Ginseng is known for its ability to increase energy and endurance, but it can also work wonders for your sex life:
To support my suspicions about what was causing my friend’s amorous behavior, the 2006 book “Ginseng Dreams: The Secret World of America’s Most Valuable Plant,” by Kristin Johannsen, reveals that one of ginseng’s medicinal properties is the aphrodisiacal effect. According to Johannsen, ginseng has a powerful aphrodisiacal affect based on several studies. Johannsen also discusses the research carried out by Laura Murphy, a scientist and instructor in the physiology department at the University of Southern Illinois. Murphy tested the effects of American ginseng on rats, and she was surprised at the results. She found the ginseng-fed rats’ libido and performance rate was much higher than that of the control group. The effects of ginseng were much more effective on the libido than cocaine, marijuana or prescription drugs. I think I will be cooking with ginseng oil all the time!
Ginseng is a perennial plant belonging to the Araliaceae botanical family, which includes carrots, celery and parsnips. The root is yellowish with a creamy texture like parsnips. The word ginseng literally means “man plant,” because the shape of the ginseng root is similar to that of a human being. Ginseng is also known as the tiger of the plant world, and as the plant that hides from man, because it grows slowly and favors the deep forests. The botanical name Panax was later given to ginseng, and it means “all healing” or “cure-all” in Greek.
History suggests that ginseng was discovered in the mountains of Northern China over 5,000 years ago. It is also believed that ginseng was used as a food source and a medicinal remedy over 3,000 years ago. Ginseng is highly prized and respected by American and Chinese herbalists. The belief is that ginseng helps the body and mind stay in balance. It is also believed that ginseng improves the function of the heart and nervous system, and that it stimulates the endocrine gland. The popularity of ginseng was so great at one point that the plant almost became extinct!
Three North American Indian tribes used the ginseng root for its medicinal power and health benefits. The American settlers discovered ginseng in the 18th century in the New England region of the United States. By 1850, so much ginseng was being harvested and exported to Asia that it almost became extinct. Initially, attempts to cultivate ginseng failed until the early 1900s, when the East Coast farmers began to grown ginseng in small gardens.
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