Ginseng is among today’s most popular herbal remedies. Walk the aisles of any health store and you can’t miss it: ginseng in capsules, liquid extracts, teas, tinctures, and more. Yet ginseng is no medicinal newcomer - the herb boasts a long, distinguised history as an adaptogen, tonic, central nervous system stimulant and circulatory stimulant. Centuries of Chinese healers have used it to fight such wide-ranging ills as low blood pressure, general weakness, malaise, mental deficiency and sexual dysfunction. In fact, some of the earliest recorded usgaes of the herb - to increase libido and strenghthen “weak mentality” - come from Emperor Shen nung, who began his reign in 2800BC and is considered China’s patron saint of herbal medicine.

At one time ginseng grew wild throughout China and Korea. Today, Chinese ginseng is extremely rare in the wild, but it is cultivated in the US, China, Korea, and Russia. A member of the Araliaceae family, ginseng is low-growing perennial that is difficult to cultivate. The plant’s medicinal portion is the root - yet the root doesn’t become ready for harvesting until the plant’s sixth, seventh, or eighth autumn.

Today, ginseng is best known as a revitaliser and a stimulant that is especially helpful in boosting immune-system function, increasing red blood cell count, and combating fatigue, general weakness, loss of mental acuity and edema.