Ginseng is the most famous Chinese medicine. Not only China people, Japanese people and Koreans like to use ginseng, but now even western Renye Fang in Europe and America has begun to use ginseng in large quantities, and produced various ginseng products, which sell well all over the world. In daily life, some people like to nourish their bodies with ginseng stewed chicken soup. In a word, ginseng is the closest Chinese medicine to ordinary people. It seems that everyone knows ginseng is a good thing. However, if you go to the drugstore to buy ginseng, the clerk may ask, what kind of ginseng do you need? You may be a little confused, too. Ginseng is ginseng. Are there many kinds of ginseng?
Yes, there are many kinds of ginseng. Different kinds of ginseng have different effects and are suitable for different people and constitutions. Therefore, you must not think that buying ginseng is a simple matter. If you don't understand the characteristics of various kinds of ginseng, you may blindly ingest ginseng, and the result may be that you spend a lot of money but can't get health. To make matters worse, instead of becoming healthy, it will lead to some discomfort or illness. Therefore, before purchasing ginseng, it is necessary to know the types and functions of ginseng.
First, you are blind because you eat ginseng.
In the early years of the Republic of China, Yu Jinghe, a famous doctor in the south of the Yangtze River, recorded such a medical record in his book Diagnosis Collection:
In Wujin, Jiangsu, there is a rich man about 60 years old named Wang. He is very fat and likes to eat fat. This year, Wang spent a lot of money to buy a six-weight wild ginseng from Northeast Jilin. He stewed ginseng with a fat duck and then ate the duck with soup. However, on the night of eating ginseng, rich Wang Man found that his eyes could not see clearly. He thought the light was too dim, so he didn't care. He lay down to sleep, but when he got up the next day, he found himself blind. So I quickly extended the medical treatment time. Only when the doctor came did the rich realize that his blindness was caused by ginseng.
It turns out that Wang Man, a rich man, is obese, always overnourished, ruddy, and often dizzy and headache. According to modern parlance, Wang Man, a rich man, is 80% hypertensive. In this case, Chinese medicine often diagnosed him as arrogant and most taboo to take tonics. Ginseng is the best traditional Chinese medicine for invigorating qi and blood, and wild ginseng is hot and has the strongest effect of invigorating qi and blood. Therefore, after eating wild ginseng, Wang Caizhu's blood rushed up, leading to blindness. Later, rich Wang Man ate purified gas and gunpowder for more than a month before gradually recovering his eyesight, but after all, it was not as good as before. It can be seen that ginseng is good, but not everyone is suitable to eat ginseng. There is a lot of knowledge about how to eat ginseng, starting with the types, effects and indications of ginseng.
Second, the types of ginseng
Due to different classification methods, the types of ginseng are also different.
Botanically, there are two kinds of ginseng: one is the root of Araliaceae; One is the root of American ginseng, a plant of Araliaceae.
As far as the processing science and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine are concerned, ginseng can be divided into:
Sun-dried ginseng: the roots of Araliaceae ginseng are dried, moistened and sliced. Modern ginseng is mostly cultivated artificially.
Ginseng Rubra: It is made from the roots of Araliaceae Ginseng by steaming, moistening and slicing. Because it is red, it is called red ginseng. Modern Times is also made of cultivated ginseng.
Wild ginseng: it is the root of wild Araliaceae ginseng.
American ginseng: the root of Araliaceae American ginseng, mainly produced in Canada, the United States, France and so on. , also known as American ginseng.
According to the origin of ginseng, ginseng can be divided into Jilin ginseng, Korean ginseng and American ginseng.
At present, all kinds of classification methods are in use, which has caused great trouble to the general public, but the most commonly used classification method is still based on the processing science and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine. Namely, sun-dried ginseng, red ginseng, wild ginseng and American ginseng.
Third, the efficacy of various ginseng.
It is not enough to know the kinds of ginseng. If you want to benefit from ginseng, you must also understand the efficacy of various ginseng, and then choose the right ginseng to supplement your body according to your specific situation. Let's take a look at the different effects of various ginseng.
Sun-dried ginseng: sweet, slightly bitter, flat in nature, with the effects of benefiting qi and pulse, invigorating spleen and lung, promoting fluid production and calming the nerves.
