Ginseng in Cancer Therapy
Ginseng was used by Chinese physicians several thousand years ago to treat almost every illness imaginable. Today, we are learning that the confidence these ancient physicians had in this herb may have been well placed. Initial clinical studies of ginseng’s’s potential anticancer characteristics have been inconclusive perhaps because differences in the herb are so wide-ranging. Concentrations of cancer fighting properties vary depending on the type, place of origin, processing procedures, and distribution techniques. All ginseng products need to be studied. Tests have shown that ginseng stimulates the immune system to produce more macrophages (cells that literally eat cancer cells and harmful cellular debris). One study showed a 75% reduction in average tumor size in mice after just eight days of ginseng intake. Ginseng also slowed tumor growth and lengthened survival in rats with chemically-induced liver cancer. Obviously, much more clinical study needs to be dedicated to this very promising anticancer herb. Such critical research is what the new strategy for the war on cancer is all about. Join us in the battle
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