Modern science supports the use of ginseng for sexual health. What’s more, this interesting and powerful medicinal plant has been used in herbal folk medicine for thousands of years.
Low Libido and Why We Need Natural Solutions
When you suffer from low libido, it can drastically decrease your quality of life. Not only is the pleasure and satisfaction obtained from sex no longer there, but it can also place a strain on romantic relationships. Sometimes, low libido can be caused by an underlying health condition or lifestyle factors like not getting enough sleep or exercise. However, some people find that there is really nothing wrong with their bodies or their lifestyle, yet their sex drive has plummeted.
There are some prescription medications that can help improve your sex life. However, these aren’t effective for everyone. Even among those for whom prescription drugs seem to help, many experience unwanted side effects. Furthermore, not everyone in the United States has access to affordable healthcare that allows them to obtain prescription drugs. For these reasons, it’s important to be aware of all the great traditional botanical medicines that can boost your sex drive. Not only have herbal medicines for libido been used for thousands of years, but many are also scientifically proven.
Science Supports Using Ginseng for Sexual Health
Asian ginseng, known to the world of science as Panax ginseng, is a small plant that grows yellow-green, umbrella-shaped flowers, which go on to turn into red berries. However, the part of the plant used as herbal medicine is the root. Ginseng root is gnarled, and sometimes takes the shape of a human body with two arms and two legs.
Ginseng has been used in the traditional medicines of China and other regions of Asia for millennia. Herbalists believed it to be useful for everything from fatigue or low energy to asthma and even supporting healthy cell growth. Impressively, medical science has proven many of the traditional uses of ginseng, which cannot be said for every traditional botanical. Researchers currently believe that the beneficial effects of taking Panax ginseng are due to substances in the plant called ginsenosides.
Ginseng for sexual health is one notable scientifically-proven use. Ginseng is proven to increase libido, according to a scientific review conducted by researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. In fact, many studies have shown the libido-boosting effects of this herb. One study involving 60 male volunteers found that Panax ginseng increased sex drive and supported healthy erections. Another similar study involving 45 men found the same results.
The benefits of ginseng for sexual health don’t only apply to men. One study of 32 menopausal-age women found that taking ginseng significantly improved their ability to become sexually aroused.
Ginseng Offers an Array of Other Benefits
Ginseng is a well-known adaptogen. Adaptogens are a class of herbs that are used to help the body cope with stress, whether mental or physical. Taking an adaptogen supplement can help you bounce back from stress and avoid the negative side effects it can cause such as sickness and fatigue.
Ginseng is also great for supporting a healthy immune system. Researchers believe that Panax ginseng supports your blood’s levels of immune cells. One study involving 227 people found those who took ginseng for 12 weeks had a better response to the flu vaccine, with two-thirds fewer colds and flu occurring after the vaccine. Another study of over 300 people discovered that those who took ginseng every day for four months had fewer colds than those who took a placebo. Those who took ginseng also had shorter and less severe colds when they did occur.
Scientists believe that Panax ginseng also possesses antioxidant properties. This essentially means that taking it can help prevent oxidative damage to your cells and DNA. This type of damage is thought to contribute to heart disease, diabetes and other serious medical conditions. Protecting against oxidative stress isn’t the only way ginseng is good for your body’s cells; it also helps support healthy cellular inflammatory processes. In one experiment, researchers treated human immune cells with different ginseng extracts and found that seven out of nine ginsenosides could inhibit expression of an inflammatory gene called CXCL-10.
If you find yourself wishing that you were able to think more clearly, ginseng could be the perfect supplement for you. One study of 112 healthy people found that taking ginseng every day for eight weeks produced better and faster mental reactions as well as enhancing abstract thinking.
Interestingly, one study found that taking ginseng improves your overall well-being and quality of life. Researchers investigated over 500 men and women in Mexico and found that taking ginseng increases all manners of quality of life measures, from energy to sex life and overall personal satisfaction.
Conclusion
Ginseng is an effective herbal supplement that, whether taken alone or as part of an herbal blend, can not only improve your sexual satisfaction, but also offers other benefits including many that are not listed here. Panax ginseng is perfectly safe for the majority of people. If you have any health conditions or take any medications, talk to your doctor to make sure that Panax ginseng is safe for you to try.