Ginseng or Ashwagandha?

Both of these popular herbs can help with a wide range of health concerns, so deciding between them isn’t always easy.

- By Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, DN-C, RH

Nutritive tonics are the heart of herbalism in Asia. Suitable for everyday use, they cover a wide territory and are broad builders and maintainers of health. Two of the most famous are ginseng and ashwagandha, which have similar roles in Chinese and Indian medicine, respectively.

Ginseng

Ask any person on the street to name the first herb that comes to mind, and it’s likely to be ginseng, a botanical that is known the world over, yet shrouded in myth. Ginseng has been shown in human studies to mitigate the impacts of stress, improve physical and mental performance and reaction time, and enhance mood and memory. Ginseng increases physical working capacity in humans in many ways, including stimulating the central nervous system and balancing blood pressure and glucose levels.

In one study, a preparation of Asian ginseng, together with vitamins and minerals, was tested among 232 people who complained of daily fatigue. Those taking the supplement had improved energy, better concentration, and less anxiety. Another double-blind study tested the effect of ginseng on reaction time during exercise. Fifteen 19-year-old soccer players performed an incremental bicycle exercise with intensity increasing every 3 minutes. Ginseng shortened their reaction time at rest and during exercise, and improved their psychomotor performance during exercise without affecting exercise capacity.