Comment · Tue, June 14, 2016 · Ceretropic & Nootropics Depot
Labdoor has just published rankings for ginseng
What they were answering
PersonOfInternets · 3 points
Interesting. Should have known you'd come in and make me believe ND is the only place buy anything again.
But aside from just being less expensive, how is American inferior to Panax?
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · Ceretropic & Nootropics Depot
Haha, I am really getting into all these natural extracts! I love learning and improving things.
American Ginseng has more Rb1 ginsenosides than panax does, but less of the other ginsenosides. Panax ginseng has more Rg1 and Re ginsenosides. Rb1 has been shown to be more of a depressant, whereas Rg1 is more a stimulant. Our root extract has .5% Rb1, but 2.8% Rg1, and .4% Re. Our leaf has .3% Rb1, but 29% Rg1, and 5.3% Re. Potent American Ginseng extracts have 5% Rb1, but almost no Rg1(0.27%). So the different amounts/ratios of each ginsenoside really affects its effects. It's not just about total ginsenosides.
Panax Ginseng is more of a stimulant, libido booster, and memory booster, where American Ginseng is more used for stress reduction, immune modulation, and lowering of blood pressure. You can see a lot of references to American Ginseng being sedating and relaxing, whereas Panax Ginseng is energizing and stimulating. If you follow the Chinese categorization of things, American Ginseng is yin energy, and Panax Ginseng is yang energy. I more follow the scientific data, and that shows the Rb1 ginsenoside increases serotonin more than Rg1, but Rg1 is an acetylcholine sterase inhibitor, where Rb1 is not. So the increased serotonin from the Rb1 is likely the reason for the calming sedating feeling that American Ginseng possesses. Rg1 in Panax Ginseng stimulates glucose uptake into cells, activates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and up-regulates NMDA receptors in the temporal cortex, caudate putamen, hippocampus, and granule layer of cerebellum. Both Rg1 and Rb1 also attenuate dopamine-induced apoptosis by supressing oxidative stress.
So you can see why the species matters, and why the individual ratios of the various ginsenosides can drastically alter effects. Both American Ginseng and Panax Ginseng are neuroprotective, immunomodulating, insulin lowering. However, American Ginseng is more calming and sedating, while Panax Ginseng is more stimulating, libido boosting, and memory enhancing.