Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Swiss James]

I'm thinking about giving this whole insam business a try, Korean people seem to have no doubt about it's powers but I'm kind of sceptical.
A mate tells me it would mean I have more energy and need less sleep however, which is just what I'm after.

So- what say you?

[ChimpumCallao]

bullllllllllllllllllsheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

if X product was so darn successful at curing or helping with X ailment then it would have been exploited by the West a long long time ago.

plus, its horribly expensive and tastes like sh*t.

[Ekuboko]

[krats1976]

Last time I had insam, I ended up in the emergency room for steroid shots as I had broken out in massive hives.

I hate insam.

[Corporal]

Um, Swiss James...I'm not sure what you mean by "hype". Whether or not ginseng has powerful effects on the body is hardly up for debate. Here, read.

Fatigue/Stress. Studies performed on animals showed the effect of ginseng when coping with stress. Mice were administered ginseng orally, and then put under conditions of extreme stress. The studies revealed that ginseng increases physical endurance and helps the body settle back to normal in a quicker way. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study, 12 student nurses took a daily dose of 1200 mg. of unstandardized ginseng extract during a two-week trial. The student nurses who were also working night shifts showed improvement in their mood, fatigue feelings, and performance after taking ginseng.

Immunity. A clinical study showed that factory workers who took ginseng were less susceptible to colds, flu, tonsillitis, bronchitis, and sinus infections compared to those that did not consume the herb. Furthermore, ginseng has showed to boost body resistance. In another clinical study, healthy people demonstrated a better resistance to bacteria and cancer cells after taking ginseng for eight weeks.

High blood pressure. Ginseng helps keep optimum levels of potassium that eases high blood pressure. Even more, some laboratory tests demonstrate that ginseng promotes the conversion of amino acid arginine into nitric oxide (NO) that relaxes the walls of blood vessels.

Diabetes. Human studies showed that subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus improved their blood sugar control by attenuating postprandial glycemia. Furthermore, another clinical trial found that fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C decreased in diabetic and nondiabetic patients that took ginseng. Moreover, studies showed that ginseng reduces blood sugar levels, suggesting value in managing diabetes. However, it is not a substitute for insulin, diabetic drugs, or prudent diet. Consult your physician.

Aging. From a clinical trial with 95 elderly patients taking ginseng daily, they showed improvements in memory, blood pressure, neurological function, and bodily function. Even more, 87 percent of them experienced an enhancement of mood. In general, ginseng showed to boost their energy. Moreover, scientists have found that ginseng works as an antioxidant in helping the body to get rid of destructive free radicals, a known culprit in our aging process.

Ginsenosides are not the only valuable active constituents of ginseng. There are other substances that contribute to the overall ginseng's effects such as polysaccharides, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, essential oils, certain alkaloids, silicic acids, mucilaginous compounds, fiber, fatty acid, and phytosterin just to mention some. The polysaccharides, special sugar compounds, support the immune system. While antioxidants help reduce the damage cause by aging.

Overall, scientists have concluded that the effects of ginseng do not rely on isolated compounds, but on its multi-component system. This makes ginseng a perfect example of a herb in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

So to sum up, no, sucking on a ginseng candy is not going to cure Alzheimers overnight. But not even Koreans claim that it does. Of course, if all you meant by your post was that Koreans tend to overexaggerate the properties of something merely BECAUSE it's Korean, then that's surely arguable.

[ChimpumCallao]

who were these tests conducted by?

and

why isn't this type of 'medicine' respected in the west, especially considering places that can make pharmaceudicals on the cheap.

[Swiss James]

Corporal I wasn't trying to have a sly dig about Koreans- I'm genuinely thinking about giving it a go, but I wanted to know what other people have found.

Do you take it? Do you notice the difference?

[Kimchieluver]

I drink a packet of Korean red ginseng a day. Now I only drink it at night because something has a mind of it's own aal too often while I'm teaching class.

So yeah, it works.

[ed4444]

I drink a cup of it when in work. For me the effect is like that of a weak coffee. No noticeable change in trousersnake activity either.

[indytrucks]

I got a box of the little, red, chewy pieces of ginseng packets for teachers day from the uni. Not cheap, I was told. I ate two pieces of the stuff a day, as that's what I was told to do. I didn't mind the taste so much.

After about a month I noticed I had a little more energy in the mornings.

I then got really sick of eating two of these bloody pieces of red chewy ginseng a day and gave the rest of the box away.

[peppermint]

It's pretty well known as a herbal supplement in Canada. The multivitamin that I've been taking for years now ( and get sent from Canada) mentions Korean ginseng as one of the additional ingredients.

I don't think it's a magic pill, but it probably has at least a minor effect on energy and things.

[Corporal]

[Hater Depot]

I've found hot ginseng tea to be a great cure for a sore throat.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Gensing and Tinkerbell have at least one thing in common. They both depend entirely on belief.

[ed4444]