Grown in China and Eastern Russia, Siberian ginseng, or Eleutherococcus senticosus, has been a component of herbal medicines in those countries for centuries. While its shares a common name with American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, and Asian ginseng, or Panax ginseng, varieties, it is only distantly related, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The herb's primary medical benefits are provided by eleutherosides, which increase immune functions.
Flu and Cold Treatment
Russian doctors have long prescribed Siberian ginseng for the treatment of colds and other respiratory illnesses. The UMMC reports that sick individuals who take the herb within 72 hours of first feeling symptoms can potentially reduce the length and intensity of the cold. The primary source cited was a paper by German scientists published in the medical journal Antiviral Research. The study showed that Siberian ginseng "inhibited the replication" of the human rhinovirus and influenza virus.
Supplement for Aging
Researchers at the University of Bologna in Italy tested Siberian ginseng on senior citizens treated for hypertension. Trial participants were given ginseng, completed a survey on their symptoms and had their blood pressure monitored. While no effect was found on the hypertension, it was found that the herb improved "mental health and social functioning" after four weeks of therapy.
Improving Cognitive Function
A 2010 article in the journal Phytomedicine examined the effects of a compound called ADAPT-232 on cognition; Siberian ginseng is one of three herbs in the pill. Participants received either dosage or placebo. When assessed two hours later, the ADAPT-232 group showed "improved attention and increased speed and accuracy during stressful cognitive tasks."
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Siberian Ginseng
- Antiviral Research: Antiviral activity of an extract...
- Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics: Effects of Siberian ginseng...
- Phytomedicine: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised study of single dose effects of ADAPT-232 on cognitive functions.
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