Where does ginseng, the "king of herbs," grow? When should the seeds be planted? How much should be used per infusion in water? Who should not consume it?

Ginseng is a perennial herbaceous plant, also known as yellow ginseng, earth essence, divine herb, and king of herbs, and is one of the widely renowned “Three Treasures of Northeast China.” So, where does ginseng grow? When should the seeds be planted? How much should be used per infusion in water? Who should not consume it?

1. Where does ginseng grow?

Ginseng mostly grows under climatic conditions with a January average temperature of -23-5°C and a July average temperature of 20-26°C. It has strong cold resistance and can tolerate low temperatures of -40°C, with an optimal growth temperature of 15-25°C. It generally grows in places with an annual accumulated temperature of 2000-3000°C, a frost-free period of 125-150 days, snow cover of 20-44 cm, and annual precipitation of 500-1000 mm. Ginseng prefers cool and humid climates. It prefers slanting and diffused light, and is averse to strong light and high temperatures. The soil requirements are well-drained, loose, fertile brown forest soil or mountain podzolic brown forest soil with a deep humus layer, with a soil pH of 5.5-6.2 being suitable.

2. When should ginseng seeds be planted?

For spring sowing, ginseng is sown in early to mid-April. For summer sowing, when the fruits ripen in July-August, they are harvested and sown immediately. For autumn sowing, it is sown in November.

3. How much should be used per infusion in water?

Ginseng is best sliced, with about 3 grams per day placed in a water cup. After steeping until the ginseng flavor is gone, take out the ginseng slices and eat them. How long to continue depends on how well your constitution recovers, but remember not to use too large a single dose.

It should be noted that ginseng should not be used together with medicines and foods that break qi, such as radish, to avoid affecting its medicinal power; it is not advisable to drink tea at the same time, because the tannic acid in tea affects drug absorption; in addition, it should not be used together with Chinese medicines such as Veratrum nigrum and Trogopterus dung.

4. Who should not consume it?

1. People with a big belly. With the continuous improvement of living standards, there are now more and more people with a big belly. Experts tell us that this type of patient is not suitable for drinking ginseng infused in water, because after this type of person takes ginseng, it can lead to increased appetite, so weight will become heavier and heavier, and reactions will become slower and slower, which is not good for health.

2. Avoid tonic failure due to deficiency. The main effect of ginseng is to nourish the body. If a person is already healthy, taking a large amount of ginseng is not beneficial to the body, and instead may cause the body to suffer from illness. In particular, infants, young children, and adolescents should blindly use ginseng to maintain health.

3. People with a purple-dark tongue color are not suitable to take ginseng. Veteran Chinese medicine practitioners tell us that if the tongue proper appears purple-dark, it indicates that the body has a condition of qi and blood stasis. For this type of person, taking ginseng not only has no health-preserving or blood-activating effect, but instead strengthens the effect of qi and blood stagnation, resulting in symptoms such as hot palms and soles and mental restlessness.

4. People whose tongue coating is yellow are also not suitable for drinking ginseng infused in water, because if the tongue coating is yellow, it indicates that there is inflammation in the body or indigestion in the stomach and intestines. At this time, taking ginseng can lead to problems such as loss of appetite and constipation, making it even less conducive to the body's recovery to health.