Patient's question:
What are the effects and functions of ginseng? Who can eat ginseng?Doctor's answer:
Ginseng is a tonic herb, almost universally known. China has a long history of using ginseng to prevent and treat diseases. Its efficacy has been affirmed not only by countless medical practitioners throughout history but also proven by modern scientific research. The earliest work to highly praise the pharmacological functions of ginseng is the Shen Nong's Herbal Classic. This is China's first classic on pharmacology. The book categorizes 365 common medicinal herbs into three grades: superior, intermediate, and inferior, selecting those with excellent tonic and strengthening properties, and no toxicity or side effects, as superior herbs. Ginseng is one of the superior herbs. The book explicitly states that ginseng "tonifies the five internal organs, calms the spirit, stops palpitations, dispels evil qi, brightens the eyes, and sharpens the mind and intellect." In just a few words, it fully demonstrates the multifaceted tonic effects of ginseng. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the primary function of ginseng is to tonify qi. In the Jia You Tu Jing Ben Cao·Discourse on Ginseng by Su Song of the Song Dynasty, it is recorded that "it is said to test two people walking together: one holds ginseng while the other walks with an empty mouth. After walking three or five miles, the one without ginseng will gasp for breath, while the one with ginseng will breathe freely." This was used to distinguish the authenticity and quality of ginseng. Legend has it that when the Ming general Hong Chengchou was defeated and captured by the Qing army, he was near death after several days of starvation. After drinking a small pot of ginseng soup prepared by the Empress Dowager Borthakid, his spirits were instantly restored. These accounts, though exaggerated, also demonstrate that ginseng indeed has excellent qi-tonifying effects. The Ben Cao Meng Qian further emphasizes: "In general, ginseng tonifies deficiency; it can tonify both cold deficiency and heat deficiency; it is suitable for qi deficiency and blood deficiency." The great Ming pharmacologist Li Shizhen aptly said, "Ginseng primarily treats all types of deficiency in men and women." From this, it is clear that ginseng has multifaceted pharmacological effects, such as tonifying deficiency and invigorating the body, making it suitable for patients with various weak conditions. Therefore, ancient medical practitioners emphasized that ginseng can be used to tonify and regulate those with long-term deficiency, insufficient qi, blood, and body fluids. When combined with other herbs, its clinical applications become even broader.Guidance:
1. Tonifying Qi
Ginseng is a holy herb for tonifying qi. Traditional Chinese medicine considers qi to include both primordial yin qi and primordial yang qi, which are generated from innate essence and continuously nurtured by postnatal nutrition. Qi originates in the kidneys, is stored in the "Dantian" below the navel, and spreads throughout the body via the three pathways, driving the activities of all organs and tissues. In essence, qi is the source of the body's biochemical and dynamic energy. Therefore, the strength of qi determines the strength of the body. The Ben Cao Jing Su states: "Ginseng can restore declining yang qi and dispel evil qi at a moment's notice. Its primary functions are to tonify the five internal organs, as the five organs share a single pathway for vital energy circulation, and to nourish true qi (i.e., qi), thereby tonifying all five organs." Ginseng can tonify all five organs simultaneously, benefiting both innate and postnatal aspects, thus ensuring ample qi. Examples include the Bao Yuan Tang from the Jing Yue Quan Shu, using ginseng, licorice, cinnamon, and astragalus; the Si Jun Zi Tang from the Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang, using ginseng, white peony root, poria, and licorice; and the Can Zhu Gao from the Wai Ke Zong Zheng, using ginseng and white peony root as the base. These are used for pale complexion, weak speech, weak limbs, reduced appetite, dizziness, spontaneous sweating, and weak pulse, with excellent effects in tonifying qi and invigorating the body.
2. Tonifying Qi and Stabilizing Collapse
Collapse is a dangerous condition in disease, referring to a pathological state where yin, yang, qi, and blood are severely depleted, leading to life-threatening danger. Its main symptoms include sweating like beads, cold limbs, open mouth with closed eyes, relaxed hands and feet, incontinence, and a faint pulse. It is equivalent to shock and organ failure (heart, lungs, liver, kidneys) in modern medicine. The Cheng Fang Qie Yong records the "Du Shen Tang" under the Emergency section for rescue. This formula can be used for sudden collapse caused by various factors or causes of severe blood loss. Ancient scholars believed: "At this moment, tangible yin blood cannot be quickly generated, but intangible qi should be urgently consolidated. Therefore, du ginseng is used, as it is a holy herb for consolidating qi and invigorating yang." Sometimes, ginseng is often combined with herbs like aconite to treat circulatory failure and qi depletion, enhancing the body's tolerance to hypoxia and achieving the effect of "restoring yang to rescue the inverted." However, wild mountain ginseng is preferred in these cases, as mountain ginseng and cultivated ginseng lack sufficient efficacy. If the condition involves severe heatstroke or phlegm obstruction leading to gasp, ginseng should never be used.
