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At GreenMedInfo.com, Dr. Diane Fulton discusses the health benefits of ginseng, writing:
Did you know that ginseng, a root-based plant, has wonderful health benefits for your brain and heart and promotes balance throughout your entire body?
The healing properties of ginseng have been known in Asian medicine for thousands of years, and the highly prized herb was once worth it’s weight in gold. The primary components in ginseng that have been studied by modern scientists believed responsible for its broad spectrum of therapeuitc properties are called ginsenosides.
Scientific evidence in both basic and clinical research is growing on the amazing abilities of ginseng as neuroprotective, cardioprotective, liver protective and as a treatment for serious diseases such as cancers, diabetes and illnesses caused by oxidative stress and inflammation. Ginseng has also been found to improve immunity, energy and sexuality.[i],[ii],[iii],[iv]
Neuroprotective Properties
Ginsenosides have extensive neuroprotective properties. Ginseng helps with depression, insomnia, Alzheimer׳s disease, Parkinson׳s disease and drug-induced neural cell damage.[v]
Ginseng has the potential to increase cognitive ability for those with Alzheimer’s disease and alter gut microbiology by affecting the expression of apoptosis proteins. This neuroprotective effect and positive changes in the large intestine microbiota were demonstrated in a study of tree shrews.[vi]
In a meta-analysis of 18 eligible studies involving 343 animals, results suggested that ginseng has positive effects in animal models of Parkinson’s disease including improved TH-positive cells and Nissi-positive cells in the nigra and dopamine levels in the striatum part of the brain as well as reduced time to perform tasks, thus demonstrating powerful neuroprotective potential for human Parkinson’s disease.[vii]
Hydroponically-cultivated red ginseng, wild growing white ginseng and a placebo were studied for effects on the brain activity of healthy elderly subjects during relaxation and mental challenges over four weeks. Both ginseng treatments resulted in higher memory, attention and mental performance compared to the placebo but the red ginseng also had stronger mood and calming effects on subjects.[viii]
In a stroke meta-analysis from six databases, the ginsenoside Rb1 showed the strongest neuroprotection — reducing brain water content, increasing neurogenesis, anti-apoptosis, anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation properties while enhancing energy and cerebral circulation.[ix]
Cardioprotective Effects
Ginseng also has antiobesity, antidiabetic and cardioprotective effects. Findings of an in vitro study of ginsenoside show ginseng inhibits the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells through G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and eNOS/NO/cGMP pathway activation and has strong potential to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases.[x]
Eighteen research studies with 1,549 participants were meta-analyzed. Ginseng was more effective than nitrates for treating ischemic heart disease in general and angina pectoris in particular.[xi]
In a systematic review of 113 research studies using ginseng, benefits included decreased fatigue and dementia and significant improvements in treating heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancers.[xii]
Ginseng also helped patients with congestive heart failure in a study of 54 subjects. Those treated with ginseng had better balance in important thyroid hormones, which helped increase the cure rate and effectiveness of existing therapies compared to the control group.[xiii]
In a rat model, administration of ginsenoside Rg2 for 28 days increased cardiac function, alleviated myocardial fibrosis and suppressed TGF-β1/Smad signalling pathways in heart tissues — confirming ginseng’s cardioprotective abilities.[xiv]
In an in vitro study, a treatment of ginsenoside Rg3 balanced cholesterol and triglyceride levels and activity of AMPK, a major regulator of energy metabolism.[xv] American ginseng was safe and effective in glycemic control in Type 2 diabetes patients.[xvi]
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