Plant substances play a large part in the formulation and use of many traditional Chinese medicines. One of these plants, ginseng, provides ingredients that may provide useful benefits in Western and Eastern treatments. While most teas contain substances from the roots of ginseng plants, the leaves are also a useful part of the plant. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, extracts from young leaves and stems also contain ingredients that provide pharmacological functions. These active ingredients, such as polysaccharides and ginsenosides, may supply a variety of benefits.
Boosts Immunity
The American Academy of Family Physicians suggest that ginseng may increase the number of antibody titers and natural killer cell activity levels, encouraging your body to fight off viruses from colds and influenza. In cases involving bacterial infections, the active ingredients in certain types of ginseng may also help antibiotics remove bacteria from your body.
Mental Function
The U.S. National Library of Medicine advises that ginseng may help improve a variety of mental activities in middle-age adults. These include an improvement in reaction times, mental arithmetic skills and abstract thinking. While ginseng leaves alone may not improve memory, combining panax ginseng with ginkgo leaf extract may help improve the memory in adults.
Blood-Sugar Regulation
Ginseng may help lower the fasting blood-sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Patients treated with panax ginseng showed improved fasting blood-glucose levels, as well as elevated moods and an improvement in psychophysical performance.
Increase Energy
Although ginseng leaf tea may not improve athletic performance, it may increase levels of energy in athletic individuals and less-active people. Although practitioners of Western medicine often use ginseng to boost energy, traditional Chinese medicine uses this substance to help people feel calmer.
Improve Sex
Panax ginseng may help improve levels of sexual function and sexual enjoyment in men. The active ingredients in this substance may help treat erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation, according to MedLine Plus. It may also increase levels of sexual desire and improve intercourse satisfaction.
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