How Does American Wild Ginseng Help Regulate Liver Functions?

Posted by Jack Kason on December 12th, 2016

Ginseng has been consumed as a healing and medicinal herb in the Orient for decades. The main constituents of the root, ginsenosides, are the prime elements that lend such a wonderful quality to the herb and make it capable of curing several ailments, especially those related to the liver. Though, this has not been substantiated by scientific studies, there is no harm in consuming this natural herb that does not have any side effects.

• General Hepatotoxicity:
  American wild ginseng extracts are said to protect an injured or ailing liver that has been suffering from toxicity brought on by alcohol, contaminants, drugs, poison, viral infection etc. The extracts are also known for protecting the liver cells from radiation.
  
  

• Treatment of surgical complications:
  In case of problems arising after a liver transplant or other forms of liver surgery, ginseng is considered to be extremely helpful.
  
  

• Cancers and tumors of the liver:
  Liver cancer is known to be the third most fatal cancer in the world. However, it is believed that extracts of American ginseng root provide chemopreventive therapy against the disease while supporting a significant improvement in liver function and decreased levels of tumor markers in the organ.
  
  

• Fatty liver:
  Ginseng is believed to work wonderfully to support the improvement of a fatty liver condition by decreasing the hepatic glycogen content in high- fat diets. So, it is like a healing therapy going on within the system.

The highly nutritional components of ginseng roots work in many different ways to guard the liver from deterioration and also keep it healthy by balancing the necessary enzymes. Basically, there are three main reasons that make ginseng so good for the liver.

1. The high antioxidant content: Ginseng tends to boost the natural antioxidant defense mechanism of several elements present in the liver as well as in the food. Interestingly, it also increases the internal antioxidant enzyme activities.
   
   

2. Anti-inflammatory properties: Regular consumption of ginseng suppresses that production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines which in turn, ends up acting like a protective mechanism for the liver.
   
   

3. The ability to inhibit Cytochrome P450: Cytochrome P450 is a type of enzymes that metabolize potentially toxic compounds by functioning in the liver. By inhibiting these enzymes, ginseng helps in protecting the liver microsomes.
   
   

4. The different kinds of ginsenoisdes: These are the key elements of ginseng that regulate the right liver enzymes to keep the liver healthy, work against cholesterol, improve the extent of liver fibrosis and also, significantly inhibit hepatic glucose production. These are also the main reasons why ginseng is considered as an alternative phytomedicine for the effective treatment of common diseases of the liver.