Ginseng Tea Health Benefits & Side Effects
Ginseng tea has a great medicinal value and used for maintaining optimum health. It helps strengthening the immune system and works against stress and stress induced diseases.
The valuable medicinal herb, ginseng is used for the preparation of tea that offers multiple health benefits. The rejuvenating herb can cure almost every kind of mental ailment.
In medical herbalism, Ginseng tea is used to treat several heath issues related to women such as strong PMS symptoms, mood swings and menstrual problems.
The soothing and relaxing herb can help treat sleeping disorders. It improves overall wellbeing, stamina along with mental and physical performance. Therapeutic value of ginseng tea is attributed to its phyto-chemical known as GINSENOSIDES.
How to Make Ginseng Tea
You can follow the steps given below to make ginseng tea.
- Take a potato peeler or very sharp knife to cut the tender and fresh roots of ginseng into thin shavings.
- Take 1 tbsp. of the ginseng shavings and put the shavings in metal tea ball. The metal tea ball can be bought at grocery shop.
- Boil water and turn off the heat. Now cool the water for around 2 minutes.
- Pour the warm water into teacup and sink tea balls into it. Now leave it for 5 minutes to allow the balls steep.
- Pass the mixture through the strainer after removing the tea balls.
Caution
Avoid hot water while preparing Ginseng tea for that may destroy some beneficial chemicals.
Medicinal Properties of Ginseng Tea
Ginseng tea has following healing properties.
- Adaptogen
- Stress reliever
- Anti-depressant
- Aphrodisiac
- Immunity booster
- Brain tonic
- Digestive stimulant
Therapeutic Indications of Ginseng Tea
Ginseng tea has following therapeutic indications.
General Disorders
- General physical weakness
- Debility after chronic disease
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Mental restlessness and insomnia due to high fever
- Dizziness
- Loss of appetite (especially due to mind related issues)
- Hangover
Mind, Brain & Nerves
- Memory loss
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Mental stress
- Work related stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Restlessness
- Insomnia
- Mental distress
- Neuralgia and Nerve pain
- Headache
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Anorexia nervosa
Lungs & Airways
- Recurrent common cold or flu (to boost immunity and prevent recurrence)
- Asthma
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Cystic fibrosis (supportive therapy)
- Prevention of lung cancer
Muscle, Bones & Joints
- Fibromyalgia
- Arthritis
Men Health
- Erectile dysfunction (supportive therapy)
- Liver cancer and skin cancer
Women Health
- Prevention of breast cancer & ovarian cancer
- Premenstrual syndrome
- Hot flashes due to menopause
- Pain while periods
- Mood swings (menopause)
Ginseng Tea Health Benefits
Ginseng tea benefits include its uses as a supportive therapy and medicinal uses in above listed therapeutic indications.
Ginseng tea has main influence on the functions of mind, brain and nerves. Therefore, it is beneficial in any kind of disease, which involves dysfunction of any of these organs directly or indirectly. Generally, ginseng is helpful in anxiety, stress, depression and immunity related diseases.
In addition to these effects, ginseng tea is also digestive stimulant, so it improves appetite and relieves indigestion and heaviness in the abdomen.
Ginseng tea is used for its main therapeutic significance, which involves reducing mental stress and physical distress. It is ranked top in herbal science for these effects. Second top herbal tea is Ashwangandha tea, which is also used for getting similar benefits.
