What could ginseng do for you?


What could ginseng do for you?. From work-related pressure and relationship difficulties, to cash concerns and child-rearing issues, life can sometimes seem like a never-ending stream of problems and pitfalls.

The challenges so inherent in our culture can have profound effects on our physical and emotional well-being.

Stress increases the risk of conditions as diverse as colds and flu, heart disease, depression and insomnia, and statistics show a five-fold increase in stress-related illness in the past 40 years.

One way to mitigate against the effects of stress is to build up the body's internal reserves, enabling it to cope better with the demands life brings. In this respect, natural medicine has much to offer.

For thousands of years, plant extracts have been used as 'tonics' to enhance the function of the body and mind in times of stress.

One of the most popular agents, Siberian ginseng, has a history of traditional use dating back more than 2,000 years.

More recently, Siberian ginseng has been the focus of several scientific studies designed to elucidate the precise action of this herb on the body.

Evidence suggests it can do much to enhance our vitality and protect us from the effects of stress.

The chief organs in the body responsible for dealing with stress are the adrenal glands, which secrete a variety of hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, which have important roles to play in the body's response to stress.

However, the adrenal glands have only a certain capacity to respond to stress, and prolonged demands can cause them to weaken.

Common symptoms of weakened adrenal glands include fatigue (which is often worse just after the stress of physical exertion), dizziness on standing, anxiety and/or depression.

Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) has been shown to have a number of beneficial effects on the physiology of both animals and humans. One of these appears to be an ability to protect the adrenal glands, increasing their capacity to withstand prolonged stress.

In animals, Siberian ginseng has been shown to protect against the effects of a wide range of potential stresses, including heat, cold, surgery, blood loss and infection.

Studies on humans have shown that Siberian ginseng can be of benefit in a diverse array of work settings: explorers, sailors, deep-sea divers, rescue workers, truck drivers, pilots and factory workers have all been shown to respond positively to it.

In one study, published in 1997, proof-readers were found to work more quickly and make fewer mistakes when taking Siberian ginseng.

Another of Siberian ginseng's specific effects is that it appears to enhance the action of the immune system.

This, coupled with its general strengthening effects, may explain why long-term use of this herb has been shown to reduce the rate of infection and absenteeism in workers.

A study of 1,000 Siberian factory workers found that taking Siberian ginseng for just 30 days reduced days lost due to absenteeism by 40 pc over the next year, and general illness rates for the same period were cut by half.

In the Fifties, Russian scientists became interested in Siberian ginseng's potential to enhance athletic performance.

Siberian ginseng was consistently used by Soviet athletes in the late Seventies and early Eighties, and some believe that their success was, in part, due to the supportive effects of this herb.

It seems that in addition to helping combat the effects of long-term stress, Siberian ginseng also has the capacity to enhance performance and vitality in healthy individuals.

Siberian ginseng is widely available in health food stores. The normal dose is 1-4g of dried herb a day, or 2-8ml per day of a liquid extract.

Sometimes, Siberian ginseng products will be stan-dardised to the content of one of its active ingredients, a compound known as eleutheroside E. Then, 1.25g tablets containing 0.7mg of eleutheroside E should be taken 1-3 times a day.

Traditionally, it is recommended that Siberian ginseng be taken for periods of six weeks, interspersed with breaks of two weeks. Siberian ginseng appears to be safe to take in the long term. ( dailymail.co.uk )






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