Recipe
American ginseng root decoction
- Herb:
- American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
- Method:
- Decoction
- Plant part:
- Root
About 40 minBeginnerRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Cut 3–5 g of dried root into thin slices (or use ready slices) and put into a small pan with 500 ml of cold water.
- Bring to the boil and simmer covered on the lowest flame for 30 minutes, until reduced by about a third.
- Strain; the slices can be eaten or boiled once more.
- Drink warm in 100–150 ml portions, traditionally in the morning; a slice of ginger or a date can go in.
Extraction
- Herb:
- 3–5 g of dried sliced root per 500 ml
- Solvent:
- water, simmer for 30 minutes, covered
- Shelf life:
- 1 day in the fridge
- Target compounds:
- ginsenosides (Rb1, Re) and polysaccharides enter hot water; the decoction is sweetish and bitter
Notes
Cultivated root only (CITES). Anyone on warfarin should skip ginseng — in a study it reduced the drug's effect. A traditional tonic, not a medicine; with insomnia or high blood pressure drink in the morning, not the evening, and not for months on end.
Why it works
Long simmering releases ginsenosides and polysaccharides from the root. The clinical evidence (Predy's RCT) concerns a standardised polysaccharide extract in upper respiratory infections, not a decoction; the warfarin interaction is documented in healthy volunteers (Yuan et al. 2004).
Literature
- Predy GN et al. (2005): Efficacy of an extract of North American ginseng containing poly-furanosyl-pyranosyl-saccharides for preventing upper respiratory tract infections: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ 173:1043–1048 — RCT with a commercial standardised extract, not a decoction.
- Yuan CS et al. (2004): American ginseng reduces warfarin's effect in healthy patients. Ann Intern Med 141:23–27 — Documented interaction with warfarin.
Related
American ginseng — Herb card
Decoction — Processing method detail