Ginseng tea and Type II Diabetes
Ginseng tea has the capacity of treating Type II Diabetes naturally. It has adaptogenic effects and acts as nourishing stimulant to treat diabetes type II. (1, 2)
It can lower blood sugar level in diabetic patients. The beneficial effects of Ginseng can be noticed when the sugar level is rising at faster pace and even at times when one has consumed sugar drink. Ginseng berry tea, in this respect, is more beneficial than ginseng roots. (3, 4)
Ginseng for hair growth
Ginseng tea is an effective treatment for hair loss. It promotes hair growth by fighting androgenetic alopecia or balding. Ginseng now has wide range of cosmetic implications and it is being used in the preparation of drugs to promote hair growth. (5, 6)
Ginseng and weight loss
Ginseng is great for weight loss. Offering an energy boost, ginseng helps to fight fatigue. With energy boost, you can remain more active and lose weight. It also regulates blood sugar level by reducing excess carbohydrate, which is usually converted into fat. If you want to reduce weight with ginseng, then follow balanced diet and stay positive. It can act as a key cog in helping you to lose weight. (7)
Women health and Ginseng
Ginseng addresses menstrual problems in women and regulates it. Ginseng tea can work as an estrogen booster in perimenopause state to boost libido. (8)
Ginseng on physical debility
Ginseng tea effectively treats physical debility. As per the research, 60% of the males could do away with erectile dysfunction with regular use of Ginseng. Men can attain erection with greater ease. The main reason why men experience an improvement in erection is that Ginseng increases nitric oxide production. This mechanism is especially beneficial if you are suffering from type-II diabetes for you can improve your antioxidant level. Korean red ginseng tea has more benefits. (9, 10, 11)
Ginseng and complexion enhancement
Drinking ginseng tea can rehydrate and refine your skin. It regenerates the skin cells by enhancing oxygenation to skin cells. It improves the oxygen supply towards skin cells to make it youthful and vibrant.
It boosts blood circulation and detoxifies the blood at the same time. The process of detoxification of skin cells is very essential if you wish for glowing skin, so it can be a good remedy for glowing skin. Skin can attain better look and the complexion can improve with regular intake of ginseng.
Other benefits of Ginseng Tea
- Ginseng tea boosts the production of antibody like protein to combat colds.
- The root of Ginseng contains GINSENOSIDES, which is a compound that directly stimulates the production of ACTH that improves concentration and alertness.
- Ginseng improves the quality of sleep and boosts overall health.
- Regular intake of ginseng tea can fight fatigue and lack of energy.
- In cancer patients, it improves energy levels.
- It reduces mental stress and anxiety.
- It aids digestion.
- It boosts immunity system, enhances stamina and works as aphrodisiac.
- It helps to rid off discomfort associated with menstrual cycle.
- Ginseng lowers the level of bad or LDL cholesterol.
- Ginseng inhibits tumor growth and has anti-cancer properties.
Side Effects of Ginseng Tea
Although, Ginseng tea is very well tolerated medicinal herb, but then it may also cause some side effects.
- However, in smaller dosage, ginseng tea is helpful in headache and insomnia, but its excess amount can result oppositely causing headache and sleep disturbance.
- It may also affect gastrointestinal functions.
- People with allergic to some herbal compounds should avoid using ginseng tea because it can also cause allergic reaction in hypertensive people.
- Some women had reported breast pain with the regular use of ginseng products.
- Gynecomastia (male breast) has been reported with the regular use of ginseng.
Caution
However, ginseng tea improves concentration level, but if you are diabetic patient, it may decrease blood sugar level and owing to this, it may temporally affect concentration. To avoid this, you should regularly check your blood sugar level and adjust dosages of anti-diabetic medications.
If you frequently complaint about nosebleed, you should avoid using ginseng tea because it can adversely increase the incidents of nose bleeding.
People with high blood pressure should regularly monitor the blood pressure. In rare cases, ginseng tea can raise blood pressure.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Pregnant or breastfeeding women must avoid ginseng tea altogether for it has estrogen-like effects. You can get headache, and chest pain if used.
Due to its estrogenic activity, ginseng MUST NOT BE USED during lactation. Apart from this, there is no scientific evidence to prove that Ginseng may be used safely during pregnancy. In any case, ginseng must be avoided.
Contraindications
If you are on oral antidiabetic medication for lowering blood sugar levels, you must avoid it for Ginseng might cause lower the blood sugar level to great extent.
Ginseng can aggravate bleeding problems if you have undergone invasive surgery. You should discontinue using ginseng prior to dermatology or abdominal surgery.
Stop using ginseng if you are planning dental extraction.
For those who are suffering from hypertension, it can severely affect blood pressure.
Drug Interactions
Potential side effects of Ginseng may surface if taken along with certain drugs.
- It can cause over stimulation when used with caffeine to cause insomnia.
- Patients who suffer from congestive heart failure, the effect of the disease may be exacerbated.
- Ginseng reacts with digoxin to make the situation worse.
- It also interacts with phenelzine, the antidepressant pill to cause several episodes of headache.
- It also interacts with the anticoagulation drug, namely, Coumadin.
