The name Ginseng is derived from the Chinese word “jen” meaning the form of man and “shen” defined as the manifestation of the essence of the earth. In Ayurveda, the herb is known as ashwanandha and it grows in India, Northern African and the Middle East. Prof. Seikwan Oh tells us all about the health benefits of Korean Red Ginseng.
Korean ginseng is a deciduous perennial plant belonging to Araliaceae family. The root has been used for medicinal purpose and the scientific name of the plant is Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, in which Pan demonstrates “all” and” axos” cure, altogether Panax means cure-all. Both Pan and axos came from the Greek launguage. American, Japanese, Chinese and Himalayan ginsengs also belong to Panax family. On the other hand, WHO has approved only Korean ginseng for medicinal use.
Korean ginseng: a valuable traditional remedy
Ginseng (Panax ginseng) has been proved to:
– lower cholesterol and blood glucose levels
– keep the balance of body metabolism
– increase energy levels
– alleviate fatigue
– reduce nervousness & stress
– anti-oxidant to the cells and tissues
– promote detoxification
– regeneration of damaged cells
– modulate immune system
Korean ginseng is superior to other species of ginseng. Korea has an optimum climate for ginseng growth, especially four distinctive seasons. Additionally, they have a clean environment, 1,000-year-old cultivation history and long and state-of-the-art technology for processing. What is more, this ginseng contains far more number of ginseng saponin and exhibits more interesting pharmacological activities than other ginseng species.
The active ingredients of Korean ginseng:
The main active component is ginsenosides with steroid-like structure and biological activities. In addition, it contains polysaccharides with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects, polyacetylenes with anti-cancer effects, polyphenols with anti-ageing effect, alkaloids with sedative effect, and glucuronic acid with detoxifying effect.
► Efficacies elucidated by modern scientific studies say that Korean Ginseng
- l Prevents fatigue and stress
- l Strengthens immune function
- l Improves blood circulation
- l Improves brain functions
- l Improves antioxidant function
- l Improves climacteric disturbance
- l Prevents cardiovascular disorders
- l Prevents carcinogenesis
- l Prevents anticancer agent toxicity
- l Prevents diabetes complication
- l Improves male subfertility
- l Helps resist high temp. stress
Korean Red Ginseng Efficacy as approved by KFDA indicates that it:
Enhances Immune function
Fatigue Recovery
Improves Blood circulation
Improves Memory functions
Produces Antioxidant activity
Alleviates Woman menopause syndrome
This Ginseng is also known to improve Vascular Disorder, Hyperlipidemia and Hypertension.
It helps stimulate blood circulation by:
- Relaxing blood vessel
- Inhibiting platelet aggregation and thrombus formation
- Increasing deformability of red blood cells
- Improving cardiac function
- Stimulating hematopoiesis
It’s Effect on diabetes
– delays onset of diabetes-induced complication
► Summary of KRG effect on diabetes
▪ lowers blood glucose level
▪ prevents thrombogenesis
▪ delays onset of complication
Effect on immune function
– Common cold and Influenza
– Sepsis
Italian medical doctor Scaglione reported that Korean ginseng prevented common cold and influenza. In animal experiment, Korean ginseng was found to increase the survival rate of animal exposed to lethal dose of influenza virus.
Anticancer effect
► Korean ginseng was found to
Suppress proliferation and stimulate differentiation of cancer cells
▪ Strengthen potency of anticancer agents
▪ Inhibit metastasis and resistance against anticancer agents
▪ Stimulate natural killer cells’ activity and interferon production
▪ Fortify macrophage activity
▪ Strengthen immune function
Epidemiological study supports the cancer preventive effect uncovered by animal experiments.
School of Medicine
Prof. Seikwan Oh
Ewha Womans University
Seoul, Korea