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American
Ginseng
Panax
Quinquefolius
American Ginseng is one of the
few herbs that have been absorbed into the Chinese Materia Medica that
is not grown in China. Not to be confused with Chinese Ginseng (Red
Panax Ginseng) or Korean Ginseng, American Ginseng have many similar
benefits without the heat. For those who lack energy, or Qi but
have heat signs, American Ginseng is a more suitable herb to tonify Qi.
Generally speaking, Qi tonics tend to be warming and need to be used
cautiously. As an exception to this fact, American Ginseng is a valuable
Qi tonic that is safe to take continuously.
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Deficency
of spleen, lung or kidney can lead to deficiency of Ying Qi or Wei Qi.
This interferes with organ function and immune responsiveness, and can
account for generalized fatigue as well as act as the root cause of many
illness. Deficiency of Qi can also lead to deficiency of blood. American
ginseng tonifies Qi, nourishes yin, clears lung fire, generates fluid,
relieves cough. It is used for deficiency of yin and Qi causing low
voice or loss of voice, fatigue, dry cough, thirst, and irritability.
Also for lung fire with coughing up of blood. Use to replenish Qi and
Yin during acute and chronic fever.
It
provides a Qi tonic that is cooling and thereby useful for replenishing
Qi during fevers, as opposed to other Ginsengs which have heat
characteristics and should be avoided during a cold or a fever. The herb
became sought after when tuberculosis, a disease that consumes lung Qi
and yin, proved to be a great plague during China's 19th century. For
similar reasons, it is appropriate in fever due to AIDS or other causes
of protracted fever with deficiency of Qi. It is also useful as a
general Qi tonic.
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