Ginseng Rubra: Sweet, slightly bitter, warm in nature, and has the effects of invigorating vitality, restoring pulse, invigorating qi and enriching blood.
Wild ginseng: sweet, slightly bitter, flat in nature, similar in efficacy to red ginseng, but with the greatest strength, the smallest yield and expensive price.
American ginseng: sweet, slightly bitter, cool in nature, invigorating qi and nourishing yin, clearing fire and promoting fluid production.
It can be seen that different kinds of ginseng have different effects. When choosing ginseng, you need to choose different ginseng according to your own needs. For example, Wang Caizhu mentioned above is full of qi and blood and has a heavy phlegm fire. Therefore, this kind of person should not eat ginseng, because ginseng has a strong role in invigorating qi and blood, and because of this, Wang Caizhu became blind after eating ginseng. Let's discuss who should eat ginseng, what ginseng to eat and how to eat ginseng.
Fourth, who should eat what ginseng?
As the old saying goes, medicine has three poisons, so you should be careful with what medicine you use, and ginseng is no exception. Ginseng is a tonic, mainly for invigorating qi. Therefore, the applicable population of ginseng is mainly people with symptoms of qi deficiency. For example, pale face, weak body and easy asthma. For another example, anemia patients often have qi deficiency syndrome, and such patients can also eat ginseng. If you are a normal person without diseases, you can also eat some ginseng in order to nourish your body and prevent diseases, but you can't overdo it. You should choose different ginseng according to your physical condition.
Generally speaking, old and weak people can eat some red ginseng or wild ginseng properly. If economic conditions do not allow them to eat wild ginseng, they can also eat some sun-dried ginseng.
Women with postpartum weakness can eat some red ginseng.
Ordinary people can eat dried ginseng tonic, but don't eat too much.
For patients with massive bleeding, it is best to eat wild ginseng, followed by red ginseng and sun-dried ginseng.
Summer tonic, you can choose American ginseng.
If people with hot constitution want to eat ginseng, it is best to choose American ginseng or sun-dried ginseng.
People who are not suitable for eating ginseng include: patients with hypertension; A person who has a bad temper and blushes; It is not advisable to eat red ginseng and wild ginseng for fever; People with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold should not eat American ginseng.
As for how to eat ginseng, it can be flexible. Traditionally, chicken soup is often stewed with ginseng, and it can also be sliced and soaked in water. You can also cook with ginseng. For patients with severe hematological diseases, ginseng is usually used alone, named Shen Du Decoction.
Wild ginseng
Wild ginseng is one of the natural treasures bred by Changbai ginseng. It grows in virgin forests at an altitude of1500m to 2000m. It is the first of the three treasures in Northeast China. It has the effects of nourishing the five internal organs, calming the heart, calming the nerves, relieving convulsions, eliminating pathogenic factors, improving eyesight, benefiting emotions and improving intelligence, and prolonging life after long-term administration. Wild ginseng has been used in China for thousands of years, and it is becoming increasingly rare. It is a rare natural green tonic. Wild ginseng has high requirements for its growth environment, because it is hot, afraid of drought and sun, and requires loose soil, fertile soil and moist and cool air, so it grows mostly in the mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest at an altitude of 500 ~ 1000 meters in Changbai Mountain. Every July and August is the flowering season of ginseng, and purple and white flowers bear bright red berries, which is very attractive. Wild ginseng grows slowly in the deep mountains. The roots of wild ginseng in 60 ~ 100 years often weigh only tens of grams. 1989, farmers in fusong county collected a "ginseng king" in Changbai mountain, weighing 305g. It is estimated that it has been growing underground for 500 years. This "ginseng king" is the largest ginseng in China at present, and it has been acquired and preserved by the state as a "national treasure".
American Ginseng
American ginseng, also known as American ginseng, is a precious nourishing medicinal material with special medicinal value. Originally, it was the root of a perennial herb, belonging to Araliaceae, but different from China ginseng in the Atlantic coast of North America. About 300 years ago, American ginseng was transported to China, and was first recognized as a medicine for cooling and tonifying seven blood by Chinese medicine experts at that time. Under the guidance of the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, American ginseng was applied to the clinical treatment of yin deficiency and excessive heat, and later it gradually became a valuable tonic medicine. The clinical application of Panax quinquefolium was first seen in China medical books.
