Panax Ginseng

Panax Ginseng

Panax Ginseng - Nature's very own Viagra. This is a powerhouse of an ingredient, which could benefit you in a large number of departments. Not least the trouser department.

tl; dr ... Short and to the Point
Who is this article aimed at?
Anybody who is;
  • Wondering what the difference is between Panax (Asian) Ginseng and American Ginseng
  • Trying to find out if ginseng really does boost test (and why)
  • Looking for the clinical studies into Ginseng and Testosterone
I am busy - summarize it for me

Panax Ginseng is often included in combined test boosting supplements. This one is no red herring - there are numerous studies backing it up as a means of test boosting (which it does in a number of ways), increasing nitric oxide and being hugely beneficial at combatting erectile dysfunction.

In short it's a Grade A supplement - you should consider using it on it's own, or if you are buying a combined natural supplement, make sure it's got this ingredient in it.

Panax Ginseng & Testosterone

The great thing about natural ingredients with a solid background in traditional medicine is they often come with an inbuilt pedigree and peace of mind.

Age-old cultures have long ago risked and ruled out any possibility of spontaneous combustion or things shrivelling up and dropping off. By the time these remedies reach us, all that’s left to do is take advantage of health benefits firmly established by centuries of safe and effective use.

Panax Ginseng would be the perfect example of this. The herb – also known by numerous other names, including Asiatic Ginseng, Mountain Ginseng and Korean Red Ginseng – has been part of East Asian traditional medicine for nearly 2000 years.

In that time it has, amongst other things, been used to help strengthen immunity, vitality and virility. More modern examinations of Panax Ginseng have found it to have positive effects in such varied areas as:

  • Improving cognition
  • Regulating blood pressure
  • Significantly cutting the risk of several aggressive cancers

As ever though, our main focus here will be exploring the testosterone stimulating potential of Panax Ginseng and looking at the evidence which has led to it becoming a regular fixture in some of the most impressive testosterone boosters currently on the market.

It’s worth noting before we continue however that there are two different types of ginseng. Panax Ginseng, which we’re interested in, is found mainly in Korea or North Eastern China and should not be confused with the variety of ginseng native to America and Canada.

Technically called Panax quinquefolius, American Ginseng shows nowhere near the hormone stimulating promise of its Asian namesake and in stark contrast is famed more for its sedative qualities. Handy for some, but no use to us.

Does It Boost Test?

Panax Ginseng seems to work in multiple ways to help boost our testosterone levels.

Firstly, the direct way, route one, working on the brain and testicles to encourage the production of more male hormone. This was showcased in a clinical trial by the University of Rome La Sapienza, which found that the steroidal saponins inherent in ginseng provoked an increase, not only in testosterone, but also in DHT, luteinizing hormone and several other important androgens.

This occurred in both healthy volunteers and participants who were severely lacking in testosterone. The same study also saw a marked improvement in sperm parameters for both groups.

Several decades earlier a study of male lab rats given a 1% to 5% dose of Panax Ginseng for a period of 60 days found that they experienced a significant increase in blood testosterone levels.

The second slightly more indirect way Panax Ginseng helps to optimise our testosterone is by regulating blood glucose, which in turn controls insulin levels. If insulin levels get too high this can have a detrimental effect on testosterone production.

A double blind study by De Sousa et al into the effects of taking Panax Ginseng on postprandial (after eating) blood glucose levels found that those taking a supplemental dose of the herb displayed a 27% reduction in glucose levels compared to a control group.

Likewise a clinical trial ostensibly into whether ginseng can help reduce muscle inflammation and damage in healthy individuals after uphill treadmill work discovered as an interesting by-product that those taking part who received ginseng had significantly lower levels of blood glucose and insulin sensitivity than those who had not.

Erection Resurrection

One area where this type of ginseng really comes into its own though is its nearly unparalleled natural ability to improve the quality and frequency of our erections. Even compared to other notable testosterone boosting ingredients the research suggests that ginseng stands appropriately tall.

Take the research carried out by the Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea, for example…

The team there found that in in a group of 90 men diagnosed with erectile dysfunction, those given a therapeutic dose of ginseng experienced significant enhancements of penile rigidity and girth, libido and patient satisfaction compared to those in other groups.

While no complete remission of the conditions was recorded, noted improvement in those taking ginseng was 60% against 30% not, after just 2 months of usage.

