Ginseng differences
Types, Colors & Ingredients
Not all ginseng is the same. A distinction is made between industrially grown ginseng and wild forest ginseng. Furthermore, the origin and processing of ginseng is essential.
Basically, five different species of the plant are cultivated. Only from this industrially produced ginseng are skin care products manufactured which are offered in the jars and tubes of perfumeries.
The most effective species is Korean ginseng. The medicinal plant grows mainly in Korea, but is also cultivated in China, Siberia and Germany. It is a 30 to 60 centimeter tall grass with broad round leaves and small red drupes. The roots are the real treasure chest. It is from them that most of the ginseng preparations known to us are made.
2. american ginseng
Panax Quinquefolius, although derived from the Korean mother plant, has much fewer healing ingredients. The loss of characteristic active ingredients can be explained by the unfamiliar environmental conditions. While Korean ginseng contains 30 ginsenosides, the American offspring has only about half of them. Another reason could be that the medicinal herb is harvested much too early. The plant must first be ten years old. Only at this age is the concentration of valuable ingredients sufficient for the herb to be used effectively as a medicinal plant. The harvesting of unripe ginseng is punishable by law in the USA and Canada.
3. chinese ginseng
The Chinese plant has the same mother plant as its American brother. It also has much less healing agents than Panax ginseng. It is mainly used to treat bleeding and anemia. Its ability to heal wounds relatively quickly was discovered by Viet Cong soldiers during the Vietnam War. They always carried it with them to treat wounds.
4. japanese ginseng
Japonicus is a species of ginseng native to Japan. This medicinal plant has been cultivated in Japan since the Japanese occupation of South Korea. As a result, the original species has evolved into a special species. The Japanese plant has only two ginsenosides, but the concentration of these is twice as high in the Japonicus. This means that the Japanese variety can be used more selectively.
5. siberian ginseng
Although the Siberian plant is not a true ginseng, this herb is also believed to have healing properties. But how does Siberian ginseng really work? According to studies, it is very effective against stress. It strengthens the stress tolerance of the body and mind and helps get rid of physical exhaustion and weakness. The Siberian species also helps to strengthen the body's defenses.
Is there a difference between white, red and black ginseng?
In trade, only red and white ginseng, from industrial cultivation, respectively products from it are offered. However, the quality of red or white ginseng depends less on its color than on its quality or grade. The ginseng needs a lot of time to form its healing agents. White, red and black ginseng are not, as is often assumed, products of different plants. Rather, they come from the same plant, whose roots have only been preserved or treated in different ways. In accordance with legal regulations, in the past only ginseng roots that had matured for at least six years were allowed to be processed into red ginseng. For some years now, this legal protection has been lifted and younger, i.e. less nutritious roots can now also be processed and sold.
Wie wird aus weißem, roter beziehungsweise schwarzer Ginseng?
Um zu rotem oder schwarzem Ginseng zu werden, unterzieht man die Wurzeln einer zusätzlichen Behandlung. Nachdem die eigentlich weißen Wurzeln geerntet, nach Größe sortiert und gesäubert sind, werden sie heißem Wasserdampf ausgesetzt. Hierdurch verfärben sich die Wurzeln rötlich und ihre Oberfläche wird fest und glasig.
Beim schwarzen GINZAI Waldginseng wird das G-Hiexponential Verfahren, wie bereits unter „Verarbeitung von Waldginseng“ (Hier geht´s direkt zur Verarbeitungsseite) beschrieben angewandt.
Weißer Ginseng hingegen wird gleich nach der Ernte getrocknet und dann als Trockenwurzel oder in pulverisierter Form angeboten. Bei Importware aus China erfolgt die Verarbeitung des weißen Ginsengs meist bereits im dritten oder vierten Wachstumsjahr, wobei dies Auswirkungen auf die Qualität und Wirksamkeit der Produkte hat. Hinzu kommt, dass in diesen Ländern oftmals der weiße Ginseng zusätzlich geschält und die wirkstoffreiche, äußere Schicht entfernt wird, um optisch "ansprechender" auszusehen.