For the past 7,000 years practitioners of Eastern medicine have been extracting the essence of the root of the Korean ginseng plant and prescribing it as a remedy for a range of health concerns, including improved circulation, increased blood supply, overcoming weakness after illness, and to generally stimulate the body. 

Western herbalists prescribe Korean ginseng supplements as adaptogens (herbs that support the body’s response to physical and emotional stress), aphrodisiacs, nourishing stimulants, and as treatments for type II diabetes and sexual dysfunction in men.  Modern science has identified and validated many of the health claims associated with Korean ginseng[i], including:
 
    o    Improved Psychological Functioning (mental performance)
    o    Improved Immune System
    o    Improved Diabetes
    o    Anti-Inflammatory
    o    Anti-Cancer
    o    Improved Male Erectile Dysfunction[ii]
    o    Hangover mitigation and recovery
 
While “ginseng” has become more familiar in the United States, where it is available from various sources and in various forms, including powder, pill, tea and tonic, it is important to remember that not all ginseng is created equal.  During its rise to popularity in the United States, it has been commercialized in forms where quality and potency are lost, and is now commonly extracted from inferior plant sources.  Commercial sources are primarily derived from three distinct species, including Korean (Panax Ginseng), American (Panax quinquefolius) and Siberian (Eleutherococcus senticosus).  While they are all in the Araliaceae plant family, they each have a different impact on the body.

The unique “active ingredients” of Korean red ginseng include more than 31 saponin triterpenoid glycosides called "ginsenosides”.  These steroid-like phytochemicals act on the adrenal glands, helping to support and moderate the adrenal response to stress. Glycosides are also known to increase protein synthesis and the activity of neurotransmitters, and to improve blood circulation. They are similar in structure to anabolic steroids, making Korean red ginseng ideal for athletes and body builders looking for a natural alternative to anabolic steroids.

[i] Kiefer D, Pantuso T.  Panax Ginseng. Am Fam Physician 2003;68:1539-42.
[ii] Hong B, Ji YH, Hong JH, Nam KY, Ahn TY. (2002). "A double-blind crossover study evaluating the efficacy of Korean red ginseng in patients with erectile dysfunction: a preliminary report". Journal of Urology 168 (5): 20–21.