Korean ginseng
Especially ginseng produced in the Korean peninsula. Many countries in the world produce ginseng, and the famous medicinal ginseng is mainly distributed in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, northeast China and eastern Siberia. Korean ginseng enjoys a high reputation in the world. Fully mature Korean ginseng has grown for more than six years and is a rare treasure, most of which are exported overseas. Korean ginseng can be used as medicine, tea and food. People use drugs in different grades according to their quality. Some people think that Korean ginseng can prevent cancer, and some people add it to pasta as a snack. Stewed chicken with ginseng is a famous medicinal diet. Korean ginseng grows in deep mountains and forests, which is very rare and requires high soil and climate. Korean ginseng was planted on the Korean peninsula before 1000 years ago, when a unified centralized feudal kingdom, the Korean dynasty, appeared on the peninsula. According to legend, there is a layman named Jiang. Because his mother has been ill for a long time, he prays for her early recovery every day. His filial piety touched the mountain god, who told him to go up the mountain to find a kind of "fairy grass" with green leaves, white roots and red seeds, and fry the roots to take it, which could make his mother recover. The lay man obeyed the instructions of the mountain god, so he had to disgust his mother. In order to do good and save people, Jiang Jushi began to plant this kind of "fairy grass", named "ginseng" because its roots resemble human beings. Later generations still remember that Jiang Jushi was the originator of ginseng cultivation until today. Korean ginseng is a perennial herb with special cultivation and growth conditions and is very sensitive to soil and climate. Korean ginseng is afraid of both cold and heat, and can only grow in places where the sun shines obliquely. The soil must be dry, and rainwater is not allowed to stay. Generally speaking, ginseng can only be planted on gentle slopes and dry land near the foothills. In order to avoid humidity, the lawn of ginseng garden is built very high, and the lawn is also covered with branches and mats, which can be opened and closed at any time with the change of the sun to protect ginseng from direct sunlight. The sowing period of ginseng is from the end of March to the beginning of April, and it can only be harvested after 6 years of cultivation. During this long time, growers must take good care of them every day, because once pests and diseases occur in the ginseng garden, hundreds of ginseng plants will be destroyed overnight.
Ginseng is a perennial dicotyledonous plant in Araliaceae, which is known as the "Three Treasures in Northeast China". It is a famous and precious medicinal material at home and abroad. In ancient China, ginseng had many aliases. According to the medical books of past dynasties, there are people who hold titles, such as ghosts, goblins, holy grass, blood ginseng, earth essence, jade essence, Scrophularia, yellow silk, white things, young stones returning to Dan, hundreds of feet, golden well magnolia and children ginseng. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, some people have named them according to their places of origin, such as Purple Ginseng and Liaoshen. In modern times, it is generally called Jilin ginseng produced in Northeast China. Natural growth in the forest is called wild ginseng, and artificial cultivation is called garden ginseng.
Ginseng has been used in China for more than 4000 years. As early as 22-250 AD, ginseng was recorded in the earliest Shennong Herbal Classic in China. It is listed as the top grade, and it is considered that ginseng "tastes sweet and slightly cold, and can nourish the five internal organs, calm the mind and soothe the nerves, eliminate evil spirits and improve eyesight, make people feel happy, improve intelligence and prolong life". Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Treatise on Febrile Diseases in the Later Han Dynasty received a prescription of 1 13, in which ginseng was 2 1 3. It was discussed that ginseng has the functions of "warming, nourishing, strengthening, consolidating essence, keeping warm, improving eyesight and calming the heart". Li Shizhen in Ming Dynasty recorded in Compendium of Materia Medica that ginseng can cure all deficiency diseases of men and women, such as spontaneous sweating, dizziness, headache, nausea, anorexia, chronic diarrhea, frequent urination, stranguria, internal injuries, stroke, heatstroke, vomiting blood, hemoptysis, hemorrhage, blood collapse, prenatal and postnatal diseases, etc. In modern Chinese medicine, ginseng is commonly used for invigorating qi and relieving fatigue, nourishing blood and dredging veins, nourishing heart and tranquilizing mind, promoting fluid production to quench thirst, tonifying lung and relieving asthma, invigorating spleen and relieving diarrhea, and supporting toxic materials to heal sores. Modern medical research has proved that ginseng not only contains ginsenoside, but also contains nutrients such as fat, sugar, various amino acids and vitamins. It has the functions of nourishing and strengthening, improving physical and mental work ability, relieving fatigue, increasing heme content in blood and regulating central nervous system. It has a good effect on treating cardiovascular diseases, stomach diseases, liver diseases, diabetes and various types of neurasthenia. Besides the taproot of ginseng, other parts of ginseng also have high efficacy. Ginseng fruit, the main tonic, the soul, the dragon can strengthen the spleen, acne, blood circulation. Ginseng leaves are mainly used to supplement eyes, soak in water to wash hair, make hair black and shiny, and wake up after drinking. Ginseng flower, with fragrant smell, can produce body fluid without consuming gas, and can replace tea. Ginseng reed root, with upward function, can also treat diarrhea, bloody collapse, nocturnal emission and other diseases, especially for those with long-term diarrhea and yang deficiency. Ginseng seeds have catalytic effect.
Ginseng is a treasure all over the body and has good medicinal value. Although ginseng reeds, ginseng strips, ginseng whiskers, ginseng flowers, ginseng leaves and ginseng seeds are all the same plant, their functions and indications are different. The breakdown is as follows:
Ginseng reed: Ginseng reed is the rhizome of plant ginseng. In most medical books in ancient China, it was recorded that ginseng "made people vomit without removing reed", so ginseng reed was used as emetic. Ginseng reed was first recorded in the "Tibetan Sutra in Petrifaction", and there was a description of "spitting people". Physicians of past dynasties also followed this theory. For example, in Classic Yingyuan, it is thought that "ginseng consumes energy and gas, which is specially used for vomiting". Therefore, ginseng and reed are clinically used to treat phlegm and saliva blocking the chest diaphragm and food retention blocking the stomach cavity. In recent years, some pharmaceutical research institutions and production units have read hundreds of ancient herbal books and re-evaluated the emetic effects of ginseng and reed on experimental animals and people, such as pigeons, cats, dogs and monkeys, by experimental pharmacology. The results showed that ginseng reed could not induce vomiting even if the dose was increased. They also compared the biological activities and toxicity of ginseng reed head, whole ginseng without reed head and ginseng without reed head under the same conditions by means of comparative pharmacology. It is observed that they all have similar pharmacological effects and toxicity, which shows that ginseng reed not only has no emetic effect, but also has similar biological activities with ginseng, and ginseng without reed removal does not affect its due physiological effects and toxicity. According to the research of relevant departments, the content of effective components in ginseng reed is higher than that in fibrous roots, stems and leaves, and no other special components are found. These studies not only overturned the previous one-sided understanding of ginseng, but also created a theoretical basis for the rational utilization of ginseng. Ginseng reed accounts for 8%- 15% of the total ginseng, which must be removed before being used as medicine. Although a small amount of ginseng reed is used as emetic, most of them are moldy. According to statistics, in the past, more than 6.5438+0.5 million kilograms of ginseng were cleared in China every year. Nowadays, ginseng reed and ginseng are used as medicine together, which can not only save medicinal resources, but also increase economic benefits. Therefore, it is suggested that people who buy ginseng tonic should not stick to stereotypes and remove ginseng.
Ginseng strips: adventitious roots on the rhizome of plant ginseng, called ginseng strips. Ginseng strips are not as nourishing as ginseng. According to New Theory of Materia Medica, Shentiao can "promote fluid production to quench thirst and replenish qi". Sexual abuse in the arm is very effective for people with weak fingers. "So ancient doctors used it to treat the pain in the shoulders, arms and upper limbs, weakness in lifting and numbness of fingers (equivalent to scapulohumeral periarthritis, peripheral neuritis, tennis elbow and other diseases) of frail patients. At present, ginseng strips are rarely used in clinic because of their small dosage.
