One of the differences: distribution of origin
Ginseng: Ginseng is mainly produced in Northeast China, Korean Peninsula, Japan and Siberia. It is called Kanto Ginseng (or Changbai Mountain Ginseng, Jilin Ginseng), Korean Ginseng, Japanese Ginseng and Russian Ginseng produced in the northeast of China. According to the different processing of ginseng, there are white ginseng and red ginseng.
American ginseng: American ginseng is mainly produced in the United States and Canada and is the main variety of imported medicinal materials in China. China introduced it in 1970s, and 1980 succeeded. It has been planted in Jilin, Beijing, Shaanxi and other provinces and cities, and its quality is basically the same as that of American ginseng produced in North America.
The second difference: personality characteristics
The main root of commercial ginseng is cylindrical or spindle-shaped, which is generally longer than American ginseng, and the length is 3~ 15cm. The surface is grayish yellow, with shallow and intermittent thick horizontal stripes and obvious longitudinal wrinkles on the upper part or all, and many branches and slender fibrous roots on the lower part, and there are often inconspicuous small verrucous protrusions on the fibrous roots. The rhizome (reed head) is winding, with adventitious roots (_) and sparse pit-like stem marks (reed bowl). The texture is hard, the cross section is yellow and white, the powder is strong, the cambium is brown, and the cortex has yellow-brown punctate resin channels and radial cracks. The aroma is weak and specific, and the taste is slightly bitter and sweet.
The main roots of commercial American ginseng are generally short, 3~ 12cm long, spindle-shaped, cylindrical or conical, with lateral annular and linear lenticellate protrusions, and thin and shallow wrinkles and fibrous root marks in the longitudinal direction. There are 1 to several lateral roots in the middle and lower part of the main root, and most of them have been broken with a large branching angle. Heavy, solid, not easy to break, flat section, yellowish white, slightly powdery, yellow-brown star-shaped resin channels can be seen in the cortex, the cambium is brown, the xylem is slightly radial texture, and there are almost no radial cracks. The aroma is rich and specific, and the taste is slightly bitter and sweet. Although the smell is basically the same as ginseng, the "ginseng flavor" is stronger.
Main differences:
Ginseng has reed heads, branches and fibrous roots. No transverse scars. Crushed flour, the formation ring is not obvious, and there are cracks.
American ginseng has no reed head, no branches, no roots, horizontal marks, slightly powdery cross section, obvious cambium ring and obvious cortex resin channel.
The third difference: the main effect
Ginseng is sweet, slightly bitter, slightly warm, and enters the spleen and lung meridians. It can be used for treating qi deficiency, spleen deficiency, lung qi deficiency, body fluid injury, thirst, restlessness, insomnia, dreaminess, palpitation, amnesia, and impotence due to qi deficiency.
American ginseng is bitter, sweet and cool, and enters the lung and stomach meridians. Its main function is to moisten lung, reduce fire, nourish stomach and produce fluid. It is generally used to treat yin deficiency with excessive fire, expectoration with blood, fever, injury of both qi and yin, fatigue and thirst, lack of body fluid, dry mouth and tongue, intestinal heat and bloody stool, etc.
The key to the difference: supplementing qi and promoting fluid production are their similarities. The difference is that ginseng tonifies qi and often helps yang; American ginseng nourishes qi but tends to nourish yin. Ginseng is better than American ginseng in invigorating qi, and American ginseng is better than ginseng in clearing heat and promoting fluid production.
The fourth difference: suitable for people.
Ginseng, especially sun-dried ginseng (white ginseng), is only suitable for winter tonic, or used to treat hypotension or shock. Although American ginseng has the function of invigorating qi, its cold and warm medicinal properties are different for different people.
American ginseng: American ginseng is unique in that it is neither hot nor dry. People who are not suitable for ginseng treatment and hot tonic can use it, including summer. People with high blood pressure, dizziness, sore throat and dry mouth in the early stage of diabetes can't use ginseng, but American ginseng is better. American ginseng, in particular, has been clearly proved by scientific experiments to have the effects of anti-fatigue and delaying cell aging.
Ginseng: Although American ginseng belongs to the same family and genus, its characters, organizational structure and chemical composition are similar, but there are still differences. According to the dictionary of traditional Chinese medicine: "American ginseng nourishes yin and reduces fire, and ginseng nourishes qi and helps fire, which has the opposite effect." Anyone who has excessive fire due to yin deficiency, long-term expectoration with blood, and dry mouth promotes danger. Ginseng is better than American ginseng in invigorating qi, and American ginseng is better than ginseng in clearing heat and promoting fluid production. "Therefore, when people choose American ginseng and ginseng, they should be treated differently and applied cautiously.