About ginseng root

Information on Ginseng

American ginseng is one of the perennial herbs whichoriginate from the eastern regions of the United States. It is also sometimesreferred to as panax quinquefolius. It belongs to the genus of panax and thefamily known by the name of araliaceae. It can be found in the wilderness but it hasbeen harvested as an endangered species in the 1970s. It is very similar to theAsian type of ginseng which is also known by its botanical name of panaxginseng. This type of ginseng has been harvested for numerous centuries innorthern regions of China. It has been used for the treatment of numerousmedical conditions in the traditional Chinese medicine. The name of its genusis derived from the Greek word panakeia which stands for “universal remedy”. Ginsengis derived from the Chinese language and it can be translated roughly as “inthe image of a man”. Nowadays, ginseng is mostly used as a very powerfuldietary supplements and it provides the human body with numerous differenttypes of health benefits.

Uses

In Asia, people use ginseng root as a very importantingredient for the production of a vast array of products such as cigarettes,chewing gums, candy, soft drinks and even toothpastes. It can be purchased as awhole root, but certain marketers sell it in the form of powder capsules,extracts and crystals as well. One may purchase ginseng root in most wellequipped health food stores. An interesting fact is that one may also purchaseginseng seeds, so that the plant can be grown at home. Most manufacturers claimthat ginseng products can be used for a wide array of different medical conditionssuch as fatigue and stress. It is also often considered as a very powerfulstimulant.

Growth Habits

The plants are commonly started from seeds as the seedlingsare used very rarely in the process of transplantation. The seeds need to be plantedin the fall so that they could germinate once the spring kicks in. It is stillpretty much impossible to hasten the process of germination, so theaforementioned method remains the only one commonly used. During the first yearthe plant produces one compound leaf and the root may grow up to an inch inlength. With each new year the plant produces more leaves and a mature plantmay grow up to 24 inches in height. The flowering occurs in the summer. The rootsgrow to a marketable size only after three years of growth.