Part used: Generally, the root. The leaves, although milder in action, can also be used.
Collection and habitat: A native of eastern Asia (Korea, Russia, China), panax ginseng is rare in the
wild because of overharvesting. Occasionally, plants over 100 years old are still found; these sell
for up to $20,000 per ounce. The herb is now extensively commercially cultivated; the roots are
harvested in the fall of the fifth year. The older the roots, the better medicines they are considered to be.
Actions: Tonic, adaptogen, stimulant, immunomodulator, immune system stimulant, blood pressure and sugar
regulator, cerebral circulation stimulant, cognitive function enhancer, adrenal tonic, antitumor.
Functions in liver disease: Helps alleviate general weakness, fatigue, low libido, exhaustion,
brain fog, and lack of appetite. Enhances immune function, interferon production, and phagocytosis.
Modulates white blood cell counts. Potentiates almost all liver functions, including RNA and DNA
repair and production of vital proteins. Lowers liver enzyme levels in the blood. Hepatoprotective,
antiviral, antitumor.
About Panax Ginseng
Panax ginseng is probably the most famous of Chinese herbs and has been used in TCM for thousands
of years. It has been administered alone or in combination for general weakness, sexual debility,
lack of appetite, anemia, forgetfulness, immune deficiency, high and low blood pressure, and adrenal
deficiency. Medical research on ginseng can and does fill several large volumes with exceptionally
tiny type. What follows is only a sample of the problems associated with hepatitis. In both human
and laboratory studies, ginseng has been found to be strongly protective of the liver, to lower
liver enzyme levels, to positively affect cholesterol and lipid metabolism, and to be radioprotective,
antitumor, antioxidant, and antiviral.
Panax ginseng has shown antiviral activity in vitro against HBV One human trial reported that ginseng,
along with multivitamins, can significantly reduce chronic liver disease in elderly patients within
12 weeks. Ginseng has been shown to be hepatoprotective in vivo against liver disease induced by
CC14,
chloroform, galactosamine, and ethanol. Other in vivo studies showed that it protected the liver from
ethanolinduced hyperlipidemia. It also reduced cellular swelling, congestion, bile pigmentation, and
elevated aminotransferase levels; reduced liver enzyme levels; prevented dexamethasone-induced
increases in aminotransferase levels; and protected against ethanol-induced mitochondrial swelling
and disruption, pyknosis and fat deposition, depression of phospholipid synthesis, and stimulation
of triglyceride synthesis. A combination of ginseng and bupleurum given in vivo before
CC14 injection
significantly reduced cellular-level liver damage in mice.
More than 500 published scientific papers have addressed the actions of ginseng. Some of the most
noted areas of activity concern the herb's immune-enhancing, radioprotective, and antitumor
properties.
Ginseng has been found to enhance antibody response, natural killer cell action, interferon
production, and overall power and strength of the immune system. Many studies on the use of
ginseng in cancer treatment in China showed that ginseng possesses strong antitumor actions.
Treated panax (called red or kirin ginseng) showed the strongest activity. Ginseng has also been
reported to have a strong ability to protect living organisms from the effects of radiation.
Preparation and Dosage
As powder or tincture. Powder: 1-2 tsp (5-10 mL) per day.
Tincture: 1:5 in 70 percent alcohol. White root, 20-40 drops; red cured root (Chinese of Korean),
5-20 drops, both up to 3 times per day. American species (Panax quinquefolium): woodsgrown,
10-20 drops up to 3 times per day.
Contraindications and Side Effects
Men younger than age 40 should use Siberian ginseng, not panax ginseng. Contraindicated in high
blood pressure, excessive menstrual bleeding, and pregnancy. May cause high blood pressure,
irritability, insomnia, muscle tension, headache, and restlessness.
Herbs for Hepatitis C and the Liver
by Stephen Harrod Buhner
Herbal Medicines Offer Hope for Combating Hepatitis C. More than 500 million people worldwide carry
the deadly hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis C poses a public health crisis far greater that
the AIDS epidemic. This deadly disease, which can go undetected for years, eventually
attacks the liver, causing cirrhosis, cancer, and even liver failure.
Price: $10.36
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