Ginseng is an herb that has been used for various health purposes. 

Ginseng is a plant that grows in Korea, China, and Siberia. It's considered an adaptogen, which are natural substances that are believed to stimulate the body's resistance to stressors. Panax ginseng contains many active chemicals. The most important are called ginsenosides or panaxosides.

Ginseng is taken by mouth for memory and thinking skills, Alzheimer disease, depression, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support many of these uses.

what are the benefits of ginseng extract？

Possibly Effective for

Memory and thinking skills (cognitive function). Taking Panax ginseng by mouth might improve thinking, arithmetic skills, and reaction times in healthy, middle-aged people but not in young adults. Taking panax ginseng alone doesn't seem to help memory, but taking it with ginkgo leaf extract seems to improve memory in healthy people between the ages of 38 and 66.

Erectile dysfunction (ED). Taking Panax ginseng by mouth seems to improve sexual function in adults with ED.

Flu (influenza). Taking a specific Panax ginseng extract by mouth appears to reduce the risk of getting a cold or the flu. But it doesn't seem to reduce flu symptoms or the length of the illness.

Fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Taking Panax ginseng by mouth daily for 3 months reduces feelings of tiredness and improves quality of life in females with MS.

Increasing response to sexual stimuli in healthy people. Taking Panax ginseng alone or with other ingredients by mouth seems to improve sexual arousal and satisfaction in postmenopausal adults. It also seems to improve sexual desire in females who report sexual problems.

Possibly Ineffective for

Athletic performance. Taking Panax ginseng by mouth for up to 8 weeks doesn't improve athletic performance.

There is interest in using panax ginseng for a number of other purposes, but there isn't enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.

How to choose a ginseng extract?

Which part of the plant is used?

On the market, it is possible to find Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer extracts produced from aerial or underground parts of the plant. At this stage, it is important to remind that active ingredients of ginseng belong to ginsenosides family. Nevertheless, all ginsenosides have not the same characteristics and benefits. Ginsenosides from roots and rootlets should be preferentially chosen because they have been traditionally used in Chinese medicine for centuries. In addition, they are the most studied by scientists and proved their effectiveness in recent years. If smaller roots benefit from a greater active ingredients ratio, the choice of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer extracts depends above all on its use and desired benefits.

White ginseng or red ginseng?

Among extracts of ginseng roots, two main types appear: the white ginseng and the red ginseng. They differ in the method of production. In its natural state, the ginseng root is white. By heating it, the root become red. This step of heating influences several parameters, especially its composition in active ingredients and its properties. In other words, as previously, the choice between white and red ginseng depends on researched active ingredients and benefits.

Which is the content of active ingredients?

The content of ginsenosides is a key point when choosing a ginseng extract. It varies according to several parameters: the specie, the part of the plant used, the age of the plant, the extraction process, the processing steps… For the same extract, it may also differ according to analytical method employed. Indeed, it is known that the dosing by UV spectrophotometry gives higher concentrations than the analysis by HPLC. Natural Origins prefers the second method because it enables a much finer quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Which are quality inspections?

Beyond the active ingredients dosage, further testing must be studied when choosing a ginseng extract. In particular, it is important to care about the presence of contaminants within products. All Natural Origins ginseng batches pass a series of tests in order to ensure their compliance with standards of organic farming defined by the regulation N°834/2007 of European Commission.