Siberian Ginseng 100 g, 50 g, 25 g

Siberian Ginseng – 100 g ($11.99), 50 g ($7.99), 25 g ($5.99)

Benefits:

Siberian ginseng is considered an adaptogen in that it normalizes body functions. It has been used as a tonic to invigorate and fortify the body against fatigue. It was often used during convalescence from disease to increase work capacity and concentration. Traditional Chinese medicine uses it for kidney pain, urine retention, erectile dysfunction (ED), sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, pain and hip weakness, rheumatoid arthritis, and boosting the immune system. It is an immune stimulant that is especially useful for preventing infection during times of intense physical activity and prolonged periods of stress. In addition, it is a versatile training aid for athletes. (See “Siberian Ginseng Goes to the Gym”)

Siberian ginseng supports the body by helping the liver detoxify harmful toxins, including chemotherapeutic agents and products of radiation exposure. Preliminary studies in Russia have confirmed the use of the herb for people undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer, to help alleviate side effects, and to help bone marrow recover more quickly.

Cancer and mumps. Siberian ginseng was found to have a pronounced effect on T cells, mostly T-helper cells, but also cytotoxic and natural killer (NK) cells. It also reduces nitric oxide production, possibly by inhibiting NF-kappa B activity. Siberian ginseng extract was shown to inhibit reactive oxygen species production, which prevents oxygen particles from being released and damaging tissues. Siberian ginseng increases the production of interferon, an immune-system chemical. All of these factors make Siberian ginseng appealing for further research in treating cancer.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and viral infections. Siberian ginseng has a proven ability to prevent upper respiratory infections. Russian studies involving tens of thousands of participants found that taking Siberian ginseng for eight to ten weeks before the beginning of the cold and flu season reduces the incidence of these diseases by more than 95 percent. This herb stimulates the activity of several immune-system components: B and T cells, which direct the immune response to infection; macrophages, “germ-eating” cells that attack bacteria; and interferons, which “interfere” with every stage of viral infection.

Research suggests that Siberian ginseng improves stamina. Patients with chronic fatigue who used this herb for six months reported less fatigue. Although the results did not differ from placebo, they were encouraging. The participants took four 500-milligram capsules per day for a total of 2.24 milligrams of eleutherosides, which are one of the active ingredients in Siberian ginseng.

Recent evidence suggests that Siberian ginseng may prove valuable in the long-term management of various diseases of the immune system, including HIV/AIDS, CFS, and autoimmune illnesses such as lupus.

Heart disease. Siberian ginseng supplementation has been shown to reduce LDL-cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) levels as well as improve the LDL/HDL (“bad”/”good”) ratio in postmenopausal women after six months. Other studies have reported that Siberian ginseng is protective of the heart against free-radical damage, reducing platelet aggregation, and lowering blood pressure. These benefits are mainly attributable to the fraction, one of the compounds in the herb called eleutherococcus. In one study, individuals sixty-five years of age and older who had high blood pressure and felt run-down took 300 milligrams of Siberian ginseng (per day) or placebo for eight weeks. After four weeks, those assigned to the herb group had significantly better mental health and social functioning compared to the placebo group. At eight weeks, the groups’ results were the same, however.

 

Recommended Use

Siberian ginseng is available as eleuthero extracts, tablets, and teas. It is also available in bottled ginseng tonics, but you need to make sure that any such product actually contains real Siberian ginseng (E. senticosus), and not other herbs that may be falsely labeled as “ginseng.”

Using Siberian ginseng may cause insomnia if you take it too close to bedtime, and it has been reported to cause mild, temporary diarrhea in a few users. It has also caused nervousness, tachycardia (fast heartbeat), headache, and low blood sugar. People who have myasthenia gravis, rheumatoid arthritis, or related diseases, such as lupus, psoriatric arthritis, and Sjögren’s syndrome, should avoid Siberian ginseng. This herb stimulates the immune system to produce B cells, which in turn release tissue-destructive antibodies, aggravating these conditions. Since Siberian ginseng contains compounds that stimulate testosterone production, men who have prostate disorders should not use it. You should not use Siberian ginseng if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure. It can be used during pregnancy or nursing; however, pregnant or nursing women using this herb should avoid products that also contain Panax ginseng. Check with your doctor before taking it to make sure it is safe for you. One woman experienced a hemorrhage when using a product that contained Siberian ginseng with other herbs such as red clover for hot flashes. The problem corrected itself when she stopped using the product. Anyone who takes digoxin (Lanoxicaps, Lanoxin) should seek the advice of a health-care professional before taking Siberian ginseng. This herb-drug combination has been reported to cause dangerously high serum digoxin levels. Animal research has shown that Siberian ginseng can increase the sleep-inducing effects of barbiturates. Persons taking barbiturates for anxiety or insomnia may become more sedated than usual when taking Siberian ginseng.

Botanical Name: Eleutherococcus senticosus
English: Siberian Ginseng
Also, known as: Buisson du diable, chi wu cha, ciwujia, devil’s bush, devil’s shrub, eleuthero, eleutherococc, eleutherococoque, eleutherokokk koljucij, ezoukogi, gashi ohgap, prickly eleutherococcus, shigoka, Siberian ginseng, Stachelkraftwurz, Stachelpanax, taiga root, Taigawurzel, thorny ginseng, thorny Russian pepperbush, touch-me-not, tsu wu cha, wild pepper, wu cha sang, wu cha seng, wujiapi,hongmao-wujiapi, many prickle acanthopanax, pai wu cha pi, prickly eleutherococc, Acanthopanax senticosus, Devil’s Shrub, Eleuthero, Hedera senticosa Rupr & Maxim, Touch-Me-Not, Wild Pepper
Habitat: South-east Asia, northern China, Korea, Japan, and the south-eastern part of the Russia.
Origin: China
Harvested: Cultivated
Parts Used: Root

General Information:
Eleutherococcus senticosus roots are cylindrical. The roots are straight, branched and 0.5 to 1 cm in diameter. The appearance of the roots are dark brown, and the surface is smooth with bark. Roots are 4 to 5 cm thick. The color of the roots is pale brown, wrinkled. There are roots from the unrelated plants call Periploca sepium in English known as “Chinese Silk Vine” that have been used as substitutes for Eleutherococcus senticosus.

How to use:

Decoctions are suitable for roots, barks, large seeds & berries, and other dense material. The simple way to make decoction is, in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of dried herbs to I cup of water. Bring the water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes. Strain and squeeze out as much as liquid as possible and enjoy!

 

Siberian Ginseng and Athletics

Athletes around the world have adopted Siberian ginseng as a training aid. Athletes use it to increase performance, bolster the immune system against the demands made on it during exercise, reduce fatigue after workouts, and reduce the effects of stress.

The Russians were the first to use Siberian ginseng as a training aid. A Russian scientist named I. I. Brekhman conducted years of painstaking studies on dozens of native Russian plants, trying to find a replacement for red ginseng as a cold- and flu-fighter. Brekhman wanted an herb that would increase resistance to stress and normalize physical function and do so without causing side effects. All of these qualities are present in Siberian ginseng, which Brekhman and his colleagues found to have an impressive range of benefits.

In time, the herb was investigated as a legal stimulant for the Soviet Union’s international athletes. The Soviet (and later, Russian) Olympic team has publicly acknowledged its use of Siberian ginseng since the Munich Olympics of 1972, and the herb was credited by team nutrition and pharmacology adviser Sergei Portugalov for Russia’s unexpected capture of eleven gold medals at the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in 1994. Chess players, cosmonauts, musicians, and high-level Russian military officers started using Siberian ginseng, while its use in athletics went global. Basketball player Charles Barkley, for instance, was reported to drink thirty bottles of Siberian ginseng tonic a week.

Unfortunately, scientific studies of Siberian ginseng’s usefulness in athletic performance have yielded results that are difficult to interpret. For instance, in a study conducted at Old Dominion University in Virginia, athletes who were given Siberian ginseng had consistently higher maximum heart rates and higher rates of oxygen consumption than athletes who were given a placebo. Athletes taking the herb also did not become exhausted as quickly. Runners had higher concentrations of lactic acid in their muscles after their races, an indication of greater muscular activity. These complicated measurements could be conducted on only sixteen athletes, however, so the study failed to capture statistically significant differences in performance. Other studies have shown positive but not statistically significant benefits from Siberian ginseng.

If the effects of Siberian ginseng are not direct, could they be indirect? The answer seems to be that Siberian ginseng keeps athletes from getting sick and prevents them from becoming run-down through heavy training. It also speeds their return to physiological normalcy following strenuous workouts. Siberian ginseng can, when used over the long term, improve an athlete’s overall training program, promote more consistent training, and quicken reflexes and lower race times.

Followers of competitive sports know that simple respiratory infections can dash the competitive hopes of even the most superbly trained athletes. Athletes are easy prey for germs. Intense or prolonged endurance exercise—sometimes even a single workout or race—causes large increases in hormones that can decrease the activity of the immune system, specifically the activity of T and natural killer (NK) cells. The NK cells form an important line of defense against infectious agents, especially against viruses and bacteria that attack the upper respiratory system. Data show that Siberian ginseng, when taken preventively, can reduce athletes’ rates of infection by 35 percent. Siberian ginseng spurs the bone marrow and the immune system to greater activity. Some researchers believe that Siberian ginseng increases the synthesis of interferon, a powerful chemical that boosts immune-system activity. Other researchers believe that the herb stimulates the activity of germ-eating macrophages in cell studies. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of Siberian ginseng’s infection-fighting components fades fairly quickly, so it must be taken continuously for best results.

Siberian ginseng also reduces fatigue after workouts. It reduces the “burn” after workouts, reducing muscle soreness without the side effects of aspirin and other painkillers. By raising the amount of energy available to the muscles very quickly, Siberian ginseng allows athletes to train consistently and to perform several hard workouts in a short time.

Finally, Siberian ginseng’s stress-lowering effect is important to athletes because it moderates the production of cortisol. Overtrained athletes often have high levels of cortisol, which is a catabolic (protein-destroying) stress hormone. Siberian ginseng was shown in cell studies to deactivate cortisol before the hormone could cause tissue damage.