Similar work from Sao Paulo University in Brazil also reported that 60 men, again with erectile dysfunction, after taking 3g of Panax Ginseng a day reported significant improvements on the standardized five-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function.

The study concluded that Panax Ginseng is an effective alternative to the invasive approaches for treating male ED.

Nitric Oxide

For a while it wasn’t fully appreciated exactly why Panax Ginseng was capable of producing such impressive results in the libido department. Now thanks to research like that from University of North Dakota School of Medicine, we know that something called ginsenosides, found in ginseng root, are able to stimulate nitric oxide synthesis.

This process is very likely replicated in humans (the study was on rats) and put simply, more nitric oxide in the system means better circulation and improved circulation equates to better erections.

Indeed the most high profile ED treatment currently available, Viagra, works by influencing enzymes in the nitric oxide pathway, causing a cascade of enzymatic reactions that enhance nitric oxide, so any natural component capable of producing the same results was always bound to have success enhancing our love lives.

Frankly though, even if they hadn’t managed to pinpoint the process that makes Panax Ginseng so useful in this respect, speaking personally I wouldn’t have cared.

When it comes to strong, regular erections I’m very much in the Oleta Adams ‘I don’t care how you get here, just get here if you can’ camp.

Conclusion

So as you can see, there’s an incredibly strong case for the inclusion of Panax Ginseng in any testosterone boosting supplement worth its salt. Plenty of research supports not only its ability to directly promote the increase of testosterone but also to regulate factors, like blood glucose, which if unchecked can ultimately hinder levels of the male hormone.

Ginseng’s impressive influence on healthy erections also points to (not literally) a positive effect on testosterone, because without it, erections just couldn’t happen. If your dick is a car, testosterone is the engine; the relationship is that vital.

The Asian variety of ginseng is definitely one to look out for when deciding on an effective natural testosterone booster.


Study 1: Salvati et al (1996)

Title: Effects of Panax Ginseng C.A. Meyer saponins on male fertility.
Researchers: Salvati G, Genovesi G, Marcellini L, Paolini P, De Nuccio I, Pepe M, Re M.
Read More: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9063034

Study 2: Fahim & Fahim et al (1984)

Title: Effect of Panax Ginseng on Testosterone Level and Prostate in Male Rats.
Researchers: M.S Fahim, Z Fahim, J.M Harman, T.E Clevenger, W Mullins, E.F.E Hafez
Read More: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/01485018208990207

Study 3: De Souza et al (2011)

Title Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) root fractions: differential effects on postprandial glycemia in healthy individuals.
Researchers De Souza LR, Jenkins AL, Sievenpiper JL, Jovanovski E, Rahelić D, Vuksan V.
Read More: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21619921

Study 4: Jung et al (2011)

Title: Effects of Panax ginseng supplementation on muscle damage and inflammation after uphill treadmill running in humans.
Researchers: Jung HL, Kwak HE, Kim SS, Kim YC, Lee CD, Byurn HK, Kang HY.
Read More: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21598413

Study 5: Yonsei University, College of Medicine (1995)

Title: Clinical efficacy of Korean red ginseng for erectile dysfunction:
Researchers: Choi HK1, Seong DH, Rha KH.
Read More: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8750052

Study 6: Sao Paulo University Study (2007)

Title: Study of the efficacy of Korean Red Ginseng in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Reseaechers: de Andrade E, de Mesquita AA, Claro Jde A, de Andrade PM, Ortiz V, Paranhos M, Srougi M.
Read More: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16855773

Study 7: University of North Dakota School of Medicine Study (2001)

Title: Ginsenosides Rb1 and Re decrease cardiac contraction in adult rat ventricular myocytes: role of nitric oxide

Reseaechers: Glenda I Scott,1 Peter B Colligan,1 Bonnie H Ren,1 and Jun Ren1,*

Read More: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1573065/

tl; dr ... Short and to the Point
Who is this article aimed at?
Anybody who is;
  • Wondering what the difference is between Panax (Asian) Ginseng and American Ginseng
  • Trying to find out if ginseng really does boost test (and why)
  • Looking for the clinical studies into Ginseng and Testosterone
I am busy - summarize it for me

Panax Ginseng is often included in combined test boosting supplements. This one is no red herring - there are numerous studies backing it up as a means of test boosting (which it does in a number of ways), increasing nitric oxide and being hugely beneficial at combatting erectile dysfunction.

In short it's a Grade A supplement - you should consider using it on it's own, or if you are buying a combined natural supplement, make sure it's got this ingredient in it.