ginseng
(jin′seng″)
[Chinese rén-shēn, man-image (fr. the shape of the root)]
1. An aromatic herb of various species of Panax, esp. P. ginseng.
2. An herbal remedy used as a stimulant, a tonic, an immune booster, and for sexual potency. Scientific studies supporting these indications are limited.
SEE: Panax
Ginseng boosts the anticoagulant effects of warfarin and may contribute to bleeding in patients who take this drug.
American ginseng
A species of ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) used in alternative medicine as an adaptogen, aphrodisiac, stimulant, for the treatment of type II diabetes and for sexual dysfunction in men,
Asian ginseng
SEE: Panax ginseng.
Chinese ginseng
SEE: Panax ginseng.
Japanese ginseng
A Japanese species of ginseng (Panax japonicus) purported to have similar effects as American ginseng.
Korean ginseng
SEE: Panax ginseng.
Russian ginseng
SEE: Siberian ginseng.
Siberian ginseng
A species of small, woody shrubs (Eleutherococcus senticosus) native to northeastern Asia, used as an adaptogen in traditional Chinese and alternative medicine.
SYN: SEE: Russian ginseng
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