Drink Ginseng as a tea

A cup of ginseng tea is an excellent balance for the body. Or if you prefer you can take a herbal remedies that contain ginseng. A regular dosage of ginseng will help maintain and restore cellular function which can reduce many of the symptoms of aging.

Ginseng also improves muscle tone, decreases blood sugar levels, and balances the metabolism as well as balancing and maintaining hormone levels.

Chinese medicine also recognizes ginseng for its ability to improve memory and vitality, extend endurance, remove stress, fight fatigue, boost the immune system so it can better fight disease, aid insomnia, and prevent headaches. It has also been used to improve sexual dysfunction, open the mind, and to strengthen the body.

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Grow Your Own Ginseng! Save the Forest

The most asked questions we get are - how much is ginseng selling for? when they do get ready to harvest the roots? who do they take it to to sell? where can they find a dealer?

Well, I'm sure the price for good quality, dry ginseng will be different within 7 or 8 years when you get to the point when you are ready to sell your roots, but over the last 3 or 4 years, it has been going anywhere from around $250 to $500 per pound. The "explosion" of prices of ginseng came in 2007 when wild ginseng hit close to $1,000/lb dried and woods-grown and wild-simulated ginseng roots fetched $350 to $750/lb dried, depending on the age and quality of ginseng roots. I expect this price trend will stay and will be strengthened more due to the great demands in the Chinese market.

Who do you sell it to? That is the hard question! First, I would try to keep it in your own state that you live in. It is a protected plant but it's ok to grow your own, but when you start taking it out of your home state, you will have to purchase a license. If you can't get a fair price for your harvest and you have a lot of rootlets, getting them licensed will be your best choice to get a higher price. It's not hard to find a dealer to sell to...it's hard to find one that will give you a fair price for good quality roots. For those of you have no idea who your state ginseng dealers are, I will be posting a dealers list for each state soon.

When you sell it to a dealer, he takes it to another dealer and that dealer takes it to someone else. It passes hands maybe 5 times before it gets to be exported to China. Everyone tries to find someone higher up the ladder so they can bypass the middle man, but this is almost impossible because they are interested more than the small grower can supply. They are interested in TONS! If you sell it for say-- $400 /lb by the time it gets to be exported, they will probably be paying 4 or 5 times that for it. That doesn't sound real but it is true and you think you are making good money at $400 a pound.
Beginning of this year, a lot of growers all around the Appalachian Mt. area are planning to form co-operations. They will have a grading system so you know what you have and you will have a good idea what your ginseng is worth without someone picking through it and telling you it is low grade. You will probably have to pay a small percentage fee for your roots to be sold, but it will bypass a lot of hands and you will get a very good price - not to harm the dealers - just to get a fair price. Well, I'll write more on this later but so far I have heard nothing but good news for the smaller growers and wildcrafters. More later.

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How To Grow Ginseng

Infomation about planting, harvesting, and growing your own herbal garden or Ginseng patch.

If it is your first time, don't start out spending a lot of money on a large amount of seeds or roots. Start small and plant more and more each year. The most important thing is to START and to plant seeds or roots EVERY year. Each year you will have more and more ginseng roots and seeds, and you will become even more interested in it. Also, if you plant every year, when you do begin to harvest, you will have a harvest every year.

GINSENG is a fleshy rooted herb, native to well drained, cool, shaded hardwood forests. Ginseng does not grow in full sunlight, so the natural place to plant it is in hardwood forests, where the trees provide the needed shade. Ginseng is a perennial plant, but unlike other perennials, it lies dormant some years and does not grow new tops every year. The root does not die, but lies dormant until the following year. Ginseng is one of the most sought after herbs on the market. The future for growing ginseng looks promising for many years as more and more is being used now in the United States in addition to the Orient. All Health Food stores, drug stores, and even small gas stations now sell it in capsules, powdered, etc. The demand keeps growing every year.

Highly prized by Asian cultures as an aphrodisiac and a cure for everything from impotence to lack of concentration, it relieves fatigue, mental and nervous exhaustion. The Chinese have always placed a high value on ginseng and millions have used it for centuries. Western people have remained skeptical of its use because the Chinese people prepare and use this herb in superstitious ways. Carrying a dried root in their pocket for good luck is one of these superstitions. It is said that the use of ginseng will add a decade of years to a human life. The most desired root for this purpose is one in the shape of the human body. These roots have been known to bring their weight in gold. The Chinese put the highest value on ginseng. It's used only by the wealthiest and will bring several hundred dollars per pound.

