Panax Ginseng

Description
Ginseng refers to a group of adaptogenic herbs from the plant family Araliacae. Medicinal preparations are made from the roots of the plants. Panax ginseng has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years as a tonic indicated for its beneficial effects on the central nervous system, protection from stress ulcers, increase of gastrointestinal motility, anti-fatigue action, enhancement of sexual function and acceleration of metabolism.

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Claims

• Relieves stress
• Enhances athletic performance
• Tonic for well-being
• Immune enhancer
• Stimulant
• Hypoglycemic (reduces blood sugar
• Improves cognitive function

Theory
Panax Ginseng is termed an adaptogen. An adaptogen is defined as a therapeutic and restorative tonic generally considered to produce a “balancing” effect on the body. The properties required of a substance to fulfill this definition are that the substance should be innocuous and cause minimal disorders in the physiological functions of an organism, that the action be non-specific in that it increases resistance to a wide range of factors (including physical, chemical and biological factors), and that the substance should possess a normalizing action irrespective of the direction of the pathological changes. In general, an adaptogen can be thought of as a substance that helps the body to deal with stress.

The active components in Panax ginseng are thought to be ginsenosides, a family of triterpenoid saponins. In general, most of the top-quality ginseng products, whether whole root or extract, are standardized for ginsenoside content.  It has been theorized that ginseng’s action in the body is due to its stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis to secrete adrenal corticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH has the ability to bind directly to brain cells and can affect a variety of behaviors in the body. These behaviors might include motivation, vitality, performance and arousal.

Scientific Support
One study of the effects of 200mg/day of Panax ginseng extract for 12 weeks showed improvements over baseline values of mental performance (attention, mental processing, logical deduction and both motor function and reaction time)

Over a period of several decades, German and Soviet researchers have studied the effects of Panax ginseng extract, standardized to 4% ginsenosides, on the performance of athletes. One study compared 200mg/day of Panax ginseng extract in 14 highly trained male athletes versus a placebo. The ginseng group showed an increase in their maximum oxygen uptake when compared to the placebo group as well as a statistically significant improvement in recovery time and lower serum lactate values. Other studies in various groups of young athletes have shown Panax ginseng extract to provide statistically significant improvements in performance measures such as forced vital capacity and maximum breathing capacity as compared to the placebo groups.

Safety
Plants in the ginseng family are generally considered quite safe (that's part of the definition they must fulfill to be termed an adaptogen). There are no known drug interactions, contraindications, common allergic reactions or toxicity hazards to Panax ginseng. However, it is recommended that men using herbal remedies for erectile dysfunction that contain ginseng should not exceed a regimen of three months. Caution is recommended for individuals with hypertension as the stimulatory nature of some ginseng preparations have been reported to increase blood pressure. Additionally, individuals prone to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) should use ginseng with caution due to the reported effects of ginseng to reduce blood sugar levels.

Value
While the scientific evidence for the benefits of ginseng and its mechanisms of action in libido boosters can be considered inconclusive, the adaptogenic role of ginseng has proven beneficial for many thousands of years and may, therefore, prove valuable as a normalizing substance during stressful conditions.

Dosage
The most precise approach for treating decreased libido would be to use a standardized extract to ensure that you are getting an effective product. Products should be standardized to contain a minimum of 4-5% ginsenosides. Daily intake of 100-300 mg for 3-6 weeks is recommended to produce adaptogenic and energetic benefits.