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Ginseng is considered a medicinal herb but is also incorporated into cooking and teas. The most common uses for the whole ginseng root, ginseng tea cut, and ginseng slices are in soups and teas. These items can also be eaten or chewed without any type of preparation.
Ginseng tea is great for short periods; it can alleviate many symptoms of common ailments and lessen fatigue. Ginseng is the main ingredient to many of the medicinal teas. The tea is usually made from the Winconsin ginseng root. Slices can be steeped to create a tea that is as strong as the consumer would like, or purchased as a powder and brewed using tea balls.
Ginseng teas are available from specialty stores. It is not recommended to buy the tea without reading all the ingredients as some packages teas are sold as ginseng but, in fact, have very little of this herb in them.
Also, contamination of ginseng supplements have been found. In a recent study, ginseng supplements had been found to be
contaminated with moulds, yeast and bacteria. Food-borne illnesses are signatures of food
contamination. Bacteria, viruses, and parasites, such as fungi (molds)
and yeast, have natural toxins that are sometimes lethal. After several hours or two days after eating contaminated food,
symptoms appear–nausea, abdominal and stomach cramps, vomiting, and
diarrhea (and consequent dehydration due to excessive fluid loss).
In the study, 46 ginseng supplements
samples, including Siberian ginseng root, Chinese ginseng (herb/root),
and American ginseng (root/extract), were tested for mold and yeast contamination and the presence of bacteria.
Results, published in the International Journal for Food
Microbiology (April 25 issue), show that 100 percent of the Siberian
ginseng samples were contaminated with fungi (up to 1,400 per gram) and
bacteria (up to 1 million per gram).
With the Chinese ginseng sample, 78 percent were contaminated with
fungi (up to 60,000 per gram) and 89 percent with bacteria (up to 1.2
million per gram). Of the root samples, 56 percent contained fungi (up
to 1,400 per gram) and 100 percent contained bacteria (up to 680,000
per gram).
Of the American ginseng root samples, 48 percent contained moulds
(up to 430,000 per gram) and 30 percent contained bacteria (up to
45,000 per gram). No moulds or yeasts were found in the ginseng
extract. But it contained bacteria (up to 1,000 per gram).
With the rise and popularity of natural
supplements, there is no certainty how these products are processed and produced.
Be careful in buying the tea and consult a herbal practitioner as to the right type of ginseng to be used. Prolonged use of this tea can lead to insomnia and heart trouble so be sure to also consult your physician before drinking ginseng regularly as an alternative to coffee.
Source: Sun Star-Cebu
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