American Ginseng is a herbaceous perennial found in the understory of Eastern Deciduous Forests on the East Coast of North America†. The closely related Asian Ginseng (Panax ginseng) has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine, while the American species has been used by Native Americans (Lu et al. 2009) for a variety of symptoms.  The herb is currently being researched for it's efficacy in Western Medicine, and shows indications for treating cardiovascular disease and helping symptoms associated with the HIV virus. Although many purported claims have been made as to its efficacy, more research is needed to verify its effectives at treating a multitude of illnesses. 

Scientific name: Panax quinquefolius

Family: Araliaceaee  

Growth Habit: Herbaceous

Life cycle: perennial 

Monoecious flowers 

American Ginseng grows on the East Coast of North America where it occurs in hardwood temperate deciduous forests. This perennial herb grows between 200 - 1000 meters (656 - 3281 feet), occupying lower elevations in northern latitudes (McGraw et al. 2013). During the cold winters, Panax leaves will die but return in the spring. Below ground, a storage root holds starches that will be broken down for new shoots to emerge; this is the organ harvested by herbalists for medicinal purposes (McGraw et al. 2013).

American Ginseng has or is experiencing declines in its population from a number of factors, outlined by McGraw et al. (2013). The demand worldwide for Ginseng, especially from Asia, has decimated populations of closely related Ginseng species. Thus, due to international trade and demand for the storage root, American Ginseng has experienced sharp declines starting in the 1800s and is currently at risk for extinction. This promoted regulation and inclusion of this species on the CITES Appendix II list- protecting the plant from overharvesting for international trade. In addition, plants are now harvested from an agricultural instead of wild setting to reduce pressure on natural populations. In participating countries, plants harvested from wild populations must be within designated seasons, and the age of the plant must be at least 5 years. Since colonization, over half of Eastern Deciduous Forests have been cleared for purposes of housing, agriculture, mining and timber harvesting. Continuing to protect Forest habitat, decrease invasive species, and minimize deer populations that over-browse will help mitigate some of the massive loses that Ginseng has experienced. 

The Cherokee Nation was documented to use American Ginseng for a range of ailments (Setzer 2018). Notably Ginseng was used as a post-cold expectorant which helps loosen mucus to make clearing the lungs easier after respiratory infection. In addition, it was mixed with other herbs as a mouthwash to treat mouth sores, help with complications  due to difficult child births, restoration of appetite, cooling down the body and to restore balance (Garrett 2003).

 The use of plants as medicine was just one aspect of healing for the Cherokee. From a ritualistic and spiritual perspective, Cherokee  ancestors were born from the Northern Sky, and they came to agreement with the plants and animals to obtain shelter, food and medicine in exchange for taking care of the Tuckasegee River Valley (Garrett 2003).  In their view, medicine was used to overcome spiritual blockages and used as a preventative practice than a reaction to illness like in Western Medicine. Being in touch with the ecology of the local environment, and knowing their role to help sustain it was their most powerful medicine to prevent and treat disease. The Shaman of the tribe, men or women, where seen as a the bridge between the spirit and physical world, and would talk to the plant spirits for advise on how to best use herbal medicines like Ginseng (Irwin 1992).

Both the Asian and American varieties of Ginseng have reported benefits including: enhancing memory, cardiovascular health, treatment of HIV symptoms, anti-oxidative and anti-cancer properties (Lu et al. 2009). Although many of these claims have yet to be verified scientifically, biologically active ingredients have been identified. It is hypothesized that the biologically active molecules of Ginseng are glycosides referred to as ginsenosides (left). In animal models, the ginsenosides have been shown to have anti-oxidant properties, boost the immune system, and help to prevent cardiovascular disease (Lu et al. 2009). 

Some studies have verified the health benefits of Ginseng. In human trials, Ginseng has been found effective in improving glucose metabolism for treatment of diabetes, as well as treating lung disease (Lee and Son 2011). In contrast, there are some conflicting reports that it can improve memory function (Kiefer and Pantuso 2003) and it is ineffective at increasing physical muscle performance (Lee and Son 2011). Other studies have shown it to be effective at preventing the common cold (Seida et al. 2009). Overall it's safety profile remains positive and does not produce excessive toxicity, but some side effects may occur. These include stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. 

Most commonly, medicinal Ginseng is prepared from the dried roots of the plant (Harkey et al. 2001) at doses between 0.2g - 2g per adult per day in the form of a tea or simply chewed (Kiefer and Pantuso 2003).  Although recently North American Ginseng has been gaining popularity due to the demand and over-harvest of the Chinese variety, herbal supplements found in stores could have mixtures of many species in the genus Panax including: P. ginseng,  P. quinquefolius,  P. japonicus, P. notoginseng, and P. vietnamensis (Harkey et al. 2001).