GINSENG                   

14.40GINSENG is the ultimate example of man's almost mystical interaction with nature. Ginseng plays the central role in a good deal of Chinese mythology, medicine, commerce and trade. For Western man, the economic value of Ginseng outweighed its medicinal value until the past 15 years or so, during which time extensive research on the plant has grown explosively, and has tended to verify and extend the various medicinal claims. Ginseng has been found to protect the body & nervous system from stress, stimulate & increase metabolic function, increase physical & mental efficiency, lower blood pressure & glucose levels when they are high, and raise them (blood pressure & glucose levels) when they are low, increase gastrointestinal movement & tone, increase iron metabolism, and cause changes in nucleic acid (RNA) biosynthesis. Ginseng has also been found to stimulate the central nervous system in small amounts, and depress the central nervous system in large doses.