Ginseng

     Miraculous curative powers are attributed to the ginseng plant, which has held a leading position in Chinese herbal medicine for over fifty centuries. The root of the plant is the most valued part (although the leaves and flowers can be used for tea that echoes the qualities of the root, in milder form). The root is gnarled and strangely shaped, and the more it resembles the shape of a man, the more valuable it is considered. Perfect roots of this type sell for thousands of dollars on the ever-fluctuating ginseng market. Ginseng was discovered growing wild in America in the eighteenth century. Although American ginseng is considered to be inferior in quality to the Asiatic, when one considers the high prices of Asiatic ginseng, the American plant begins to look pretty good! The root has been brought under cultivation on both sides of the earth, but the cultivated root is considered inferior to the wild root.

            Ginseng is reputed to ease childbirth pains, relieve menopausal symptoms, and increase sexual desire. It is also used as a disease preventive, to aid digestion and strengthen the stomach, to promote appetite, to ward off constipation – and as a general tonic for just about any complaint in men, women, and children.

            Ginseng is sold in liquid, powder, capsule, root forms. The liquid and powder may be dissolved and taken as tea or mixed with other beverages. The root may be chewed or chopped and boiled for use as a tea.