How to Eat Ginseng Best: Misconceptions About Ginseng
Core Tip: How to eat ginseng best. Although ginseng has excellent nourishing effects on the body, it is also important to pay attention to how it is eaten. Only by correctly understanding its consumption methods can you make the nourishing effect more effective.
How to eat ginseng best. As a precious traditional Chinese medicine, ginseng has been praised by Chinese people as a great tonic since ancient times and is widely used. But how is the best way to eat ginseng? Many people have wrong ideas about ginseng tonics. Below, let a Traditional Chinese Medicine expert explain in detail:
How to Eat Ginseng Best: Misconceptions About Ginseng
Mistake 1: Drinking Ginseng Chicken Soup is the Best Tonic Method
For many years, a tonic method has been popular among Chinese people: drinking ginseng chicken soup in winter. People often consider this the best way to nourish the body. In recent years, experts have found that people with excessive stomach acid, biliary tract diseases, kidney insufficiency, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and diabetes should not drink chicken soup.
In fact, there are many ways to eat ginseng. You can soak it in water, chew it directly, hold it in your mouth, take it with water, stew it in water, or stew it with other Chinese herbs. These methods can all provide excellent nourishing effects.
Mistake 2: Eating Ginseng Causes "Heatiness"
Many people believe that "eating ginseng causes heatiness." In reality, this view is extremely one-sided and the biggest misunderstanding about ginseng. The main reason why many people experience "heatiness" after eating ginseng is because they have consumed too much.
However, ginseng is very potent, especially cultivated ginseng and wild ginseng. It must never be taken in excessive amounts, as this will have the opposite effect. This can lead to nosebleeds, mouth sores, and other symptoms. So, how much ginseng should one take daily? The amount differs between fresh and dried ginseng, cultivated and wild ginseng, the weak and the strong, the elderly and the young, for nourishment versus treatment, for mild and severe conditions, and for a single dose versus daily use.
The dosage of pure wild ginseng is much less than that of cultivated ginseng. Adults should not take more than 0.3 grams of dried wild ginseng per day. If taken regularly, the amount should be even less, generally 0.1 grams is sufficient.
Mistake 3: You Cannot Eat Ginseng in the Summer
Some people say you cannot eat ginseng in the summer, or it will cause "heatiness." This statement is very one-sided. Experts believe that ginseng can be eaten in the summer; one just needs to pay attention to slight differences in the type and quantity compared to winter consumption.
Ginseng products include fresh ginseng, white dried ginseng (raw sun-dried ginseng), red dried ginseng (red ginseng), ginseng threads, ginseng powder, and ginsenoside tablets. There are many types of ginseng that can be eaten in the summer, such as fresh ginseng, raw sun-dried ginseng, ginseng threads, ginseng powder, and ginsenoside tablets. Red ginseng can also be eaten, but the quantity must be controlled. For example, if the winter dosage of red ginseng is under 5 grams, the summer dosage should be controlled to under 3 grams.
This can be flexibly adjusted according to one's physical condition and different illnesses. For instance, people in the south often eat ginseng, and generally do not experience "heatiness" as long as they do not exceed the dosage. However, people in the northeast may experience "heatiness" even with the same amount. Specifically, if a person from the south takes 1.5 grams of ginseng each time, a person from the northeast should take 1 gram each time. It can be taken twice a day, or three times in winter. If you drink ginseng tea, you can drink it more times a day, but the summer dosage should not exceed 3 grams per person per day, and the winter dosage should not exceed 5 grams per person per day.
Mistake 4: Chinese Ginseng is Inferior to Korean Ginseng and American Ginseng
The main producing area for Chinese ginseng is the western slope of the Changbai Mountains and its extensions, while the main producing area for Korean ginseng is the eastern and southern extensions of the Changbai Mountains. The geographical environment and climate are not too different. Chinese experts have conducted comparative studies on Chinese red ginseng and Korean ginseng, and the results show that the indicators for red ginseng are mostly higher than or close to those of Korean ginseng.
Some people believe that since American ginseng is more expensive than Chinese ginseng, its effects must be better. This is not the case. A Korean ginseng research institution studied the active ingredients in various types of ginseng and found: 19 in Japanese ginseng, 28 in American ginseng, and 30 in Chinese ginseng. Chinese experts have discovered that Chinese ginseng contains up to 56 active ingredients.
Mistake 5: Children and Young People Don't Need to Eat Ginseng
Whether children can eat ginseng depends on the individual. Healthy children with normal development do not need to eat ginseng. However, children who are weak or have developmental issues can eat ginseng, but the dosage must be strictly controlled.
In the southern regions, during autumn and winter, adults often give their children ginseng soup to help resist dampness and cold, which has good effects.
In ancient Chinese medicine, it was believed that conditions in children like "turtle back" (kyphosis), "chicken chest" (pectus carinatum), the "five delays" (delayed standing, walking, hair growth, teething, and speech), and the "five softnesses" (softness of the head, neck, hands and feet, muscles, and mouth) were caused by weakness and could be improved by taking ginseng.
In Korea, some parents feed their children ginseng honey as early as three months old. As long as it is not excessive, the effects are quite good without side effects. Some Korean families even feed ginseng to their newborns.
The purpose of young people taking ginseng differs from that of the elderly. Young people take ginseng for more energy, physical strength, and vitality. The elderly primarily take ginseng for treatment, with toning as a supplementary role. In countries like South Korea and Russia, many young athletes take ginseng to improve their athletic performance.
How to eat ginseng best. Although ginseng has excellent nourishing effects on the body, it is also important to pay attention to how it is eaten. Only by correctly understanding its consumption methods can you make the nourishing effect more effective.