Ginseng beard: the twig roots and fibrous roots of ginseng are whisker-like, so it is called ginseng beard. Ginseng beard is flat, sweet and bitter, and its strength is not as good as ginseng. Because of its low price, clinical non-critical patients do not need to use ginseng, and ginseng beard is often used instead. Due to different processing methods, it is divided into four commodities: red straight beard, white straight beard, red curved beard and white curved beard. A straight beard is better than a curved beard. (1) red straight beard: it is a kind of thick branched root, generally longer than 10 cm. Brown-red, with longitudinal wrinkles and fibrous roots peeling off on the body surface, and a few cork peeling off. The section is brownish red, oblate, with wavy edges and crisp texture. The smell is sweet and the taste is bitter. (2) Red curved whiskers: brownish red twig roots and fibrous roots with different lengths and thicknesses. Crispy and bitter. Red straight beard and red curved beard can be used instead of red ginseng. (3) White straight beard: it is a kind of thick branched root, which has the same characteristics as red straight beard, but its surface is yellow and white, most of it is skinless, and its cross section is white. (4) White curved whiskers: mostly fibrous roots, often grouped into cakes. Yellow and white, with the same characteristics as the red curved beard. White ginseng can be replaced by white straight beard and white curved beard.
"Materia Medica from the New" said when introducing ginseng beard: "Ginseng beard, produce fluid and replenish blood. It is also born on the reed head, relatively thin, and has the same nature as ginseng, but its strength is particularly thin. " You need to know the parameters and requirements, but the rest of your energy can't rely on dangerous evidence. Ancient doctors used ginseng to treat vomiting and hiccups caused by weakness of stomach qi, cough caused by weakness of lung qi, hemoptysis and thirst caused by both gas and liquid injuries. It is often used as a substitute for ginseng in modern clinic. In fact, it is cheaper and more convenient for families to choose health tonic.
Ginseng leaves: The leaves of plant ginseng are called ginseng leaves. Ginseng leaves were rarely used as medicine before the Qing Dynasty. "Materia Medica from the New" once said that ginseng leaves are "bitter and cold, contrary to ginseng and useless, so they have never been included in materia medica". The book Compendium of Materia Medica, which is only eight years late, said that ginseng leaves are fragrant, bitter and slightly sweet, and their properties can tonify the interior and bring out the exterior, which can greatly promote fluid production, dispel summer heat, reduce deficiency fire, benefit the head of limbs, soak the juice and soak the hair, so that the light is dark but not falling, and wake up first when drunk. Ginseng leaves are bitter and sweet. Functions: tonify the middle energizer, clear away lung-heat, promote fluid production to quench thirst, dispel summer heat and reduce asthenic fire. In modern clinic, ginseng leaves are mainly used for promoting fluid production, moistening dryness, cooling and clearing heat to treat atrophic gastritis, diabetes, tuberculosis, sore throat and hoarseness. Drinking tea with it in summer can relieve summer heat and quench thirst. Drinking a cup of ginseng leaf tea after drunkenness can refresh you and quench your thirst. Ginseng leaves can be washed externally to treat alopecia. Modern research has proved that ginseng leaves contain the same saponins as ginseng roots, which have the functions of anti-fatigue and enhancing adrenal cortex function, so they are often used to treat neurasthenia, adrenal cortex dysfunction and other diseases. When selecting ginseng leaves, the leaves are dry, green and fragrant.
Ginseng: The fruit of ginseng is called ginseng. Ginseng seed has a very weak nourishing effect, in addition, it can also be used to "remove acne and promote blood circulation". According to the literature, "If acne can't be classified into pulp, ginseng seeds will be added as medicine, and it won't itch or collapse the next day." It can be seen that Shenzi was once an important drug in acne department, but it was rarely used in later generations.
Ginseng flower: The bud of ginseng is called ginseng flower. The effect of ginseng flower is similar to that of ginseng, but its intensity is far weaker than that of ginseng.
To sum up, the same ginseng strip, ginseng beard, ginseng leaf, ginseng seed and ginseng flower all have different degrees of tonifying deficiency and strengthening body resistance, but the strength is weak and there are other effects. Therefore, it is often used for mild symptoms or as a health care. In this case, especially ginseng whiskers and leaves, as substitutes for ginseng, are cheap and affordable, and can also play a certain therapeutic role after long-term use.