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Showing posts with label Ginsengs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ginsengs. Show all posts

Sunday, December 25, 2011

The Truth About Ginseng’s Power, Part 2

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

In part two, I look specifically at ginseng’s reputed abilities to help people who have type 2 diabetes. And there are not a few of them. Read on for a look at some of the more recent studies into this ancient herb.

The evidence is culled from the period 1995 through 2006. It pertains to ginseng’s potential ability to treat type 2 diabetes. The key to this ability is ginseng’s potential ability to lower blood sugar levels.

1995: Either 100 or 200 milligrams (mg) of ginseng were used in diabetics who were not treated with drugs or dietary changes. In two months, ginseng lowered fasting blood sugar and body weight. With no side effects, it also improved physical energy.

2000: Either three, six, or nine grams of ground-up American ginseng were used in 10 diabetic patients. It effectively reduced post-study glucose levels, and the effect of each dose was the same — so the three-gram dose worked just as well as the nine-gram dose.

2000: On the heels above the above study, this one tested the three-gram dose of ground-up American ginseng, specifically, on nine diabetic patients. Researchers found that the herb again reduced glucose levels. (One patient developed insomnia, the only side effect.)

2000: Again that dose of American ginseng was tested over 18 weeks on 24 diabetic patients. It reduced fasting blood sugar and another key measure of diabetes.

2006: For 12 weeks, six grams of Korean red ginseng were compared to placebo in 19 diabetics. With no side effects, the herb did reduce post-study blood sugar levels.

Now, although these are promising, I should note that most of these studies came from the same group of researchers, and used a small number of patients. As usual, the results need to be confirmed with better-designed study involving a larger number of patients.

Diabetic patients can work with their doctor to see if taking a variety of ginseng could be the right move. Check first before you try, in case your doctor believes the herb could disrupt any drugs you might be taking. The American variety seems best, and there has even been a study that found Asian ginseng to have no effect on blood sugar levels.

(Read Part 1 of The Truth About Ginseng’s Power)

Tags: blood pressure, blood sugar, herbal cures, herbal remedies, natural foods



FOODS YOU SHOULD NEVER MIX WITH THESE
POPULAR SUPPLEMENTS...

There's something that you should know about the vitamins you're taking.

Something that is so controversial and upsetting, that it could very well change the entire landscape of the vitamin industry.

More importantly, it may also be affecting you personally if you're currently taking supplements.

What you could be mixing with your vitamins might actually be making you sick.

Dr. David Juan is regarded by many to be an authority on nutrition and supplements.

He's been a practicing medical doctor for over 30 years. And when it comes to the dangerous interactions of foods, drugs and vitamins, he's got the qualifications to back up what he's talking about.

And that's why he urgently needs to warn you about a new danger resulting from vitamin, food and drug interactions that have already harmed others...

Click Here to See The Foods You Should Never
Mix With These Popular Supplements

Saturday, December 24, 2011

The Truth About Ginseng’s Power

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

This begins a three-part look at ginseng, an ancient herb with a substantial medicinal history. The question is: does ginseng hold up to our studies these days? Here is an introduction to the major types of ginseng, as well as a look at how it may improve physical performance.

I suppose before we address that issue, we should separate ginseng into three types — an important differentiation. On the market you’ll find three varieties: American; Panax; and Siberian. Each type of ginseng contains different active ingredients, which account for the somewhat different ways they work in the body.

1. American ginseng: This variety contains “ginsenosides,” its active ingredient that is said to work to lower blood sugar, act as an estrogen, reduce cancer growth, boost immune function, improve memory, and reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

2. Panax ginseng: This variety is either Chinese or Korean ginseng, and will typically be labeled as one or the other. Its active ingredients are ginsenosides, pectin, B-vitamins, flavonoids, and panaxans. Together, they are said to work to lower blood sugar, protect brain cells, relax smooth muscle in the throat and lungs, relieve stress, stop cancer cells from growing, lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, act as estrogen, and fight viral and fungal infections.

