According to a report in the April 10 2000 'Archives of Internal Medicine' for example (carried out using American ginseng which is commonly thought to have a milder action than Panax), volunteers given ginseng 40 minutes before consuming a sugar glucose solution, showed a 15 to 20% smaller rise in blood sugar levels then a control group. This effect persisted if the ginseng was taken any time up to two hours before a meal, and was unaffected by doubling or tripling the original dose of 200mg. Also, because of this maintenance of blood sugar levels it also means that it is useful as an energy stabilizer, because it helps to mediate against sugar highs and lows that you might get for example when you have a chocolate bar.

Ginseng is however not a one trick herb. There are approximately 29 ginsenocides, known by their scientific name "tripterpenoid saponins" and also sometimes called panaxosides, which have been identified in ginseng root. And these have been shown to have antioxidant effects which help in the battle against free radicals. Additionally, these also demonstrate anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-convulsant properties, as well as being regulators of blood sugar levels (as the study above outlined), cholesterol levels, and blood pressure. And the good news doesn't end there! Ginseng also contains several steroid compounds, including panaxtriol (which has very similar effects to estrogen use, which is why Panax ginsengs are unsafe for prolonged use in premenopausal women and shouldn't be used at all during pregnancy. It can however be useful for post-menopausal women) which makes ginseng a great tonic to take for body builders or athletes looking for safe alternatives to anabolic steroids. Conversely, Siberian Ginseng has the adaptogenic effects of Panax on stress levels and fatigue, but does not contain the ginsenosides or steroids that Panax ginsengs do and hence is generally considered safe for nursing mothers, but not so good for fitness fanatics.

Something the Chinese have used it for centuries for is as a love potion. And whilst the science hasn't quite caught up with that conclusion, it does corroborate the fact that taking ginseng is useful for men with erectile dysfunction. A recent January 2003 study into its use for that purpose concluded: