Is China Ripping Off American Ginseng?

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GinPacific Herbs Highest quality Siberian ginseng seng is one of the most popular Chinese herbs in the world and if you live in China, it is one of the most popular ways to promote health and virility.  

 

But why does most of the American ginseng get exported to China and Korea? 

 

Asian cultures have been using ginseng for thousands of years and place a high value on the American grown variety. Amazing, but true, China has been importing American ginseng for nearly 100 years since it was first discovered in the Northern mid-western region. In fact, Wisconsin's most valuable export has nothing to do with the dairy industry, or corn or wheat.  It's all about the ginseng production every year.

 

Wisconsin  is producing 95 percent of America's ginseng. U.S. demand for ginseng is still very low and the best price can be fetched in Asia. 

 

Good to know we have at least one export that China wants from us. Wisconsin governor Walker is in China this week and a deal with Tong Ren Tong, the oldest continually operated Chinese herb store in China has just been signed to export Wisconsin grown ginseng.  Maybe one day soon Americans will learn the value of this incredibly powerful herb.

 

We carry American Ginseng in our store here!

 

Ginseng Now Included in Food Products

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The China Ministry of Health just recently decided to change its policy regarding ginseng.  Well known for hundreds of health benefits, ginseng will now be allowed to be included in food products in Asia.   America has no such restrictions for ginseng and this longevity herb is often found in energy drinks today.

 

Since 2002, the Chinese MInistry of Health has regulated Chinese herbs and placed them into three categories. One  category for Chinese herbs used as food, another categorized herbs as health food and a third that included herbs only as medicine.

 

Before this announcement, ginseng was permitted to be used only in registered health products and medicine categories. The new policy allows ginseng to be used in all three categories.  This will most certainly increase demand and international competitiveness of ginseng.  Prices of this ancient herb have been steadily rising the past few years as more Americans and other Western countries learn about the health benefits of ginseng.

 

Ginseng is commonly called the “king of all herbs.” Ginseng is considered to be nutritious and to have great medical value in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It has been used as a tonic in TCM for over 3,000 years. Ginseng is grown in other East Asia countries as well as in the U.S. and Canada known as American ginseng, but the world’s largest production site is located on Changbai Moutain in Jilin Province, which accounts for 85 percent of China’s total production and 70 percent of the world’s output.

 

I recently toured a famous American Ginseng farm in Wisconsin.  I was a bit surprised to learn that once American ginseng is grown on the land that it cannot ever be replanted there again.  Other crops can be planted after the 6 years old ginseng is harvested.  However, because ginseng depletes the soil of so many mineral and other nutrients it is impossible to harvest ginseng on the same land twice.   Some farmers have waited 70 years and tried to grow another crop of American ginseng only to find after 3 years the crop stopped growing and was never old enough to harvest.   This is just one of the reasons the cost of  100 grams of conenctrated ginseng granules is increasing world wide.  Ginseng is the largest dollar crop exported out of the state of Wisconsin.   Who knew?

Drinking This Is Not The Best Way To Get Energy

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Generally speaking caffeine is the most popular drug in the United States. Depending on where you are in the world, the Chinese herb ginseng, or the herb sugar cane or green tea may be the drug of choice. Even though these stimulants all have botanical origins, they can work just as well as a modern pharmaceutical drug.   However, our cells produce mitochondria energy as a result of many, many chemical interactions. Caffeine stimulate our adrenals but does not source real mitochondria energy

 

Why then, are the energy drinks that contain caffeine considered a food, and not a drug?

 

This is the questions the City of New York is about to answer? Senators are also asking the FDA to clarify this issue. New York City is considering regulating the caffeine in energy drinks and requiring accurate labeling so consumers know how much caffeine they are getting in each can or energy shot.

 

Another issue is what happens when you start mixing these herbal stimulants with other ingredients. Adding sugar to caffeine and a wide mix of amino acids and other substances becomes outright dangerous. In fact, investigations are beginning to look into these combination products, often labeled energy drinks because their stimulating qualities have caused alarm.

