Ginseng A Source Of Body Building Nutrition
October 14, 2008
Ginseng which is botanically equated to Panax ginseng finds a lot of use in the complementary medicine and herbal therapies of various countries. The plant has been termed with various attributes like ‘adaptogen, ‘restorative’ agent, ‘ergogenic’ agent, ‘aphrodisiac’ and sexual tonic.
The roots of ginseng which are considered as natural and safe nutritive supplement are used for a variety of purposes viz. to treat nervous disorders, anaemia, wakefulness, dyspnoea, forgetfulness and confusion, prolonged thirst, decreased libido, chronic fatigue, angina and nausea. There are a variety of molecular and endocrinal mechanisms that have been postulated for various effects of Ginseng. The plant is amongst the most popular dietary supplement for fitness and revitalization. Its popularity is clearly demarcated with its annual sale accounting to more than 300 million US$.
Ginseng and physical health
Ginseng has been reported to be a rich source of nutritive carbohydrates, minerals and proteins. It is a rich source of dietary fobers as well. Ginseng positively affects the cardiovascular system, central nervous system CNS, endocrine system, metabolism, and the immune system. Ginseng administration increases the power to adapt to various physical as well as mental stresses. Since exercise leads to a stressful condition hence the nutritive properties of ginseng becomes handy not only to reduce stress induced burden but also to provide necessary supplementation for assisting in proper growth and maintenance of muscles and bones. A group of researchers working at University of British Columbia in Canada demonstrated the ability of ginseng to counteract malnutrition deficits and improve muscular and skeletal growth.
Ginseng improves athletic performance
A few scientific reports show that ginseng prolongs survival to physical or chemical stress. It also reduces the recovery time from fatigue and exhaustion and helps in improving the physical performance by proper channelization of bodily functions and hormones.
In totality, supplementation with ginseng has a lot of promise for improving fitness and physical performance. Although, there is a need for more systematic research dealing with the efficacy of ginseng.
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