The Chinese have been using ginseng for thousands of years as it has been proven to ¬enhance energy, improve sexual performance, build cognitive capabilities, ease stress, slow aging and prevent diseases.
Ginseng, the English name given to this herb was derived from the Chinese term rénshēn - Rén –man and Shēn- type of herb. It was given this name because of the fact that ginseng resembles the shape of a human with a body, arms and legs. It was later given the botanical name of Panax by Linnaeus, known as the father of botany, the name derived from the Greek word - All Healing or The Cure All.
Did You Know?
Ginseng was discovered in the mountains of Northern China in Manchuria over 5000 years ago although it is believed that it was first used as a food way back. The first documentation of ginseng being used for its medicinal purposes was in the classic of herbal medicine of shennong written between 206bc – 220ad and is said to be a compilation of Emperor Shennongs verbal traditions.
More than 80,000 tons of fresh ginseng are produced worldwide annually.
Why Our Bodies Need Ginseng & Proven Health Benefits
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, dried ginseng was used as a tonic to revitalize and replenish vital energy. It is also used to treat anaemia, insomnia, gastritis, abnormal blood pressure and fatigue. Ginseng is used today in health supplements to help improve energy levels, prevent fatigue and exhaustion.
What Is Panax Ginseng?
While there are numerous types of ginseng, one has far more clinical evidence supporting its role as a natural healthcare product - Panax ginseng. Panax ginseng originated in Asia and today is grown in the cold temperate regions in North East China and Korean peninsula. It is now one of the most heavily cultivated herbs in the world.
Panax ginseng is a perennial shrub, about 50–80 cm in height. It bears inconspicuous flowers which develop into red berries and has a turnip-shaped root that quite often, due to the way it branches, appears like a human figure.
It’s the root that is of the most interest medicinally. That’s because most of the important components and ‘active’ ingredients are found here.