In its approximate 5,000 years of know usage, ginseng has shown itself as a
gentle but highly useful herb. There are no proven negative side effects
from its usage. The USDA classifies ginseng as GRAS (Genrally Recognized
As Safe).
In his book "Ginseng: A Concise Handbook", Dr. James Duke, now retired,
former head of the Herbal Testing Laboratory for the United States
Department of Agriculture, lists seven of the major ginsenosides in ginseng.
These are some of the bioactive components in the plant. He notes that
all seven have lower toxicity levels than caffiene.
Absolutely everything we eat is toxic to a degree. If we go to extreme
excess, we can die from ingesting too much of anything including such things
as potatoes and even drinking water. Yes it seems somewhat ridiculous to
think of being killed by the normal food we eat. Ingesting ginseng isn't
much different.
Specific individuals in various places around the world have very unusual
allergies. A few people have allergic reactions to tomatoes, wheat, eggs
to name a few. Likewise, someone somewhere might be allergic to ginseng,
although we have never heard of it. At any rate, the possibility is quite
remote.
Some years back, JAMA,the Journal of the American Medical Association,
reported a seriously flawed study concerning excessive coffee drinking
coupled with excessive ginseng use. The supposed result from that was
the subjects were over-stimulated, stressed-out. The mythical "ginseng
abuse syndrome" was created.
This was an exceedingly sloppy study. The researchers were particulary
errant in that they never documented how much of the caffienated coffee the
individuals consumed. Neither did they document how much and what kind of
ginseng the subjects were using. In all liklihood, the excessive amount
of coffee alone was responsible for any over-stimulation. The results of
that study were later refuted. For a small fee, the American Botanical
Council sells a pamphlet called "Debunking the Ginseng Abuse Syndrome."
It is worth reading. It is quite telling that today, if you search the
World Wide Web, you will find several companies selling coffee with ginseng
added to it.
It has been reported that consuming large amounts of ginseng can cause
diarrhea. Ginseng is a powerful detoxifier that can cause
diarrhea for a short time as the means of eliminating toxins.
If, and we say "IF" it is true, the amount of ginseng necessary, would make
it a very costly experience.
Scientific studies suggest that ginseng may act to some degree as a blood
thinner - desirable for many of us. If we were taking a Rx blood thinner
such as Warfarin, we would certainly want our doctor to be aware of our
ginseng usage and to monitor our blood closely as a precaution. Also, if
we had high blood pressure, we would check that pressure frequently if we
were using oriental ginseng. There is some evidence that suggests that
frequent use of oriental ginseng may increase one's blood pressure for a
brief time as a result of the detoxification process.