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Summary: Ginseng, or Ren Shen, is sometimes referred to as the longevity herb within Chinese medicine. Find out more about ginseng from a registered herbalist in this free alternative medicine video.
Views: 460 | Tags: chinese, medicine, ingredients, alternative, remedies, herbs, tonics
About the Expert
ROBERT LINDE Robert Linde, acupuncture physician and registered herbalist, has studied herbs since 1975 and practiced traditional Chinese medicine for over 6 years. He cre... read more
I want to talk about another interesting herb that's commonly known to a lot of people and often times misused. And that's Ren Chen or what we more commonly known as ginseng. There is actually two main types of ginseng. There's Chinese ginseng, which this is, and also American ginseng. Those are the two main types and they're slightly different energetically. The Chinese ginseng also the Korean ginsengs, are known to be very hot and the American ginseng, which is a little bit more cooling, is better for things like diabetes and menopause. So if anybody has ever tried ginseng and they didn't know which type they were and they had a very bad reaction and they couldn't sleep and their heart was beating real bad, they probably had the Chinese ginseng. For some people, it?s very useful. We think of it as a longevity herb. We also think of it for impotence. And a lot of times for people as they're starting to age, it really helps to minimize some of those effects. It?s generally used in formula, but you can actually take a ginseng supplement and take it in small dosages over a period of time and really help to boost the immune system as well as your energy levels. Make sure that you get the right form of ginseng and that you get some good quality. Often times an Asian market or a herbalist is a good place to ask some questions and find the best quality of ginsengs.