Elaine Kong (left) and her mother, May (102 years old)

Ginseng Health Benefits

There are many traditional and anecdotal claims for the health-promoting properties of ginseng. In recent years, there have also been systematic efforts to analyze the bioactivities of ginseng, from molecular and cellular research to animal and human studies. The world over, scientists are discovering the wide range of effects that ginseng and its most active constituents called ginsenosides have on our health.

Researchers from the National University of Singapore stated in their comprehensive review of published literature on Panax ginseng (which appeared in the Annals of the Academy of Medicine Singapore 2000) that ginsenosides contain extensive healthful properties.

From occasional stress and fatigue, to other health issues, Panax ginseng researchers praise the potential of ginseng to significantly promote human health on the whole.

Active Ingredients

The active ingredients of ginseng are ginsenosides which are also called ginseng saponins. Recently, there is increasing evidence in the literature on the pharmacological and physiological actions of ginseng. However, ginseng has been used primarily as a tonic to invigorate weak bodies and help the restoration of homeostasis. Current in vivo and in vitro studies have shown its beneficial effects in a wide range of pathological conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, immune deficiency, and hepatotoxicity. Moreover, recent research has suggested that some of ginseng's active ingredients also exert beneficial effects on aging, central nervous system (CNS) disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. In general, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and immune-stimulatory activities are mostly underlying the possible ginseng-mediated protective mechanisms. Next to animal studies, data from neural cell cultures contribute to the understanding of these mechanisms that involve decreasing nitric oxide (NO), scavenging of free radicals, and counteracting excitotoxicity.

Ginseng's Active Agents

Ginseng's effectiveness can not be traced to only one particular active agent or constituent. It is the complex relationship between the many naturally occurring agents that gives ginseng its special properties. The most commonly studied active components of ginseng, however, include a family of saponins called ginsenosides.

Saponins

The word saponins comes from the Latin word (sapo) meaning soap. Indeed the frothiness that occurs when Bing Han Ginseng and water are mixed together and well-shaken is an indication of the presence of saponins. The plant kingdom is rich in saponins, which act as critical defenders for the plants immune system.

Ginsenosides

Ginsenosides are the special type of saponins found in mature Panax ginseng roots.

There are more than 20 ginsenosides that have been discovered in ginseng. The highest concentrations of ginsenosides are found in the smaller size roots and root fiber. This is one of the reasons that Bing Han Ginseng powder is always made from the whole dried root including all the delicate little root tendrils. These cell protective substances have been found to have a wide range of health-promoting effects.

Panaxdioles & Panaxtrioles

A bioactive subgroup found within ginsenosides, panaxdioles and panaxtrioles. These substances are thought to exert positive, modulating effects on the central nervous system.