Ginseng has long been recognized as a herb possessing great value. The first written record of the use of ginseng can be found in a Chinese Herbal dated in the 1st Century B.C. This Chinese Herbal, Shen-nung pen ts'ao ching, was surely preceded by a long verbal history of ginseng for in ancient China, ginseng was always held in the highest esteem as a powerful drug. Ginseng is the common name of two species of Panax of the family Araliaceae. Panax ginseng is the Asian species and Panax quinquefolius is the American species. There are four varieties of P. ginseng and three varieties of P. quinquefolius (4). Shorter forms of the common name ginseng, "sang" and "seng", are used in the United States. Other common names include red-berry and five fingers.

Ginseng is an adaptogen, a herb that can improve the body's overall ability to adapt to and cope with the negative effects of physical and environmental stress. Clinical studies confirm that ginseng can help enhance endurance, reduce fatigue, and improve coordination and reaction time. There is also some evidence that ginseng can boost immune function, helping the body fight off infection during times of stress. In laboratory studies, ginseng has shown potential in protecting liver and heart health, regulating the function of reproductive hormones, normalizing cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and improving memory and learning. Studies in humans are needed to investigate the effectiveness of ginseng in these promising areas.