There are several different varieties of ginseng plant and they all tend to be used for medicinal purposes. Some are grown in Asia and others in America and there are even some wild varieties which are now protected to stop people digging them up for their health benefits.
There are many different health claims surrounding the plant and it is most often the root that is used. Many research studies have been done on ginseng to try to establish the benefits but as so many have been done, each using different amounts of ginseng to test for different things it has been hard to draw any definitive conclusions.
It is often added to energy drinks but in insignificant quantities. It has been promoted as something which can help the body to resist the effects of stress which is due to the anti carcinogenic and antioxidant properties that it has been found to have but there is no evidence to show that these properties do provide protection for the body.
One of the most common uses is as an aphrodisiac and it has been shown that it can help males in this way.
The American Ginseng has been found to reduce the risk of influenza in research studies done among the elderly.
Asian ginseng tends to be treated in different ways, giving it different properties depending on whether it is fresh, dried or grown for a long time before harvesting. Some types have been found to reduce the incidence of cancer in clinical trials.
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