It is said that around 1670 , French priest Artus came to Liaodong, China to preach and heard many stories about the " magic ginseng grass " from local legends . Later, with the help of Indians, the French found wild plants similar to Chinese ginseng in the Atlantic coastal jungles of the Montreal area. This plant collected from the Atlantic coastal jungles was named " American ginseng " . Due to its effects of replenishing qi and nourishing yin, clearing heat and promoting body fluid, American ginseng has always been regarded as a precious medicinal plant.

In November 2023 , the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued an announcement, adding nine substances including American ginseng to the list of substances that are traditionally both food and Chinese medicinal materials.

“Green Gold” – American Ginseng

American ginseng, also known as American ginseng, is native to Quebec, Canada and Wisconsin, USA. After years of introduction and cultivation, it is now distributed in high-altitude mountainous areas in southern provinces such as Jilin, Beijing, Shandong and Fujian. The underground roots of American ginseng are composed of taproots, branch roots, fibrous roots, adventitious roots and rhizomes (reed heads), and the aboveground parts are composed of stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. The American ginseng mentioned in the announcement of the National Health Commission this time is the root of American ginseng.

During the Qing Dynasty, American ginseng was introduced into my country. The "Edited Compendium of Materia Medica" records that American ginseng is a "cool" ginseng, which tastes bitter, slightly sweet, and cool in nature. It has the effects of nourishing yin and qi, promoting fluid production and quenching thirst, eliminating irritability, clearing away internal heat, supporting the body's vital energy, and resisting fatigue. The French once hired Indians to dig up a large number of American ginseng and transported them to China for sale. At that time, the price of American ginseng in the Chinese market was equivalent to that of gold, so American ginseng was once called "green gold".

In addition, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia ( 2020 edition) states that American ginseng is the dried root of the Araliaceae plant American ginseng. Modern medicine believes that American ginseng is cold in nature and bitter in taste, and has the effects of benefiting lung yin, clearing deficiency fire, promoting body fluid and quenching thirst. It is often used to treat chronic cough due to lung deficiency, dry throat due to blood loss, thirst, deficiency heat and fatigue. American ginseng can also be used to improve cardiovascular diseases and enhance immunity.

In terms of consumption, American ginseng has a history of consumption in provinces such as Shandong, and is mainly used for soaking in water, cooking porridge, making soups, and adding to dishes.

The many benefits of American ginseng

The main active ingredients of American ginseng that exert their medicinal effects include saponins, amino acids, trace elements, polysaccharides, etc., which can inhibit Alzheimer's disease, improve cardiovascular health, and play an extremely important regulatory role in the body's metabolism and immune system.

1. Suppresses Alzheimer’s Disease:

Alzheimer's disease ( AD ) is a common degenerative disease. American ginseng has anti- AD biological activity. Saponins, as the main active ingredient of American ginseng, have shown strong anti- AD effects in both in vitro and in vivo studies. It is understood that saponins can inhibit the production and deposition of amyloid β protein ( Aβ ), tau phosphorylation, cell apoptosis and cytotoxicity, and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, thereby inhibiting the development of AD .

1. Improves Cardiovascular System:

Studies have shown that ginsenosides have a significant improvement effect on the cardiovascular system and nervous system, especially in cardiovascular diseases. They have the effects of preventing myocardial cell apoptosis, arrhythmia, and enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes. In addition, studies have shown that ginsenosides can reduce the incidence of myocardial infarction.

Anti-fatigue:

The ginsenosides in American ginseng have obvious anti-fatigue effects and can improve the body's physical strength and energy. Studies have shown that ginsenosides can promote protein synthesis and glycogen storage, improve muscle endurance and adaptability. At the same time, it can also increase the secretion of adrenaline and norepinephrine, and improve the body's response ability.

1. Boosts Immunity:

Ginseng saponins have the function of regulating the immune system, which can enhance the body's immunity and improve disease resistance. Studies have found that ginseng saponins can increase the activity and number of lymphocytes, promote the function of macrophages, and improve the body's ability to resist infection. At the same time, it can also increase the immunoglobulin in the serum and improve the body's antibody level. Therefore, ginseng saponins are widely used in drugs for immune regulation and immunity enhancement.

1. Lowers Blood Sugar:

Several human studies have shown that American ginseng can reduce blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, and can reduce fasting blood sugar and post-meal blood sugar levels. One study found that people with type 2 diabetes who took American ginseng before drinking a high-sugar beverage had a smaller increase in blood sugar levels. Other studies have shown that American ginseng can prevent diabetes-related complications by reducing stress.

The market size will exceed 5 billion US dollars, and American ginseng has great potential

According to BR data, the global American ginseng market size will reach US$ 1.3884 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 5.07475 billion in 2031 , with a compound annual growth rate of 15.7% during the forecast period . At present , the sales products of American ginseng at home and abroad are mainly dietary supplements, which can be divided into slices, powders, capsules, etc.

Dairyland has launched an American ginseng powder that can be stirred into oatmeal or yogurt or added to coffee or muffins to help improve concentration and relieve fatigue.

NusaPure has launched a vegetarian capsule of American ginseng, each capsule is equivalent to 5000 mg of American ginseng root powder. This product can be used to enhance human immunity.

Chinese brands such as Fang Huichuntang and Hu Qingyutang have also launched American ginseng sliced health products. For example, Hu Qingyutang uses American ginseng imported from Canada, which can be eaten with wolfberry, astragalus, mulberry leaves, longan meat, etc.

In the trend of medicine and food being of the same origin, my country is further developing American ginseng related foods in order to increase the diversity of American ginseng functional products and improve the palatability of American ginseng foods. For example, some researchers have used American ginseng, Poria cocos, and ginger as raw materials, and adopted twin-screw extrusion and puffing technology to develop new products such as American ginseng and Poria cocos rice instant porridge and American ginseng and ginger rice instant porridge.

Since the 1970s, my country has started to grow American ginseng. After decades of development, my country's American ginseng planting technology has made great progress. So far, Jilin, Shandong and other places in my country have formed a certain scale of American ginseng planting. According to statistics, my country has become the third largest country in the world in the production and processing of American ginseng and its products.

From the market perspective, the successful introduction, cultivation and promotion of American ginseng in China has greatly increased the planting area and output of domestic American ginseng, which has to some extent squeezed out the market for imported American ginseng in China and narrowed the price gap between imported and domestic American ginseng.