3. Siberian ginseng: Its active ingredients include eleutherosides A-M, vitamin E, and provitamins such as beta-carotene. They are said to act as antioxidants, help prevent stroke, boost the immune system, lower (or raise, if necessary) blood sugar, and help prevent blocked arteries.

Ginseng is the most-studied herb for physical performance. Panax ginseng was used most often. Major improvements in physical performance come with higher doses — above two grams a day of dried ginseng root — over periods of time longer than two months. Conversely, ginseng failed to show any benefits in physical performance when studies used lower doses for a shorter period of time.

Overall, this suggests that you’ll need a good dose each day, for a few months, before you can expect results in endurance, aerobic capacity, and other measures of your performance. Ginseng can be an important herb for people who need to exercise, but who have a condition that tires them out.

Find out more about ginseng and other herbs by reading the article, Using Herbal Medicines Safely.

Tags: Antioxidants, blood sugar, Heart Attack, heart attack prevention, vitamin E



FOODS YOU SHOULD NEVER MIX WITH THESE
POPULAR SUPPLEMENTS...

There's something that you should know about the vitamins you're taking.

Something that is so controversial and upsetting, that it could very well change the entire landscape of the vitamin industry.

More importantly, it may also be affecting you personally if you're currently taking supplements.

What you could be mixing with your vitamins might actually be making you sick.

Dr. David Juan is regarded by many to be an authority on nutrition and supplements.

He's been a practicing medical doctor for over 30 years. And when it comes to the dangerous interactions of foods, drugs and vitamins, he's got the qualifications to back up what he's talking about.

And that's why he urgently needs to warn you about a new danger resulting from vitamin, food and drug interactions that have already harmed others...

Click Here to See The Foods You Should Never
Mix With These Popular Supplements

The Truth About Ginseng’s Power, Part 2

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

In part two, I look specifically at ginseng’s reputed abilities to help people who have type 2 diabetes. And there are not a few of them. Read on for a look at some of the more recent studies into this ancient herb.

The evidence is culled from the period 1995 through 2006. It pertains to ginseng’s potential ability to treat type 2 diabetes. The key to this ability is ginseng’s potential ability to lower blood sugar levels.

1995: Either 100 or 200 milligrams (mg) of ginseng were used in diabetics who were not treated with drugs or dietary changes. In two months, ginseng lowered fasting blood sugar and body weight. With no side effects, it also improved physical energy.

2000: Either three, six, or nine grams of ground-up American ginseng were used in 10 diabetic patients. It effectively reduced post-study glucose levels, and the effect of each dose was the same — so the three-gram dose worked just as well as the nine-gram dose.

2000: On the heels above the above study, this one tested the three-gram dose of ground-up American ginseng, specifically, on nine diabetic patients. Researchers found that the herb again reduced glucose levels. (One patient developed insomnia, the only side effect.)

2000: Again that dose of American ginseng was tested over 18 weeks on 24 diabetic patients. It reduced fasting blood sugar and another key measure of diabetes.

2006: For 12 weeks, six grams of Korean red ginseng were compared to placebo in 19 diabetics. With no side effects, the herb did reduce post-study blood sugar levels.

Now, although these are promising, I should note that most of these studies came from the same group of researchers, and used a small number of patients. As usual, the results need to be confirmed with better-designed study involving a larger number of patients.

Diabetic patients can work with their doctor to see if taking a variety of ginseng could be the right move. Check first before you try, in case your doctor believes the herb could disrupt any drugs you might be taking. The American variety seems best, and there has even been a study that found Asian ginseng to have no effect on blood sugar levels.

(Read Part 1 of The Truth About Ginseng’s Power)

Tags: blood pressure, blood sugar, herbal cures, herbal remedies, natural foods



FOODS YOU SHOULD NEVER MIX WITH THESE
POPULAR SUPPLEMENTS...

There's something that you should know about the vitamins you're taking.

