Facts and myths about Ontario ginseng

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• Facts and myths about Ontario ginseng
• By
• Edmund Lui
• Scientific Director, Ontario Ginseng Innovation
  and Research Consortium,
• Associate Professor, Department of Physiology
  Pharmacology
• Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry,
• University of Western Ontario

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Nov 12, 2009
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Facts or Myths

• .I. There is only one type of ginseng.
• Facts Ginseng come by different-
• Names (or species)
• American ginseng,
• Asian ginseng,
• Notoginseng
• Siberian ginseng (not a ginseng species)
• Korean red ginseng
• II Asia or Oriental Ginseng only grows in China.
• and American ginseng only grows in North
  America
• Sources
• Asia ginseng is native to Asia (China, Japan,
  Korea).
• American Ginseng is native to regions of
  Canada and US, but also cultivated in China.
• Wild ginseng is endangered species. All
  commercially available stocks are cultivated.

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Red Vs White ginseng
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Natural habitat
Cultivation
Also forest-based cultivated ginseng
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Ginseng can grow as old as 300 years.
Ginseng can grow as old as 300 years.
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Why do we care about different types or species
of ginseng?

• In general, function to balance body functions of
  opposing nature to
• foster homeostasis.
• But, different species have different properties
  according to the principles of Traditional
  Chinese Medicine

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III. Ginseng is a cure all herb, good for many
different health conditions?
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Panax ginseng

• Genus name of panax ginseng panax is derived
  from Greek word pan meaning all and axos
  meaning cure.
• Species name ginseng comes from a Chinese word
  meaning human as ginseng roots look like the
  human body

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FactsYes. Depend on 1) the types of product
and 2) the person.

• What benefits?
• What evidence?
• Why?
• How predictable are the health benefit
• effects?

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Availability in the market place
Different Types of Herbal Products. 1. Mostly as
self-care products. 2. Supervised by health
professionals

Raw herbs
Consumers/practitioners
as foods, teas, soups, candy, cosmetics
Curing
Herbal formulae
Processing
Powder in capsule, tablet
Extracts
Decoction
Finished products single or multiple herbs.
With health claims. e.g. Cold-FX
Regulated by Health Canada
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• What health benefits?
• Traditional use or claim.
• Use primarily as a tonic to invigorate weak
  bodies, improve energy, and to relief fatigue
  and stress, restore homeostasis.
• Non-traditional use or claims.
• Recent research shows that it could
  benefit
• -cardiovascular diseases,
• -immune deficiency,
• -cancer,
• -erectile dysfunction,
• -diabetes related complications,
• -neurodegeneration.
• (need scientific proof and clinical trials)

Review
Human study
Animal Testing
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How do we explain the multiple action of ginseng?

• Ginseng is known to contain a large numbers of
  bioactive chemicals
• These chemicals are known to produce a wide range
  of biological effects.
• Multiple chemicals may hit different targets
• and are more effective than a single chemical.

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What evidence do we have?
Review
No conclusive evidence based on systematic review
No conclusive evidence from studies of multiple
clinical studies! Why not?
Human study
Animal Testing
Why not?
Test Tube Research
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Expectation

• Everyone will be benefited from the
• same treatment?
• All ginseng products
• are similar in potency?
• They are considered safe.

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Do we respond the same way to the same ginseng
treatment?

• Not necessarily, because
• the ability of our body to handle and to
  respond to ginseng depends on
• - genes
• - diet
• - age
• - gender
• - health and disease states
• Your own constitutionyin and yang

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Plant-based products show great differences in
medicinal effects because

• Medicinal effects depend on the chemicals
• that they make.
• This chemical factorys productivity is affected
  by the
• -genetics
• -age
• -season
• -soil conditions
• -climate
• -diseases, pests
• -use of pesticides
• New regulations do require some levels of
  consistency

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Summary and conclusion

• 1. Choose the appropriate species and products of
  ginseng for your health condition. Consult your
  health care provider if necessary.
• 2. Not all ginseng products of the same species
  are the same.
• 3. Ginseng from the same farm may be different in
  quality from year to year.
• 4. Different brands of the same product may be
  different in effectiveness and potency
• 5. Look for licensed products.
• 6. Not all persons taking the same product will
  respond in a similar fashion.