ARKO12240
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Siberian Ginseng belongs to the same family as ginseng from Korea and China. It is a common plant in Siberia, and during the past few years it has been studied extensively in the Soviet Union. The results of this investigation by the Russians have been extraordinary, showing that Siberian Ginseng causes an increase in both physical and intellectual capacities. It has become the anti-fatigue supplement "par excellence" in Russia, and is given to cosmonauts, olympic athletes and workers doing heavy physical work.
The terms most often associated with Ginseng are "fatigue" and "stress." Exactly who benefits from an agent that counters these conditions? - anyone who has been "burning the candle from both ends" - the athlete seeking improved performance - the harried business executive - the student cramming for exams - the person who is always sick, always "getting over" a cold - anyone who "feels tired all the time"
The traditional term used to describe ginseng is adaptogen." An adaptogen is an agent that "produces a state of increased resistance of the body to stress, overcoming disease by building up our general vitality and strengthening our normal body functions." Even the critics have to admit that "...favorable modification by ginseng of the stress effects of temperature changes, diet, restraint, exercise, and the like have been recorded. Moreover,useful pharmacologic effects in such conditions as anemia, atherosclerosis, depression, diabetes, edema, hypertension, and ulcers have also been documented." (Tyler) One example of the beneficial effects of Siberian Ginseng was reported in the medical literature by German investigators (Bohn) in October 1987. They demonstrated its beneficial effect on the immune system by conducting a double-blind, placebo controlled study on 36 healthy volunteers. Their results showed "a drastic increase in the absolute number of immunocompetent cells" in the blood of those taking the ginseng. In another study, from Russia, it was shown that children with dysentery recovered more quickly when they were given Siberian Ginseng. (Veresch) Siberian Ginseng, therefor, can be considered useful in conditions of stress, infection, fatigue, healing, improved performance.
What exactly is "fatigue?" If you look in the index of medical text books, you probably won't even find it listed. But doctors hear the term all the time--from patients who cannot find a better way to define their problem. Typically, conventional medicine labels it a psychological problem. While psychological factors may indeed play a role some of the time, might it not be more a case of automatically dismissing something just because they cannot identify the cause and do not have a ready cure? According to one physician:"It's become practically a convention of modern medicine to label inexplicable symptoms or unresponsive disease "psychosomatic." This is both a disservice to the majority of people, whose complaints are very real, and a cop-out for modern medicine..."
Fatigue, of course, is a very real symptom of numerous well recognized medical disorders, and a thorough medical evaluation of the patient complaining of this problem is an absolute necessity. Because conventional explanations are often not found, however, less conventional approaches are gaining acceptance (food allergy,vitamin deficiencies, etc). Herbal supplements can be extremely helpful. Perhaps no other material has as long and successful as history of helping this problem as does Siberian Ginseng, the adaptogen and general tonic herb. The herb Hawthorn has been used for cases of fatigue caused by stress or nervous tension (often in conjunction with Ginseng). Eschscholtzia, for adults, and Red Poppy, for children, are often used to help alleviate sleeping problems. Hemp Agrimony is helpful from fatigue resulting from illness, and Green Tea is commonly used to fight the fatigue of travel (jet lag).
The chemical compound of Siberian Ginseng is complex. Among the many active substances which have been isolated, the most important seem to be 6 glycosides called eleutherosides(1), but vitamins,amin-acids and other principles are also found. It is difficult to dissociate the different components in the overall action of the plant. It has a non-specific stimulant action on physical and intelectual capacities. It differs from that of the traditional stimulants (caffeine or amphetamine type) which produce a "lift" followed by a depression. Siberian Ginseng is the "anti-fatigue" and "anti-stress" drug par excellence. It was for this type of action that Brekhman(1) created the ideas of an 'adaptogen', whereas Fulder(2) preferred the name "Biological optimiser". Dansberg(3) has confirmed this stimulating action experimentally on rats. It is a known fact that the Russian athletes use this herb during international sport meetings in order to benefit from its stimulating properties. For that reason, it was interesting to prove scientificaly the effects of the powder of Siberian Ginseng on athletic performances. In 1984, the research staff of Arkopharma Laboratories studied(8) a group of sprinters and long distance runners. Half of them took Siberian Ginseng Arkocaps every day, the remainder took nothing and served as witness group. Both groups were equally fit. After one month, the conclusion was as follows: out of the two identically matched groups subjected to the same practice during one month, only the group treated with Siberian Ginseng Arkocaps powder improved its "maximum" strength in a significant way. The stimulating action is reinforced by a protective action against various outside stresses: hard work(2), chemical stress -toxic and adrenal glands(6). It has an anabolic action(6) and Lazareff has even found an anti-tumor(7). Thus Siberian Ginseng can be beneficially used in all cases of: Overwork Convalescence Preparation for Examinations or Physical effort (in sport(8) or intensive work).
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Part used: Root.
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