Something that is so controversial and upsetting, that it could very well change the entire landscape of the vitamin industry.

More importantly, it may also be affecting you personally if you're currently taking supplements.

What you could be mixing with your vitamins might actually be making you sick.

Dr. David Juan is regarded by many to be an authority on nutrition and supplements.

He's been a practicing medical doctor for over 30 years. And when it comes to the dangerous interactions of foods, drugs and vitamins, he's got the qualifications to back up what he's talking about.

And that's why he urgently needs to warn you about a new danger resulting from vitamin, food and drug interactions that have already harmed others...

Click Here to See The Foods You Should Never
Mix With These Popular Supplements

The Truth About Ginseng’s Power, Part 3

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

One of ginseng’s most famous reputed abilities is its impact on mental function. The way we think, remember and process information. Can it be helpful for us as we grow older? In the last of this three-parter on ginseng, I address the evidence for this, as well as for its ability to thwart infections.

Strengthening the Mind

Ginseng has been studied for many years in terms of its effect on mental function. Let’s look at some recent studies.

1986: 16 healthy men were studied for three months. Korean ginseng, at 100 milligrams (mg), two times a day, improved mental abilities to perform arithmetic.

1996: 112 people over the age of 40 took 400 mg of Panax ginseng for two months. The herb improved their abstract thinking, and increased reaction time, but led to no changes in memory or concentration.

1999: 384 older women took Panax ginseng for four months. They had improved depression, well-being, and general health.

2004: 28 healthy young adults took 200 mg of Panax ginseng, some along with 75 mg of guarana. Their mental abilities were tested many times within six hours of the study. Ginseng itself improved performance, while the combination with guarana improved the speed of their memories.

2005: 30 adults took either 200 mg or 400 mg of Panax ginseng for one day. The herb reduced blood sugar levels, improved arithmetic performance, and lowered mental fatigue.

2005: 30 adults took 400 mg of Panax ginseng for one day. Tested immediately afterward, they had improved speed of attention — suggesting that ginseng works pretty fast.

2006: 27 healthy adults took 200 mg of Panax ginseng for one day. It reduced blood sugar levels, improved arithmetic performance, and lowered mental fatigue.

These preliminary results are very encouraging. In the future, larger well-designed studies involving individuals of different age groups using different doses of Panax ginseng studied over a longer period of time will be needed before ginseng could be routinely recommended to enhance cognitive function. But since there are little to no side effects when taken properly, you are free to use it for this purpose. Just make sure you consult your doctor on an appropriate dosage for you, as taking too much ginseng can cause side effects.

Infections

North American ginseng (200 mg twice a day) for four months in 323 adults (aged 18 to 65) reduced the risk of catching the common cold, the severity of symptoms, and the number of days cold symptoms were experienced.

Panax ginseng has also been seen to boost a person’s protection from the flu — combined with the flu shot, it was better than the shot alone. The ancient herb has also reduced the number of instances of flu and colds.

So fact or fiction? There are lot of great facts that support ginseng, but more evidence is needed for any final conclusion.

(Read the previous articles The Truth About Ginseng’s Power and The Truth About Ginseng’s Power, Part 2)

Tags: memory, mental health, Sharper Memory



FOODS YOU SHOULD NEVER MIX WITH THESE
POPULAR SUPPLEMENTS...

There's something that you should know about the vitamins you're taking.

Something that is so controversial and upsetting, that it could very well change the entire landscape of the vitamin industry.

More importantly, it may also be affecting you personally if you're currently taking supplements.

What you could be mixing with your vitamins might actually be making you sick.

Dr. David Juan is regarded by many to be an authority on nutrition and supplements.

He's been a practicing medical doctor for over 30 years. And when it comes to the dangerous interactions of foods, drugs and vitamins, he's got the qualifications to back up what he's talking about.

And that's why he urgently needs to warn you about a new danger resulting from vitamin, food and drug interactions that have already harmed others...

Click Here to See The Foods You Should Never
Mix With These Popular Supplements