Siberian Ginseng

Siberian Ginseng is an adaptogenic herb that supports the body and increases resilience to stress, fatigue and brain fog. It has been used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine for memory support and to improve endurance. In more recent times it has been used by herbalists and naturopaths to support long-term exposure to stress, anxiety and exhaustion and to improve physical and mental concentration and performance. The key identified constituents that we can attribute a number of benefits to are the eleutherosides – particularly eleutherosides B, B4, C, D and E. These different constituents have different benefits, however, consumption of eleutherosides due to their ability to pass the blood brain barrier and penetrate the brain significantly enhanced object recognition memory. Siberian Ginseng appears to modify the physiological response General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) to stressors to better withstand long-term stress. It also reduces hypertrophy and atrophy of the thyroid and adrenal glands and can have a normalising effect on blood sugar levels.

Early research found that Siberian Ginseng increased stamina by up to 70%. Furthermore it has been demonstrated to increase the resistance to a wide range of stressors such as heat, cold, trauma, surgery, radiation and toxins.

Human studies have shown improvement in short-term memory, improved performance and stamina across a wide range of fields from proof readers who made less errors and were quicker, to truck drivers, factory workers and sailors. One study involved 1,000 workers who received Siberian Ginseng daily for 30 days and experienced a 40% reduction in lost work days and a 50% reduction in illness over a 12 month period.

Siberian Ginseng has also been found to increase the number of mitochondria in heart muscle which resulted in improved oxygen metabolism and conversion of fat to glycogen, improving energy and stamina and also increased repair of heart muscle.