Posted by guttersnipe on March 29, 2004, at 3:12:52
In reply to anybody know about ginseng????, posted by Stryker88 on March 14, 2004, at 5:11:18
Depends on what kind of ginseng you take. If it's American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) then from all I've read, you should be fine (some suggest taking a few weeks off any ginseng every 6 weeks of so, though). American ginseng has broader variety of ginsenosides (the active chemical constituents) than does Korean or Chinese ginseng (Panax ginseng), and American ginseng has greater balance among its ginsenosides than does Korean or Chinese ginseng. The result is, in Taoist terms, that American ginseng has good Yin-Yang balance, whereas Chinese or Korean ginseng is primarily Yang energy.
I have read that the different proportions of ginsenosides (or the predominately Yang energy) is why continuous use of Chinese or Korean ginseng can lead to unhealthily elevated levels of cortisol (a stress formone) in the body and can make people tense or irritable, whereas no such effects have been found in folks with continuous use of American ginseng.
If you're taking what is called "Siberian ginseng" (Eleutherococcus senticosus, or "eleuthero"), then you're not taking a true ginseng at all -- it's a root from a completely different genus. It has some MAO-inhibitor effects, so before taking it, you'd be well-advised to check your meds (if any) to see whether MAOIs are contraindicated.
Hope that helps -- I'm not a ginseng expert, but I've noticed that American ginseng gives me more energy and spirit than the other two, and also does so without getting me agitated.
poster:guttersnipe
thread:324178
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040225/msgs/329724.html