GINSENG {Panax Quinquefolium}

1. Adaptogenic, helping the body to adapt to stress, fatigue and cold, improves the body's capacity to cope with hunger, extremes of temperature, mental and emotional stress. Ginseng produces a sedative effect when the body requires sleep. The ginsenosides that is responsible for the action are similar in structure to the body's own stress hormones.
2. CNS stimulant. It has a stimulating effect on young people with strong qi, but is tonic, restorative and even sedative for those weakened by illness or old age.
3. Increases learning ability, memory and physical capability.
4. Induces cancer cell apoptosis (APO), or programmed cell death (PCD). APO or PCD are controlled by DNA. Ginsenosides have the ability to induce differentiation in cancer cell culture (differentiation means that a tumor cell divides into daughter cells which show normal behaviors).
5. Increases blood circulation in the brain.
6. Increases chemotherapy sensitivity (reduces dosage requirement), potentiate the activity of cytotoxic drugs.
7. Promotes RBC, WBC production in bone marrow. Hematopoetic stimulation, ginseng can stimulate reticulocyte (immature erythrocyte) formation from bone marrow and increases Fe uptake. It is used in the treatment of anemia.
8. Polysaccharides in ginseng increase phagocytosis activity of monophage and macrophage.
9. Ginseng increases the body's resistance to radiation thus reduce the damage caused by radiation. Radiation treatment destroyed both cancer and liver cells, but ginseng help recovery of healthy liver cells from radiation treatment and inhibit the infiltration of cancer cells.
10. Ginseng increases adrenal gland secretion (mineralocorticords, androgen and glucocorticoids hormones). Ginseng act on the hypothalamus and has a sparing action on the adrenal cortex, mediated through the anterior pituitary and ACTH release. IT tunes the adrenal cortex so that phase I of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS) is more efficient. Response is stronger and quicker and feedback control is more effective so that when stress decreases, glucocorticoid levels fall more rapidly to normal. During prolonged stress (or phase II of GAS) glucocorticoid production is reduced by ginseng (a sparing effcet), while at the same time adrenal capacity is increased (a trophic effect). Ginseng also raises plasma ACTH and cortisone in the relaxed state (non-stressed), generating a sense of alertness and well-being.
11. Antioxidant, antiaging and anticancer. Ginsenosides Rb1 and Rb2 have antimutagenic activity against genotoxic agents; enhance normal DNA repair and expression (protein synthesis). Ginsenoside Rb2 inhibits tumor angiogenesis and metastasis.
12. Increases vitality and the ability to withstand stress by acting on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal cortex axis, restores and strengthens the body's immune response; promote longevity, metabolism and growth of normal cells.
13. Revival of dying patients. Ginseng is reputed to be effective in shock, collapse of cardiovascular system, hemorrhaging and heart failure.
14. Lowering serum cholesterol levels and raising HDL levels. Continuous use of ginseng has been widely applied in the treatment of hypertension, primary in the form of tincture.
15. Diabetes mellitus. Ginseng is effective in the treatment of mild hyperglycemia. Usually blood sugar levels can be lowered to 40 to 50 mg/dl after continuous use for two weeks. In severe diabetic cases, ginseng is combined with insulin will reduce the required dose of insulin and prolong the hypoglycemic effect of insulin.
16. Neurological symptoms and mental fatigue. Ginseng can reduce oxygen deprivation of brain tissue and improve mental and neurological performance.

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