One year old plants will have 3 leaflets, similar to a strawberry plant.

The second year usually produces 5 leaflets, and the following years, it begins to branch out with 2, 3, or 4 prongs with 3 to 5 leaflets in each prong.

Ginseng grows in the wild about 1 foot tall and they bloom in the summer. When it ripens in the fall or late summer with bright red berries, each berry usually contains 2-3 seeds. The seeds may be kept in damp sand for 1 year and used for replanting or they can be sold. In its wild, natural state, it grows in cool, shady, hardwood forest that takes about 6 to 8 years to grow to the point where its roots are large enough to harvest. If it is cultivated using fertilizers and persticides, you can start harvesting the roots in about 4-5 years, but wild ginseng gets a much better price.

Growers cannot expect to reap the rich rewards of the harvest overnight. Ginseng is a slow growing plant that takes years to grow, but in a few years you will have a great start for a huge profit. It is impossible to get a full picture of growing ginseng in any book. Everyone is different and have different plans. We hope that we can give you some ideas without making too many mistakes. Feel free to ask any questions at any time. The most important thing is to START and to plant seeds or roots EVERY year. Each year you will have more and more ginseng roots and seeds and you will become even more interested in it. Also, if you plant every year, when you do begin to harvest, you will have a harvest every year. It's OK to start small to get some experience growing ginseng. That's the best way and it will not cost you a lot of money. In 4 or 5 years you will start to have your own seeds to plant. Your small hobby or venture will be getting bigger and bigger every year.

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Ginseng in Chinese Medicine

Ginseng Imperial Tonic

In recent years Western culture has become increasingly interested in aspects of Asian culture and medicine. North Americans and Europeans have been won over to the healing effects of the Ginseng Root, which has been accepted in Asia for centuries. It is being taken as a tonic to enhance vitality, to increase stamina and to build up resistance to the psychological and physical stresses of modern life.

The curative powers of Ginseng are said to be unique in the way they affect the whole body. This harmony, expressed as the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, is held to be essential to a healthy body, and a peaceful spirit. There are three main types of Ginseng. The properties of each Ginseng are quite different and their uses are not always interchangeable.

American Ginseng click here

Chinese Ginseng click here

Korean Ginseng click here

When on Ginseng therapy you should avoid drinking tea, eating turnips and avoid taking Iron supplements. When preparing foods and tonics with Ginseng you must avoid pots made of iron.

Research has even shown that Ginseng is effective in maintaining and even restoring the cells capacity to function and therefore may reduce a number of symptoms of old age. Ginseng root is rare and most highly regarded in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as precious herb. True Ginseng is costly, Wild Ginseng, more so. There are three principal kinds of true Ginseng. American, Chinese and Korean.

Western Medicine and Ginseng

Western medicine evaluates the effectiveness of Ginseng in a complementary way. The active ingredients in Ginseng are complex carbohydrates called saponins or ginsenosides. Individual ginsenosides appear to have separate effects. Whereas one particular ginsenoside stimulates the central nervous system, another may sedate the central nervous system. Other ginsenosides produce such effects as balancing metabolic processes, decreasing blood sugar, improving muscle tone, stimulating the endocrine system and maintaining proper hormone levels. Research has even shown that Ginseng is effective in maintaining and even restoring the cell's capacity to function and therefore may reduce a number of symptoms of old age. Ginseng root is rare and most highly regarded in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as precious herb. True Ginseng is costly, Wild Ginseng, more so...

Ginseng is a perennial herb normally growing 60-80 cm. in height. The root is fleshy and aromatic. The stem of the plant is erect, simple, rarely branches, has deep red leaves and has a fruit that is a small berry, again normally red in color. Today Ginseng is widely grown in northeastern China, Taiwan, North Korea, and the USA. The part of the Ginseng most widely used is the root, which is grayish white to amber yellow in color, with a wrinkled and furrowed surface. The taste is sweetish at first, with a bitter after taste.

