In our first article we made reference to cloves as a Flu Fighting Food. Today let’s discuss how ginseng root can help.
(photo: Annies Remedy)
Out of all of the herbal supplements on the market today, Ginseng is the most widely used. In earlier times Ginseng went by a different name, “man root.” Because the root resembled that of the shape of a man. To this day many people believe in the powers of Ginseng as they believe that it has healing and mystical powers. The Ancient Chinese thought that when a plant resembles a human body part that it would have a healing effect on that part of the body. In other words if a plant resembled a hand it would have the ability to heal the hands. But since Ginseng resembles the entire body it is thought that it can bring balance and well being to the whole body.
Ginseng contains complex carbohydrates, is an anti inflammatory, an anti oxidant, and has anti cancer elements. Notice today that many energy drinks contain Ginseng which is because it is known for creating energy, this was brought to the forefront by the Chinese but Americans have a different plan for Ginseng which is use it for mental lucidity and treating stress. There has been a growing relationship between Ginseng and its ability to strengthen physically as well as mentally and maintain good balance.
It was the Russians who actually made that discovery however the Asians have discovered that Ginseng helps mental improvement, eliminates anemia, and helps prevent diabetes, neurosis, coughs, asthma, and TB. Further they found that it can be very beneficial to the liver and can also reduce the effects significantly of a hangover.
One study, from the University of Western Ontario and the University of Alberta, was designed as a placebo controlled, randomized, double blind study of 170 people between the ages of 18 and 65 years. This is considered a good-quality study design amongst scientists. They used a standardized extract of American ginseng, which came in a 200g capsule, with 80% poly-furanosyl-pyranosyl-saccharides from the root.
The people in the study had a history of getting at least 2 colds in the previous year. They were told to take 2 capsules of either ginseng or the placebo (they didn’t know which they were getting), every day for 4 months. The trial started at the beginning of the cold and flu season.
The results were interesting. Of those taking ginseng, only 10% got two or more colds, compared to 22.8% of those taking the placebo. This was comparable with the results of common antiviral drugs that are used to prevent or treat flu. And of those who took the ginseng but still got sick, their symptoms were less severe.
Thus ginseng may provide a valuable immune boost to those who are susceptible to winter colds. This is especially valid for the elderly, as ginseng has been shown to have other important benefits for memory and aging (information source: Health Tuber).
While it is true that Ginseng is most widely recognized as a medicinal herb it is also used quite frequently in teas and in cooking. Most people are aware of the infamous Ginseng tea but many are not aware that Ginseng is sliced and put into soups and often boiled and mashed, added to stir fry dishes, and added to boiling water when making rice. It is much more common for cooking in Chinese, Korean, and Asian foods.
Before modern Western medicine ginseng was the first ever flu shot.
photo: Empower Network)
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