5000 Years Of Chinese Ginseng
Jin Huang
Chinese herbs and Chinese medicines have been used for
thousands of years to help people feel better, more vital and
live longer. Many of them have also been used for treating
various illness and restoring the normal body functions for
hundreds of years, and have proved their effectiveness. One of
the most appealing qualities of Chinese herbs therapy is the
low risk of adverse reaction or side effects, especially when
compared to pharmaceutical drugs.
Chinese
Ginseng has been a major medicinal herb in Asia for over 5,000
years, and demand for it is likely to remain strong, as long as
growers continue to produce high quality roots. Ginseng is the
same herb that traditional ginseng hunters have harvested from
the wild for generations in Appalachia. Although slight
fluctuations in the export market can occur, as with any
product, high quality wild ginseng has been selling for
hundreds of dollars per pound in recent years, and experts
expect it to sell for a high price for years to come.
Connections to the Past, 'Sang hunters have gathered wild
ginseng roots and carefully dried them for centuries in the
Appalachians. In some areas, it was probably ginseng - not
traditional agricultural crops like corn or tobacco that were
the first plants to be traded by early pioneers.
Ginseng is the dried root of one of several species of the
Araliaceae family of herbs. The most commonly used type is
Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A., Meyer), often sold as Panax,
Chinese, or Korean ginseng.
Ginseng was gathered directly from the wild like furs and other
backwoods commodities. Over the years, ginseng harvest increased
and ginseng became known as a reliable source of cash when cash
was not otherwise available in some mountain locales. None of
this could have happened without the lucrative Asian market for
ginseng, which drives the American market. Yet few people are
aware of the reasons why ginseng is so highly prized in Asia.
The focus of attention is on two different species of ginseng,
one in Asia (mostly in China and Korea), called Panax Ginseng,
and its North American counterpart, called Panax Quinquefolium
or American Ginseng. In the wild, the two species closely
resemble one another, having glistening red berries, peculiar
five pointed leaflets, and gnarled roots that are often shaped
like a tiny person.
The only major difference between the Asian and American
species is a slightly different chemical composition, which is
said to give American ginseng a slightly more soothing effect
than Asian ginseng. Both species of ginseng are said to produce
an overall stimulating effect when consumed, however and both
are said to contain "adaptogens," believed to help the body
develop all-around resistance to stress and disease. Both
species are found in deep forests and are difficult to locate.
The wild roots of both bring immensely high prices, especially
in the Chinese marketplace.
About The Author: Chinese herbs and Chinese medicines have been
used for thousands of years to help people feel better, more
vital and live longer. Find out How Ginseng Can Benefit You at
http://ChineseMedicine.smartreviewguide.com
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