Sometimes, things are mistakenly identified as something else, but the original mistaken identity sticks even after their true identity is confirmed. For example, when Christopher Columbus landed on where he thought was the East Indies, he labeled the indigenous people as “Indians.” Yet, he had actually landed in America, but to this day the name “Indians” still apply to the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Likewise, Siberian ginseng is not actually a ginseng; it and a number of other species of plants are commonly referred to as ginsengs, even though they do not belong to the Panax genus of true ginsengs. The Indian ginseng and Crown Prince ginseng are other plants that do not belong to the genus but are referred to as ginsengs.
A Ginseng Alternative
The Siberian ginseng and other non true ginsengs are referred to as ginseng alternatives. Ginseng is a generic term in today’s medical world, and encompasses not only plants of the Panax genus but other plants who exhibit adaptogenic properties. An adaptogen is an herb that is capable of decreasing stress, fatigue, and other similar conditions. The main difference between Panax ginsengs and Siberian ginseng is the main active component in the plants. In Panax ginsengs, the active component is ginsenosides. They are the chemicals that give ginseng its adaptogenic properties. In Siberian ginseng, however, the active ingredient is eleutherosides, which gives it its common name “eleuthero.” Another difference between the two is that Panax ginsengs have a fleshy root, whereas Siberian ginseng has a woody root.
The Siberian ginseng grows in Northeastern Asia, such as China, Japan, Russia, Korea, and most obviously, Siberia. It is a tall, thorny, woody shrub that grows slowly in mountain forests in a broad variety of soils, from sandy to clay soils and is tolerant of sun, shade, and some amount of pollution. In most habitats, the plants flower in the month of July, and these yellow or violet flowers turn into round, black berries by the end of the summer months.
As with true ginsengs, the Siberian ginseng has a long history of medical uses, especially in traditional Chinese medicine where its history goes back as far as 2,000 years. It is a relative newcomer to the Western world, but it has quickly gained popularity as it is cheaper than its true ginseng counterparts. Eleutherosides, the active component, gives Siberian ginseng its adaptogenic properties. The root of the plant is most commonly used for medicinal purposes. There are used for conditions such as but not limited to:
- The common cold/flu; studies have shown that Siberian ginseng reduces the severity and length of the common cold in patients. This may be due to the fact that Siberian ginseng promotes production of helper T-cells, a type of white blood cell that destroys viral and bacterial molecules.
- Herpes simplex type 2; a viral infection that can cause genital herpes has been shown to go down in the number of outbreaks with the intake of Siberian ginseng. Outbreaks that did occur tended to be less severe and not as long-lasting.
- Inflammation; Siberian ginseng can counteract the effects of inflammation by improving blood circulation in affected areas.
- Type II diabetes; as with their true ginseng counterparts, Siberian ginseng can lower blood glucose levels.
- Sexual dysfunction; libido is enhanced and sperm count increased.
- Increasing mental performance; Siberian ginseng is thought to have a number of effects on human mental performance; such as alertness, concentration, memory, and other cognitive functions.
- Increasing physical performance; such as stamina, reflexes, muscle strength, and coordination. It has historically been notably used by Russian athletes.
- Improving the general quality of life; Siberian ginseng has shown to have a positive effect on social functioning in elderly people.
There are a large number of other medical conditions that Siberian ginseng is cited to improve, but these are largely unsupported by evidence. Examples include strokes, heart disease, kidney problems, Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, high cholesterol levels, bronchitis, tuberculosis, low oxygen levels, and motion sickness.
Side Effects And Other Precautions
General side effects of Siberian ginseng include increased blood pressure, insomnia, drowsiness, vomiting, headache, confusion, irregular heartbeat, melancholy, anxiety, muscle spasms, and bleeding.
Siberian ginseng interacts with a variety of other molecules, so precautions should be taken by those who plan on using it. One example is alcohol. Siberian ginseng’s adaptogenic properties can cause sleepiness and drowsiness, and combined with alcohol’s similar effects, an individual might become over-sedated. Lithium can also interact with Siberian ginseng; ingesting the plant can cause the body to keep more lithium in its system than is required, leading to serious side effects caused by dangerously high levels of the element. Medication for diabetes should not be taken alongside with Siberian ginseng, as both have the role of lowering blood glucose level, and their combined effect may lower the sugar level too much. Similarly, antiplatelet drugs, or drugs that slow blood-clotting, should also not be taken together with Siberian ginseng as the plant also has similar properties in slowing down blood-clotting.
People advised against taking Siberian ginseng are pregnant women, breastfeeding women, those with heart conditions, those with high blood pressure, those with mental conditions such as mania (a condition similar to that of bipolar disorder) or schizophrenia, those with breast, uterine, or ovarian cancer, and those with autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease. Also, children are generally not advised to take Siberian ginseng as medication.
Siberian ginseng is commonly available in liquid or solid extracts, powders, capsules, and tablets. The dried roots are also available whole or cut forms. In America, marketing the product under the name “Siberian ginseng” has been outlawed, therefore the product is sold as “eleuthero.” Also worth noting is the fact that most research on Siberian ginseng has been conducted in either Russia or Korea, making the information available limited in terms of reliability or being up-to-date. One should always consult a pharmacist or doctor before taking this or any other herbs for medication.