Ginseng: A Comprehensive Overview

Source

This product is the dried root and rhizome of the plant Panax ginseng, belonging to the Araliaceae family.

Related Names

Mountain Ginseng (Shan Shen), Korean Ginseng (Gao Li Shen), Garden Ginseng (Yuan Shen), Transplanted Mountain Ginseng (Yi Shan Shen), Red Ginseng (Hong Shen), Edge Ginseng (Bian Tiao Shen), Sugar Ginseng (Tang Shen), White Ginseng (Bai Shen), Sun-Dried Ginseng (Sheng Shai Shen), White Dried Ginseng (Bai Gan Shen), Pinched Skin Ginseng (Qia Pi Shen), Strong Ginseng (Da Li Shen), Straight Ginseng (Zhi Bie Shen), Sun-Dried Ginseng (Sheng Shai Shen), Ginseng (Ren Shen), Stick Ginseng (Bang Chui), Korean Ginseng (Chao Xian Shen), Korean Ginseng (Chao Xian Ren Shen), Yellow Ginseng (Huang Shen), Jilin Ginseng (Ji Lin Shen), Divine Herb (Shen Cao), Golden Well Jade Lattice (Jin Jing Yu Lan).

Production Areas

Mainly produced in Jilin, Liaoning, Heilongjiang provinces, primarily cultivated varieties.

Harvesting and Processing

Typically harvested in autumn, cleaned; cultivated varieties are commonly referred to as “Garden Ginseng”; those that grow naturally in forested areas are called “Forest Mountain Ginseng” and are colloquially known as “Seed Sea”.

Garden Ginseng is processed by removing the lateral roots and sun-drying or baking, referred to as “Sun-Dried Ginseng”; if the lateral roots are not removed, it is called “Whole Root Sun-Dried Ginseng”; Forest Ginseng is often processed into “Whole Month Root Sun-Dried Ginseng”.

Recent studies have utilized vacuum freeze-drying methods to process ginseng, preventing the loss of active components such as total saponins, thereby improving product quality, referred to as “Freeze-Dried Ginseng” or “Active Ginseng”.

Identification of Properties

Herb Material

The main root is spindle-shaped or cylindrical, 3-15 cm long, and 1-2 cm in diameter. The surface is grayish-yellow, with sparse, shallow, intermittent coarse transverse wrinkles and obvious longitudinal folds; the lower part has 2-3 lateral roots.

It bears many long fibrous roots, often with inconspicuous small wart-like protrusions; the rhizome (bulb) is 1-4 cm long and 0.3-1.5 cm in diameter.

It is often twisted and curved, with adventitious roots (zong) and sparse, pit-like stem scars (bulb scars), relatively hard in texture, with a pale yellow-white cross-section, showing a powdery appearance, and the growth ring is brownish-yellow.

The bark has yellow-brown dotted resin ducts and radial fissures. It has a distinctive aroma, with a slightly bitter and sweet taste.

The main root is often equal in length or shorter than the rhizome, appearing cylindrical, rhomboid, or Y-shaped, 1-6 cm long. The surface is grayish-yellow, with longitudinal wrinkles, and the upper or middle-lower part has ring patterns.

The lateral roots are mostly 2-3 in number, with few and slender fibrous roots, clearly defined, with noticeable wart-like protrusions.

The rhizome is slender, with few thick and short parts, and the upper-middle part has sparse or dense, deeply sunken stem scars. The adventitious roots are relatively thin and mostly drooping.

Processed Slices

They appear as round or nearly round thin slices. The outer skin is grayish-yellow. The cut surface is pale yellow-white or whitish, showing a powdery appearance, and the growth ring is brownish-yellow.

The bark has yellow-brown dotted resin ducts and radial fissures. They are light in weight and brittle in texture. They have a distinctive aroma, with a slightly bitter and sweet taste.

Flavor and Meridian Affinity

Sweet, slightly bitter, slightly warm. Enters the Spleen (Pi) and Lung (Fei) meridians.

Characteristics

This product is sweet and slightly bitter, slightly warm but not excessively drying or hot, with powerful medicinal properties, essential for tonifying Qi and strengthening the body.