 

Kids, teens and young adults are the most drawn to these energy drinks for their quick uppers and stay up all night, side effects.

 

But, why is anybody looking to a canned drink for energy?

 

Consider the simple answer, energy begins with sleep. Everybody knows this!  Everybody knows how you feel when you miss a night of sleep.  Bottom line, you're tired, you have no energy.  When you don't get enough quality sleep, the first drug of choice is caffeine.

 

I've argued before, drugs should not be masquerading as food. Energy drinks do this every day, they are not food.  They should be labeled with all the same information required on a dietary supplement. We should understand not to substitute good food  for a drink in a can. Caffeine is a drug.  A useful drug like so many botanicals, including so many of the Chinese herb botanicals I talk about here.

 

The Benefits of Caffeine blog here

 

 

Ginseng Fights Fatigue Says Mayo Clinic

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natural herbal energy boostersNeed more energy, REAL energy that sustains you and not just a quick jolt of caffeine?   The most famous Chinese herb, ginseng, now has more proof on its fatigue fighting abilities.  

According to the Mayo Clinic, American Ginseng taken for 8 weeks can help decrease cancer-related fatigue symptoms.

This latest study was done in 40 community medical centers in the U.S and Canada on 364 cancer patients.  Half of the patients studied were undergoing cancer treatment at the time of the study and the other half had already completed cancer treatment.

Ginseng has been used in traditional Chinese medicine as a natural energy booster, libido booster and overall tonic herb for thousands of years. These new findings, just presented at the American Socity of Clinical Oncology annual meeting found the study participants’ experienced

 "Significant Improvement" in their general exhaustion levels with no apparent side effects.  

Mayo researcher Debra Barton stated "After eight weeks, we saw a 20-point improvement in fatigue in cancer patients, measured on a 100-point, standardized fatigue scale." "Cancer is a prolonged chronic stress experience and the effects can last 10 years beyond diagnosis and treatment," she said. "If we can help the body be better modulated throughout treatment with the use of ginseng, we may be able to prevent severe long-term fatigue."

Along with ginseng's energy boosting benefits it also has been researched and concluded to decrease inflammation and regulate levels of coritisol (a common stress hormone). Energy Booster Herb Pack by Pacific Herbs is a perfect addition for anyone dealing with fatigue because it contains a high dose of ginseng. This energy drink is safe, delicious easy to take and perfectly packaged for everyone on the run.  Energy Booster Herb Pack has No caffeine, NO sugar and NO fillers. Energy booster can be taken as a energy drink or just straight in the mouth. 

Chinese Herb Ginseng Becoming A Popular Canadian Export

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Best ginseng for libido, brain clarity and immune boosting As herbal remedies grow in popularity, it’s nice to get a little background information about exactly how some of the most famous, such as ginseng, are grown.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, ginseng is commonly used  as an energy builder, a sleep aid, an immune fighter and even for stress relief.  Ginseng’s many uses are explained by the term, adaptogenic.  This herb is able to adapt in one’s body to what is needed. 

The laboratory studies done on ginseng show  the roots contain  active ingredients called ginsenosides which are  polysaccharides.  These chains of large sugar molecules can stimulate the body’s immune system along with  30 or 40 ginsenoside chemicals.   It would take several blogs to do justice to all the incredible information on ginseng. Many use ginseng for libido support, others for brain support.  Yet recent studies have found it stimulates enzymes that prevent the storage of lipids in the tissues. This is great news to help prevent the insulin resistance and pre-diabetes.  Other studies  have shown how it helps reduce blood pressure in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

The quality and chemical makeup of different ginseng  can vary from plant to plant.  It’s always important to know the source of any ginseng product your planning on using.   The potency and therefore effectiveness will vary greatly. Often the best ginseng in the world is sold in Asia because it often commands a greater price than in the U.S. or Canada even though American ginseng is grown in Wisconsin.