Korean Ginseng is the most fiery or "hot", Chinese Ginseng is less fiery but still "hot" or "heaty", while American Ginseng is believed to have relaxing or "cooling" properties. All Ginseng's' strengthen and improve endurance.

Tienchi or Pseudo-ginseng sometimes referred to as "Siberian" or "Asian" Ginseng is not a true Ginseng, but a closely related plant with other beneficial properties than the true Ginseng's. Tienchi is said to be effective for some heart conditions and general pain relief.

Ginseng Combinations

Ginseng may be used by itself, in combination with other precious herbs including, Cordyceps and Wild American Ginseng, Chinese Ginseng -Royal Jelly Tonic and Deer Antler and Chinese Ginseng Tonic - a powerful anti-inflammatory for people experiencing fatigue. Ginseng also play a major part in many Chinese patent Medicines including Tien Wang Pu Hsin Tan - a famous combination often refereed to as "the King of Heaven Pills".

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Chinese Ginseng Research

Many countries have conducted extensive and thorough research on the properties of the ginseng, research has been primarily centered in China, in Japan, Korea and Russia, beside many other countries - many aspects of the herb have been covered in detail over the past two to three decades largely due to these studies. Confirmation of the remarkable "adaptogenic" quality of the herb - this is the ability to help the body in adapting to stressful situations, to physical fatigue, and to extremes of cold - was as a result of these studies.

The capacity of the human body to deal with physical and mental stresses such as extreme or prolonged hunger, with fluctuating extremes of temperature - both hot and cold, and to mental and emotional stress or trauma is seen to be improved remarkably when ginseng was used on a trial basis, ginseng seems to make the body work at a higher level of performance and endurance in all test subjects. In bodies requiring rest and sleep, paradoxically, the ginseng was found to be capable of inducing a sedative effect and thus aids in relaxation and physical recuperation. Structurally the stress hormones produced in the body resemble the ginsenosides which are present in the ginseng herb - these active compounds are the main repositories of all the beneficial effects found in the herb. In addition, the results from numerous researches have shown that the functioning of the immune system and the resistance of the body to infection, and the functioning of the liver is markedly improved by ginseng.

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Ginseng Root and Herb

This famous Chinese herb has been used for over 5,000 years. It was worth more than gold to the Qing Dynasty of ancient China.

Ginseng is used in thousands of formulas to provide vivacity and energy. Ginseng is used more than any other herbal remedy.

Ginseng contains nitrogenous compounds, minerals, vitamins, fat-soluble compounds, and carbohydrate compounds in its stained root. The herb is costly and not easy to produce and takes six years to reach maturity. Researchers today label ginseng as a strong immune system tonic that can uniquely affect the entire body.
Various types of ginseng include Japanese ginseng (Panax japonicum), Asian ginseng (panax ginseng), Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), and American ginseng. Asian ginseng is the most popular and grows in China, Korea, and Japan. Siberian ginseng is native to Korea, China, Japan, and Russia. America ginseng can be found in forested areas from Quebec to Minnesota and south to Georgia and Oklahoma.

American and Asian ginseng, both similar in chemical composition and appearance, are the types recognized for having healing powers. Ginseng grown in North American is often thought of as the most favorable and costly. It is grown and exported from Wisconsin, British Columbia, and Ontario.

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Ginseng (American ginseng, Asian ginseng, Chinese ginseng, Korean red ginseng, Panax ginseng)

This fact sheet provides basic information about the herbA plant or part of a plant used for its flavor, scent, or potential therapeutic properties. Includes flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems, and roots. Asian ginseng—common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Asian ginseng is native to China and Korea and has been used in various systems of medicine for many centuries. Asian ginseng is one of several types of true ginseng (another is American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius). An herb called Siberian ginseng or eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is not a true ginseng.


Common Names—Asian ginseng, ginseng, Chinese ginseng, Korean ginseng, Asiatic ginseng

Latin Name—Panax ginseng

Ginseng (Panax ginseng [Latin]) is the most widely used herb in Chinese medicine, a true panacea used to treat just about everything for thousands of years. The root of the ginseng plant is used medicinally, and has a quasi-human shape; the original Chinese name for this herb is jen shen, which means “man root.”

