Ginseng has been highly prized throughout the centuries for its ability to restore vigor. As Pierre Jartoux, an 18th century French priest, once wrote after learning about the herb on a trip to China, "It is an outstanding remedy for fatigue and excessive physical or mental exhaustion."
Siberian ginseng owes its origins as a tonic to a Russian physician, I. Brekman, who was searching for plants that improve human performance in the 1950s. He discovered eleuthero—Siberian ginseng. Although he did no controlled clinical studies, he gave eleuthero to thousands of workers and found that it countered fatigue, improved performance, and strengthened immunity to disease. He also wrote that ginseng "possesses a remarkably wide range of therapeutic activities protecting the body against stress, radiation, and various chemical toxins … and increasing general resistance." 1
But it wasn't until 1965 that members of the Institute of Biologically Active Substances in Vladivostok, Russia, published the first chemical report on Siberian ginseng, revealing that it contains seven compounds called eleutherosides A-G. 2
Based on numerous clinical studies, we now know that these early investigators were correct. Siberian ginseng provides numerous benefits, including the ability to:
boost energy
work as an antiviral
strengthen the immune system
improve physical and mental performance
shorten recovery time after exercise or stressful situations
improve sexual function
support the adrenal glands, increasing stress resistance
extend endurance
protect against radiation exposure
help cancer patients tolerate chemotherapy treatment more easily
An adaptogen for normal and stressed individuals