It is effective in greatly tonifying Yuan Qi, treating Qi deficiency and potential collapse; it also tonifies Spleen and Lung Qi, treating various symptoms of Spleen and Lung Qi deficiency; it can tonify Qi, generate fluids, calm the spirit, and enhance intelligence, treating symptoms such as fluid damage leading to thirst, diabetes, anxiety, palpitations, and forgetfulness.

Functions

Greatly tonifies Yuan Qi, tonifies Spleen and benefits Lung, generates fluids and alleviates thirst, calms the spirit and enhances intelligence.

Indications

(1) Qi deficiency with potential collapse.

(2) Spleen Qi deficiency with poor appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea.

(3) Lung Qi deficiency with shortness of breath and spontaneous sweating.

(4) Thirst due to heat illness with fluid damage, diabetes.

(5) Anxiety, insomnia with vivid dreams, palpitations, and forgetfulness.

Compatibility

Ginseng combined with Aconite (Fu Zi)

Ginseng is sweet and warm, tonifying Qi and stabilizing collapse; Aconite is acrid and hot, reviving Yang and rescuing from reversal. The combination of these two herbs greatly tonifies and warms, benefiting Qi and reviving Yang, effectively treating the collapse of Yang Qi.

Ginseng combined with Gecko (Ge Jie)

Ginseng is sweet and warm, effectively tonifying Lung Qi, while Gecko is neutral and tonifies Lung and benefits Kidney. The combination of these two herbs tonifies Lung and benefits Kidney, stabilizing cough and asthma, effectively treating Lung and Kidney deficiency.

Ginseng combined with Ophiopogon (Mai Dong) and Schisandra (Wu Wei Zi)

Ginseng is warm and tonifying, Ophiopogon is cold and nourishing Yin, and Schisandra is sour and astringent to Yin. The combination of these three herbs benefits Qi, nourishes Yin, generates fluids, and alleviates thirst, commonly used for treating thirst and excessive sweating due to both Qi and Yin deficiency, as well as diabetes.

Dosage and Administration

Internal use: decoction, 3-9 g; for significant Qi tonification, 15-30 g can be used, decocted separately with gentle heat, combined with the decocted liquid, or frequently administered; powdered, 1 g per dose, twice daily; or incorporated into pills or powders.

• Wild ginseng has the best efficacy, often used to rescue from collapse;

• Sun-dried ginseng has a milder nature, suitable for those with Qi and Yin deficiency;

• Red ginseng has a warmer property, often used for those with both Qi and Yang deficiency.

Precautions

To ensure the Qi tonifying effect of ginseng, it is not advisable to drink tea or consume white radish while taking ginseng.

As it is a tonic for deficiency, it should be avoided by those with excess pathogenic factors and strong Zheng Qi. It is contraindicated with Rhizoma Rhei, and should not be used with Wu Ling Zhi, Lai Fu Zi, or Zao Jiao.

Pharmacology

This product has excitatory and inhibitory effects on the central nervous system, improves learning and memory, has anti-shock effects, strengthens the heart, protects against myocardial ischemia, inhibits platelet aggregation, promotes fibrinolysis;

enhances the body’s stress resistance, improves immune function, delays aging, regulates glucose metabolism, promotes protein synthesis, lowers blood lipids;

has anti-atherosclerotic and anti-tumor effects, and increases the release of gonadotropins.

Story

Once, in a mountain village in Northeast China, there were two brothers who went hunting in winter with bows, leather clothes, and provisions.

On the second day of their ascent, a fierce wind blew and snowflakes fell, and heavy snow covered the mountain road for three days and nights, causing the brothers to lose their way and unable to descend.

They found a hollow tree to take shelter and, to conserve food, dug up some grass roots to stave off hunger.

They accidentally discovered a type of grass root as thick as a thumb, shaped like a human arm and leg, and when they tasted it, it was sweet. Eating this made them feel more energetic, and sometimes eating too much would cause nosebleeds.

Thus, they only ate a little each day. It was not until the following spring that the brothers returned home laden with game.

The villagers thought they had perished, and when they saw them return, white and plump, they were curious and asked, “What good thing did you eat to grow so strong?”

The brothers showed the grass root to everyone, and everyone said it looked like a human body, and this shape resembling a “human body” was later named ginseng.