontinue use after 3 months for a period of 2-3 weeks if using panax ginseng continuously.
ReplyDelete