3. Tonifying Qi and Generating Blood
Traditional Chinese medicine holds that "qi is the leader of blood, and blood is the mother of qi," with qi and blood interdependent and fundamental to each other. Li Dongyuan of the Jin and Yuan dynasties said: "Ginseng is used to generate blood because blood cannot generate on its own; it requires herbs that generate yang qi. When yang qi is generated, yin qi grows, and blood becomes abundant." Modern pharmacology also confirms that ginseng can stimulate hematopoietic function. The Jing Yue Quan Shu records the Liang Yi Gao, using ginseng and prepared rehmannia to make a paste. One herb tonifies qi while the other generates blood, complementing each other and achieving good effects in tonifying qi and generating blood. Additionally, common blood-tonifying formulas like the Ginseng Yang Rong Wan, Ginseng Gui Pi Wan, and Ba Zhen Wan all work similarly. Therefore, for conditions like pale complexion, pale lips, dizziness, dull nails, numb limbs, and weak pulse due to blood deficiency, ginseng is an ideal herb for tonifying qi and generating blood.
4. Tonifying Qi and Nourishing the Lungs
The famous physician Li Dongyuan pointed out: "Ginseng tonifies qi in the lungs, and when lung qi is strong, the qi of all four organs becomes strong, as the lungs govern all qi." Reviewing many ancient formulas for treating lung deficiency and coughing, such as the Wu Wei Zi Tang from the Lei Zheng Huo Ren Shu, the Ren Sheng Bao Jian from the Wei Sheng Bao Jian, and the Ren Zhu Hu Tao Tang from the Ji Sheng Fang, all use ginseng as the main herb to tonify lung qi, supplemented by other herbs to treat pathogenic factors, addressing both root and symptoms, and achieving comprehensive effects. For conditions like shortness of breath, wheezing, weak voice, fatigue, lack of speech, cold sweat, fear of cold, and frequent colds due to prolonged coughing and asthma depleting lung qi, ginseng can be used to tonify the lungs and invigorate qi.
5. Tonifying Qi and Nourishing the Heart
Traditional Chinese medicine has long believed that the heart governs the mind, thus attributing certain functions of the central nervous system to the heart. The Ben Cao Hui Yan calls ginseng a "herb for nourishing essence and calming the mind," primarily treating palpitations, restlessness, forgetfulness, and insomnia. Modern pharmacological research shows that ginseng can improve mental and physical labor efficiency, has significant anti-fatigue effects, and can improve sleep and mood. Therefore, it has good therapeutic effects for various types of neurasthenia, helping patients gain weight and alleviate or reduce symptoms like general fatigue, headaches, and insomnia. Animal experiments have found that ginseng can also reduce or eliminate heart palpitations and insomnia caused by chloroform-adrenaline. This formula selects ginseng for its effects in tonifying qi, generating blood, and calming the mind.
6. Tonifying Qi and Strengthening the Kidneys
The Ben Cao Jing Su states: "Ginseng fundamentally tonifies the true yang qi of the five internal organs." It is particularly effective for conditions like deficient true yang, exhausted kidney qi, and impotence. Modern pharmacological research shows that ginseng can affect the higher central nervous system regulating sexual function, exhibiting a hormone-like effect and enhancing sperm motility. Clinical applications indicate that it has a certain therapeutic effect on spinal cord-related impotence caused by neurasthenia but not on psychological impotence. Numerous ancient formulas for tonifying the kidneys and invigorating yang, such as the Quan Lu Wan, Rong Gui Bai Bu Wan, and Ren Rong Wei Sheng Wan, are highly effective for kidney qi deficiency, sore waist and knees, impotence, premature ejaculation, and nocturnal emissions. In these formulas, ginseng plays a role in tonifying qi, strengthening the kidneys, and invigorating yang.