Although there are several different species of ginseng, it is the Chinese form of this herb (Panax ginseng) that has been most widely studied. American ginseng (P. quinquefolius) is popular in both Asia and Western countries, and the medicinal properties of Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) are also becoming increasingly well known.

Many studies have shown that ginseng can boost mood, improve memory, increase concentration and physical endurance, ease anxiety, and even improve test scores. Ginseng’s ability to improve mental function seems to increase when this herb is given in combination with ginkgo.

Ginseng is thought to be an adaptogen, meaning that it adapts itself as necessary to treat imbalances in the body. It has been shown to help balance blood pressure, blood sugar, triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and hormones in both men and women.

Ginseng is also an immune system booster and natural detoxifier. It helps keep the liver, adrenal glands, and thyroid healthy, may help prevent illnesses ranging from the common cold to cancer.

There have been numerous Asian studies demonstrating ginseng’s ability to slow the progression of cancer. Studies in South Korea and China both showed that people who regularly consumed ginseng were less likely to get lung cancer, and that ginseng seemed to enhance the effects of both radiation and chemotherapy. Studies suggest that two compounds in ginseng, ginsan and polyacetylinic alcohol help destroy lung cancer cells and slow tumor growth.

Ginseng is thought to have a mild stimulant effect, which may account for its purported ability to sharpen mental awareness and relieve symptoms of chronic fatigue. Tests have also shown that ginseng can help prevent a heart attack by lowering the heart rate and blood pressure. Ginseng has been shown to reduce LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels, and to increase the strength of the heart muscle itself.

One of ginseng’s most well known uses is that of a libido-stimulant. Research has supported the traditional belief that ginseng acts as an aphrodisiac by stimulating the hypothalamus to produce sex hormones that stimulate cell growth and healing in the sex organs. Ginseng is particularly helpful to men experiencing fertility or erectile dysfunction; it increases testosterone levels and blood flow to the penis. Women who are in the early stages of menopause and experiencing hot flashes may also benefit from ginseng supplementation, because ginseng has been found to stimulate the ovaries to produce more estrogen.

Ginseng’s ability to improve brain function and act as a stimulant may be helpful to people suffering from depression, stress, and some drug dependencies (cocaine or methamphetamines, for example). Studies have also shown that ginseng injections can help raise levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and adrenaline in the body, which supports the adrenal glands in times of stress and prevents the adrenal gland burn-out that can lead to serious illnesses such as Addison’s disease.

The usual dosage is 250 to 500 milligrams in capsules or 1 teaspoon of liquid extract daily. You can also buy fresh or dried ginseng root at some health food stores to make a potent, home-brewed tea—use teaspoon of dried root in a cup of hot water once or twice a day.

Some people may be sensitive to this herb, and may get diarrhea or upset stomach. The phytochemicals in ginseng may cause breast tenderness or irregular periods in some women. Other reported side effects include allergic reaction, rash, heart palpitations, insomnia, and mood swings—make sure to follow the recommended dosage instructions, as most side effects were reported from those taking very high doses. You may want to avoid this herb altogether is you have heart disease, and should definitely consult your cardiologist before taking ginseng supplements.

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The American Ginseng

American Ginseng Facts
American Ginseng is a hardy perennial plant that grows 1 - 1 1/2 feet tall, with small yellow or pink flowers and bright red berries. The root of this herb is used medicinally. It is grown mainly in the midwestern U.S., and it is exported to China and the Orient, where it is highly valued.

How American Ginseng Works
American Ginseng has been used for a wide range of things, from vomiting and nausea, to love potions for its stimulating, aphrodisiac effects. It has been recommended for at least 2000 years as a life-extender tonic and a cure-all for a multitude of ills. American Ginseng is an adaptogen that protects againt stress, both physical and mental, assisting the body functions to return to normal more quickly. It's antiinflammatory properties are important in the treatment of arthritis.

Possible Benefits

Enhances physical and mental vigor
Aids against depression caused by exhaustion and stress
May help increase longevity
Normalizes body functions
Antiinflammatory in treatment of arthritis
Works as a mild stimulant
Helps reduce cholesterol
May lower blood sugar levels and help with diabetes
Appetite and digestive stimulant
Inhibits growth of tumors
Relieves nausea
Helpful for coughs and chest disorders

Usage Guidelines
No known toxicity or side effects in low dosages.

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