🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Nowadays, people are increasingly concerned about their health and quality of life, making the use of ginseng for health preservation a popular trend. Both ginseng and American ginseng make excellent gifts for visiting patients, honoring elders, or presenting to friends. As a result, numerous ginseng-based health products have emerged in the market, such as ginseng capsules and American ginseng slices. With so many ginseng products available, consumers often find it difficult to choose appropriately. Therefore, Associate Pharmacist Yang Yanyun from Henan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine specially reminds everyone that while proper consumption of ginseng and American ginseng for dietary supplementation offers significant benefits to the body, both are medicinal herbs and should not be taken casually.
Ginseng is primarily produced in China's three northeastern provinces. Depending on processing methods, dried sun-exposed ginseng is called "raw sun-dried ginseng," steamed and then dried ginseng is known as "red ginseng," and ginseng soaked in brown sugar juice and then dried is referred to as "sugar-coated ginseng." American ginseng originates from North America, with the United States being its main production area. Due to the U.S. flag being the Stars and Stripes, American ginseng produced there is also known as "Guangqi Ginseng" (Flower Flag Ginseng). Although ginseng and American ginseng both belong to tonifying herbs and share functions such as strengthening the body, resisting fatigue, calming the mind, and enhancing immunity, their differing chemical compositions lead to distinct therapeutic effects. Thus, differentiation in application is essential. Patients with heat syndromes should opt for American ginseng, whereas those with cold syndromes should choose raw sun-dried ginseng or red ginseng. It is best to take them under the guidance of an experienced traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.
Ginseng has multiple effects: it enhances resistance to disease, strengthens brain function, exhibits strong anti-fatigue, cardiotonic, and anti-shock properties, improves hematopoietic function, delays aging, and regulates endocrine activity. The *Compendium of Materia Medica* states: "Ginseng tastes sweet with a slight bitterness and has a warm nature, entering the spleen and lung meridians. It possesses tonic strength, replenishes qi, consolidates vital energy, nourishes the lungs, and strengthens the spleen." Ginseng is a precious tonic herb capable of nourishing all five organs, offering potent qi-tonifying and spirit-soothing effects. It can be used for recovery after long-term illness, post-illness, postpartum, or post-surgical weakness, as well as for elderly individuals with weak constitution and reduced resistance.
American ginseng is classified as a mild tonic with benefits including qi tonification, fluid generation, yin nourishment, lung moistening, and heat-clearing. Modern pharmacological studies show that American ginseng has anti-fatigue and anti-hypoxia effects, enhances stress resistance, and provides sedative action. It is beneficial for conditions like tuberculosis, coronary heart disease, fever following acute illness, and cases characterized by qi and yin depletion. Elderly individuals with weak constitutions may enhance physical strength and prolong life by consuming it moderately. While American ginseng’s qi-tonifying effect is weaker than ginseng’s, its fluid-generating effect is stronger. Those with cold constitution, damp stomach, common cold cough, indigestion, or robust physique should avoid taking it.
Home preparation methods for ginseng (or American ginseng) include: dried ginseng is hard to slice; steam it until soft in a pot before slicing, then dry the thin slices for storage.
① Decoction: Place thin slices of ginseng in a sandpot, add 200 ml of water, soak for 1–2 hours, cover, and simmer gently for over half an hour. Drink the decoction, which can be re-decocted several times. When the liquid loses flavor, chew and swallow the residue.
② Tea infusion: Pour boiling water over thin ginseng slices, cover, and steep for 20 minutes. Drink as tea. After several infusions, chew and swallow the residue.
③ Sublingual administration: Hold thin ginseng slices in the mouth until tasteless, then chew and swallow.
4. Wine soaking: Soak a whole fresh ginseng root in appropriate amounts of white wine, seal tightly, and let it sit for one month. Take 10–30 ml twice daily. Suitable for symptoms such as qi and blood deficiency, fatigue, poor appetite due to spleen deficiency, shortness of breath due to lung deficiency, restlessness and insomnia due to deficiency, and muscle and bone soreness.
⑤ Capsule form: Grind ginseng into powder and fill into empty capsules for oral intake.
⑥ Stew ginseng together with chicken, duck, goose, yam, lily, etc., in a sandpot over low heat until thoroughly cooked. Consume the ginseng, meat, and broth together. Avoid drinking strong tea or eating radishes while taking ginseng. Do not use iron utensils or aluminum pots during decoction.
When storing ginseng at home, prevent moisture, mold, or insect infestation. Wrap in moisture-absorbing paper and store in a cool, dry, ventilated place or refrigerate.
Yang Yanyun especially warns: Ginseng and American ginseng both have potential side effects. Long-term or excessive consumption of ginseng may cause insomnia, depression, headache, palpitations, elevated blood pressure, decreased sexual function, skin rashes, dizziness, or bleeding. Long-term or excessive intake of American ginseng may lead to discomfort, aversion to cold, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or herpes. Therefore, when using these herbs for treatment or tonification, one must carefully select based on individual constitution and seek medical advice if necessary—avoid blind self-medication. By Li Youjia, Henan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine