Alternative health herbs: which variety of ginseng is right for you

The recorded use of ginseng goes back over two thousand years in traditional Chinese medicine and the different varieties have been used by natural healers around the world for centuries. A clear understanding of the different varieties of ginseng is essential to determine what type you should be taking.

Ginseng, no matter the variety has one common active ingredient: ginsenosides, triiterpenoidal glycosides that give the ginseng its distinct properties. The amount of ginsenosides varies depending upon how and where the plant was grown and the age of the root. The amount of ginsenosides also determines whether the ginseng is considered warm or cool.

There are three varieties of ginseng on the market today. Within those varieties, there are several sub-types that play a part in both potency and price. Each of the varieties are for different purposes and needs.

Oriental ginseng, panax ginseng, is native to the Orient and found today in China and Korea. Wild Oriental ginseng is very rare and when sold can command a price of over twenty thousand dollars an ounce. Because of over harvesting, wild ginseng is almost extinct.

The most common type of Oriental ginseng is cultivated. Cultivated ginseng is sold in two forms, red and white.

White Oriental, or Chinese, ginseng is the natural root of the plant, which had not been processed in any way other than washed and allowed to dry naturally.

Red Oriental, or Korean, ginseng is processing the plant root using steam for preservation. This process turns the root red in color. Many herbalists claim red ginseng is more potent than white, as the root must be older in order to withstand the processing.

Oriental ginseng is said to be warming in Chinese traditional medicine. Used as a daily tonic, Oriental ginseng speeds up body functions and increases energy levels. Most often used in liquid form and can be easily added to coffee, soda and water or taken straight.

American ginseng, panax quinquefolium, is a cousin of the Oriental plant and is found naturally in the mountainous regions of the United States. Wild American ginseng, like its Oriental relative, has been harvested to a point where it is considered a threatened species. Only legal shang diggers are allowed to harvest the root in most localities.

American ginseng is also cultivated by two methods. The first is known as woods grown ginseng. The plant is grown organically on small ginseng farms located in forests and heavy wooded areas. The root is then harvested after six to eight years. The second type is the more common; ginseng is cultivated under false shade in fields using modern technology.

American ginseng is considered cool. It is said to relieve stress, increase body fluids and calm nerves. American ginseng is often taken when constipated or suffering from a dry, hacking cough. Many people take it to reduce fevers and women have found it beneficial for hot flashes and night sweats.

Siberian ginseng, eleutherococcus senticocus, is the third variety of ginseng and is not ginseng at all, but does contain many similar stimulating effects. It too, is considered warm. As the name implies, this plant is grown in Siberia and is generally less expensive than true ginseng.

Siberian ginseng, in Russian studies, was proven to increase stamina and endurance among athletes and production workers. It is also taken to reduce stress and warm body temperatures.