Why Ginseng Is the Ultimate Body Booster

Ginseng is a well-known herb that looks like a twisted little old man, but makes you feel like a smooth skinned 20-year-old. It’s twiney appearance may fool some but the effects ginseng has on the human body are so awe inspiring that the herb is being studied for its medicinal properties and is often prescribed by MD’s, naturopaths, acupuncturists, herbalists and nutritional experts.

Ginseng comes in the American, Chinese, Siberian and Korean varieties and each has their own additional medicinal properties and preparatory instructions, however the overall consensus of these twisty, viney root varieties is that they all voted to help our bodies.

The most common variety in the US is American ginseng (panax quinquefolius). It is used in every day life to boost energy and enhance a person’s ability to focus, but it is also great as an aid in the treatment of many other problems. To name a few: anxiety, menopause, depression, insomnia, excessive dreams, poor digestion of food, pre menstrual tension AND it can soothe a bad cough!

American ginseng is fantastic at improving blood circulation so it is great for people with injuries, and is used a lot by orthopedic acupuncturists for this reason - I’m thinking there are a few of our worldly Olympians sipping ginseng concoctions at the instruction of their acupuncturist this week. It is the perfect tea to sip before and after a workout as it boosts focus, energy and fluid dispersion.

Ginseng is incredibly good at helping with cognitive function, if you feel blurry or like you can’t string your thoughts or words together coherently all the time, then maybe this herb is right for you.

You can find ginseng in teabag form at your grocery store, as a whole root in many health food stores, and as a supplement in all vitamin isles. Your best bet however is to get the real deal from an herbalist who can also tell you how much of it to consume and what to combine it with for the benefits you want to see.

A lot of successful research is being done world wide in using American Ginseng for help lowering blood sugar levels in type two diabetics. This is due to ginsengs ability to help with processing insulin, so talk to your doctor about possible supplementation if you have type 2 diabetes.