Ginseng is an important medicinal herb, which has been used traditionally for improving vitality and longevity. It derives its name from a Chinese word 'Ren Shen' that means 'man root'. It is loaded with various imperative healthy components like polypeptide, polysaccharide, alkaloids and ginsenosides, which are responsible for offering numerous health benefits.

Biological activity

Antioxidant activity

• It is packed with antioxidants that help in protecting the body from oxidative damages by neutralising free radicals
• It is also related with reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases as it helps in preventing oxidative stress

Anti-inflammatory activity

• Its micronutrients and phytonutrients contents are accountable for exerting anti-inflammatory activity that helps in preventing inflammation, swelling and pain
• It helps in delaying the onset of inflammatory events within body by reducing the level of inflammatory markers as a result decreases the susceptibility of developing chronic inflammatory diseases

Anti-carcinogenic activity

• It exerts potent anti-carcinogenic activity that helps in reducing the susceptibility of lowering cancers
• It has the ability to fight against cancerous cells and also hinders their growth by regulating cellular proliferation
• It contains various micronutrients and phytonutrients that play vital role in minimising the level of inflammation as well as oxidative stress both of which are responsible for decreasing the susceptibility of developing cancers

• It helps to prevent metastasis as well
• It also helps in decreasing the size of tumors
• It plays imperative role in flushing out toxins from body and resulting in death of cancer cells   
• It is extremely effective for reducing the prevalence of gastric, colon, hepatic and prostate cancer
• Moreover its consumption is really very helpful for the management of cancer and it also helps in improving the quality of life

Hypolipidemic activity

• Consumption of ginseng is extremely helpful for decreasing total fat percentage of body by lowering the level of LDL, VLDL and triglyceride  
• It is also associated with increasing the concentration of HDL that helps in providing a positive impact to the body

Hypoglycaemic activity

• It has outstanding hypoglycaemic activity that helps in preventing the onset of diabetic complications
• It contains an important component named Ginsenoside that helps in improving the uptake of glucose by muscles as a result helps in lowering the concentration of free glucose in blood
• It is also associated with increasing the secretion of insulin hormone as a result helps in normalising blood sugar level

Hypotensive activity

• Individual suffer from hypertension should include ginseng in their diet as it has powerful hypotensive activity that helps in reducing elevated blood pressure
• Its potassium content makes it a super food for hypertension. Potassium present in ginseng acts as vasodilator that helps in widening blood vessels as a result helps in reducing the pressure of blood on the wall of blood vessels that eventually reduces hypertension and also helps in supporting smooth blood flow

Health benefits

Role on immunity

• Ginseng plays vital role in strengthening the immune system
• It helps in improving the immunological responses of the body and also helps to improve the resistance power
• It is very effective for boosting up the immunity especially of those individual who are undergoing chemotherapy treatment or surgery
• It has seen that individual suffer from cancer (especially stomach cancer) decreases their recurrence of symptoms by simply consuming ginseng or its extract
• Whereas it is also associated with reducing the susceptibility of becoming ill

Role on nervous system

• Individual who want to obtain a healthy nervous system should include ginseng in their diet
• It plays vital role in increasing the survival rate of brain cells as a result helps in promoting brain activity
• It helps to stimulate the transmission of signals as well as messages from brain to various parts of our body

• It has powerful anti-inflammatory activity that ultimately helps in protecting brain cells from inflammatory damages as a result helps in improving their functions
• It is extremely helpful for improving the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
• It helps to prevent memory impairment as well
• It contains various imperative nutrients that help in improving cognitive ability
• Moreover consumption of ginseng is very useful for keeping neurological disorders at bay

Role on mental health

• Its consumption is very useful for improving the overall mental health status
• It is very effective for improving the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome
• It helps to calm the body as well as the mind as a result plays vital role in improving mood
• It helps to improve concentration level as well
• It is also associated with boosting up the thinking skill
• It has seen that individual who consume ginseng are found to be more active (especially mentally)
• It helps to improve mental alertness too
• Moreover consumption of ginseng is thought to be a healthy choice for preventing mental fatigue

Role on reproductive health

• It has been traditionally used in Chinese medicine as an imperative aphrodisiac agent

• It is extensively used as an imperative remedial action for sexual dysfunctions
• It helps to improve sexual desire as well
• It plays vital role in treating erectile dysfunction. It is accountable for promoting the synthesis of nitric oxide in body, which ultimately helps in relaxing muscles and also helps in allowing the blood to enter smoothly in the erectile bodies as a result causes erection
• It is also associated with improving sperm quality as well as sperm count
• It helps to improve the production and activity of testosterone hormone as well, which is considered as one of the most important male reproductive hormones
• Moreover consumption of ginseng is thought to be an imperative option for boosting up the fertility level

Role on skin

• It acts as an important anti-aging agent that helps in preventing premature aging
• It is also associated with protecting the skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation
• It has seen that continuous exposure to UV ray is responsible for generating free radicals, which affect the skin adversely. It mainly affects the collagen of the skin, which is considered as an important protein accountable for improving skin elasticity as well as smoothness
• On the other hand its antioxidant activity is also related with protecting the skin from free radical induced oxidative damages thus the consumption of ginseng is thought to be very much helpful for supporting the rejuvenation process of the skin as it helps in preventing oxidative stress as a result it helps to promote the skin health

• It helps to hydrate the skin too
• It is also very useful for preventing wrinkle formation

Therapeutic uses

It has been extensively used for various therapeutic purposes, which include –

• It acts as an imperative therapeutic substance for cardiac health
• It plays vital role in protecting the cardiac tissues from damages as a result helps in reducing the prevalence of heart failure
• It is associated with protecting the heart from free radical induces oxidative damages too and minimises the oxidative stress, which are also responsible for decreasing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases
• It helps to protect the inner lining of heart as well
• It is also very effective for promoting endothelial health and activity
• It helps to keep an individual energetic
• Its consumption is also very helpful for improving the symptoms of Hepatitis especially Hepatitis C

Jung, J., Lee, N.K. and Paik, H.D., 2017. Bioconversion, health benefits, and application of ginseng and red ginseng in dairy products. Food Science and Biotechnology, 26(5), pp.1155-1168.

Kim, K.H., Lee, D., Lee, H.L., Kim, C.E., Jung, K. and Kang, K.S., 2018. Beneficial effects of Panax ginseng for the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases: past findings and future directions. Journal of ginseng research, 42(3), pp.239-247.

Kitts, D.D. and Hu, C., 2000. Efficacy and safety of ginseng. Public health nutrition, 3(4a), pp.473-485.

Patel, S. and Rauf, A., 2017. Adaptogenic herb ginseng (Panax) as medical food: Status quo and future prospects. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy, 85, pp.120-127.

Truong, V.L. and Jeong, W.S., 2021. Red ginseng (Panax ginseng CA Meyer) oil: A comprehensive review of extraction technologies, chemical composition, health benefits, molecular mechanisms, and safety. Journal of Ginseng Research.