If you’re looking for a drink to boost your energy levels, strengthen your memory, manage your blood sugar levels, and protect you from seasonal colds and flu, look no further than a warm cup of American Ginseng Tea.
While you enjoy a warm cup of American ginseng tea, you’ll nourish your body with plenty of active ingredients that help improve your overall wellness.
Before we jump into the benefits of taking American ginseng, let’s go over its types and where it came from.
The Origin of American Ginseng
American Ginseng, or Panax quinquefolius, is native to North America. The native Americans used to include it in their herbal medicine routine to strengthen their body’s immune system.
Ever since people discovered the fascinating benefits of this root in the 18th century, the consumption rate has gone through the roof. Due to the insanely high demand, the American Ginseng root has become an endangered species.
Since people consume American Ginseng to boost their body’s immune system, amplify their energy, and lower their blood sugar levels, this root is considered an adaptogen.
An adaptogen is a type of ingredient that boosts your body’s natural resistance to physical, emotional, and environmental stress. In turn, this helps boost your energy levels and strengthens your immunity against upper airway infections, like a cold or flu.
Different Types of Ginseng
To avoid mixing up all the different ginsengs out there, let’s sort out the main types of ginseng you’ll usually find in the market.
1. American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.)
Ginsengs that belong to the genus Panax are all considered to be true ginsengs because they all contain the chemical compound ginsenoside. Panax quinquefolius L. originated in eastern North America, then it was exported to Asia.
The people in Asia admired the Panax quinquefolius for its marvelous sedation and cooling effects. That’s why the American Ginseng extract quickly became a staple in traditional Chinese medicine.
2. Asian Ginseng (Panax ginseng)
Asian Ginseng, also known as Korean Ginseng, is another true ginseng. This type of ginseng originates in the far-east area of Asia, which includes Korea and China.
Many people consider Asian ginseng to be the best type of ginseng root since it’s relatively the most potent type of ginseng. However, it’s not accurate to compare American ginseng to Asian ginseng.
The Asian ginseng’s chemical composition is different from the American species. This different composition affects how the ginseng works within your body.
The American ginseng is known to be cooler and less stimulating than the Asian ginseng.
In other words, the American ginseng’s cooling and sedating effect is the yin to the Asian ginseng’s stimulating yan effect.
3. Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus)
As the name implies, Siberian Ginseng is native to Siberia. However, this type of ginseng isn’t a true ginseng like the other two. Instead of having ginsenoside as part of its chemical composition, Eleutherococcus senticosus has eleutherosides.
Despite having a different active ingredient, Siberian ginseng has almost the same benefits as the other two true ginsengs, but with different potencies.
The Benefits of Drinking American Ginseng Tea
Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng) has numerous health benefits that can improve the quality of life. Some of the popular effects of ginseng extracts include:
Fighting off Fatigue
Ginseng is known to boost your energy levels and help fight off fatigue. If you’re always feeling tired throughout your day, you might need the extra boost.
Additionally, some studies have proven its efficiency for patients suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, aka CFS, and cancer-related fatigue.
Strengthening your Memory
In 2022, a study showed notable improvement in cognitive function when patients took 200 milligrams of an American ginseng extract daily for two consecutive weeks.
However, keep in mind that there isn’t a guaranteed solution to improve your cognitive skills. These herbal supplements can give a little boost, but they’re not enough on their own.
You need to sleep well, eat clean, and live an overall healthy life to maintain your brain’s best performance.
Controlling your Blood Glucose Levels
Ginseng is one of the dietary supplements that is well known for regulating blood glucose levels. In 2019, researchers conducted a study on patients with type II diabetes. The patients took 3000 milligrams of American ginseng daily for eight weeks.
By the end of the study, the researchers found the patients with lower fasting blood sugar levels, hemoglobin A1C levels, and systolic blood pressure.
Protecting from Cold and Flu
Complementary Therapies in Medicine published an analysis in 2020 claiming that American Ginseng can help prevent upper respiratory diseases and treat seasonal colds and flu.
Just remember that this is under complementary therapies, which means that it works alongside your regular cold meds, not instead of them.
Possible Side Effects of American Ginseng Tea
American ginseng is generally regarded as a safe herbal supplement. So there’s nothing to worry about if you want to take one to two cups of tea per day. But then again, because we’re not all the same, there’s always a chance for side effects.
Some of these side effects include:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Low blood sugar levels
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Rash
- Vaginal bleeding
- Breast pain
- Flu-like symptoms.
So keep an eye out for any of these side effects while consuming ginseng tea or supplements. If you notice any of these side effects, stop consuming any products containing ginseng and contact your doctor.
Price
The price of American Ginseng tea can greatly differ based on where you get your tea. On one hand, you could buy it at your local supermarket for as cheap as half a dollar per tea bag, or 10 dollars for a 20-tea bag pack.
On the other hand, you could get your ginseng tea for about 3-4 dollars per tea bag. It all depends on the quality of tea you’re buying. Of course, the higher the quality, the better the results.
In Conclusion
American ginseng tea has been around for centuries. People from all over the world have noticed its glorious results to improve the body’s overall performance and wellness. That’s why ginseng has been a staple in traditional Chinese medicine for ages.
Just remember to consume it in moderation and keep an eye out for any adverse effects if you’re trying it for the first time.
