There are three different kinds of herbs commonly known as Ginseng. Each type works slightly different with your body ensuring maximum health benefits in accordance to your specific needs. Below is a short overview that will help you to find your right match.
Korean Ginseng and American Ginseng
Korean (also known as Asian) and American ginseng feature slight differences in their working on the body, but come from the same family and possess similar chemical makeup. Their main difference is that Korean Panax is a more warming Yang stimulant, while the American version is a more Yin, calming and cooling tonic. Both have energising attributes in unique ways. The American version is the calming or cooling version of the two. Asian ginseng has heating properties and is generally not recommended for relieving stress.
Ginenosides are the main active compounds in ginseng. Korean ginseng possesses ginenosides Rb1 and Rg1 whereas American ginseng has very slight amounts of Rg1. While ginenoside Rb1 has calming effects upon the central nervous system, Rg1 is known to stimulate energy naturally and thus improve cognitive performance. The Rb1 ginenoside does not however occasion a sense of fatigue, rather energising your body in restorative fashion. This incidence makes both the Korean and American versions effective rejuvenators.
Red Ginseng and White Ginseng
Asian ginseng is further classified into the two distinct forms of red Panax and white Panax. Fresh Korean ginseng carries a natural white or off-white colour when harvested. The only difference between white and red ginseng lies in their final process of preparation. White ginseng gets peeled and sun-dried, while the red version is not peeled and rather gets steamed before drying. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that red ginseng promotes “yang” energy greater than white ginseng. White Panax is conversely thought to generate “cooling” effects and thus boosts energy in a gentle manner.