Our premium ginseng granules are bought direct from the largest producer of Chinese herbs and are considered one of the most tested and pure products available. Prices for ginseng have been steadily creeping upward as more people become aware of all the benefits of this incredible Chinese herb.  

Improve Your Memory with Ginseng – King of All Chinese Herbs

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So you want to improve your cognitive performance, or give yourself a little brain boost.  Don't we all need that from time to time. 

Ginseng is often referred to as the King of all Chinese herbs.  Traditional Chinese Medicine has used it for prevention and treatment of many diseases and as a general health elixir and performance enhancer for several millennia,.

A group of researchers in the UK decided to study the effects of Ginseng in Best gingseng healthy young adults.   This study proved this Chinese herb can improve working memory,  improve the speed of performing mental arithmetic and improve reaction times. But the findings are both dose dependent and dependent on the active ingredients in the extract used.  The known active ingredient in ginseng are specific saponins known as ginsenosides.  The extract used in this study was standardized to 4% total ginsenosides at a 400 mg dose once daily.  

What I like about this study is it was randomized, placebo controlled, and double blind. (neither researchers or participants knew which were taking the ginseng).  These are the best kinds of studies to trust the results. Although there are thousands of studies on Chinese herbs and specifically panax ginseng,  this study was the first to include a comprehensive assessment of working memory.   The authors concluded it was the 400 mg dose that made the biggest difference.  This study was conducted for 8 days, and most likely not long enough to see a chronic effect.  

If you are looking to purchase ginseng there are many varieties on the market.  The difficulty is knowing which brand to trust and which brand actually has effective properties. Does the brand you purchase have a minimum 4% total ginsenosides?   We understand the confusion and frustration of not knowing if and when an herbal product is truly worth the cost. 

Because we have a connection to an excellent source, and customers keep asking for it, we have decided to include ginseng in our store.  Our Panax ginseng is tested for impurities and active properties with both TLC and HPLC.  It is the same product used throughout hospitals in China.  It is the same product which Japanese businessmen seek to purchase, simply because they can afford it.   We buy direct so you receive both a quality product sold to herbalist and Acupuncturists, at a fair market price.  Our herbal granules can be mixed in warm water to drink as a tea or mix into your favorite smoothie drink.  You can also place a small amount of granules on your tongue and swallow with water.  Either way you will experience the power and health benefits of ginseng.

We guarantee all our products or your money back. 

You can read the study mentioned above, here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2952762/


Wisconsin Ginseng Crop Damaged Due to Snow in May

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The best American Ginseng Typically, May weather in Wisconsin is wet, but not below freezing.  This was not the case on May 7, 2010 in Marathon County when it snowed 3-4 inches in 24 hours. The freezing temperatures have likely killed all the newly planted Ginseng. 

American Ginseng, also known as Panax quinquefolius, is a highly sought after Chinese herb used for centuries.   It is the root of this herb that is used medicinally.  Wisconsin depends on American Ginseng for over 15 million dollars each year and the freakish weather is estimated to have killed or damaged up to 80% of the new crop.  The cold weather snap effects the recently planted seedlings the hardest and may seriously drive up prices.

Much of the harvest is exported to Asia where it fetches higher dollar values than in America.  Asian cultures  have used Ginseng for it's medicinal values for over 2000 years.  Used commonly to ward off colds & flu's, ginseng is also known for it's anti-cancer properties and research shows it reduces blood sugar in people with diabetes. The Ginseng Board of Wisconsin has a very nice website with more information. 

The crop normally takes 4 years to mature.  Chinese herbs like American Ginseng are also grown in other parts of the U.S., mainly the woods of Kentucky and North Carolina. So, depending on how much Wisconsin Ginseng can be salvaged, the supply in the coming years may or may not be severely effected by Mother Nature's temperament. Many Chinese herbs grown in China have seen price increase due to Mother Nature.  An ongoing drought in China has effected another specie of Ginseng, and has already driven up prices as much as 300% this year alone.