Ginseng replenishes vital energy, tonifies the spleen and the lungs, and can restore normal pulse and prevent and control deficiencies. Red ginseng is more suitable for nourishing yin and tonifying qi, strengthening the heart and stomach.
Ginseng and red ginseng are also powerful Chinese herbs. Ginseng is the dried root and rhizome of ginseng, a plant of the family Wujiaceae; red ginseng is the dried root and rhizome of the cultivated ginseng, a plant of the family Wujiaceae, after being steamed.
Ginseng is sweet, slightly bitter and slightly warm. It belongs to the spleen meridian and lung meridian. The effects of ginseng are to replenish the vital energy, restore the pulse and stabilize the loss, replenish the spleen and benefit the lungs, promote the production of fluid and nourish the blood, and tranquilize the spirit and benefit the intellect. It can be used for the deficiency of body and blood, cold limbs and weak pulse, deficiency of spleen and little food, deficiency of lungs, asthma and coughing, thirst and injury of fluids, internal heat and thirst (internal fever accompanied by symptoms such as overeating and excessive urination), deficiency of vital energy and blood, deficiency of long-term illness, palpitation and insomnia, impotence and uterine cold.
Red ginseng is warm in nature, sweet and bitter in taste, and belongs to spleen, lung, heart and kidney meridians. Red ginseng also has the effect of tonifying the vital energy, but it is more inclined to nourishing yin and tonifying qi, benefiting qi to regulate blood (preventing bleeding by tonifying qi), and strengthening the heart and stomach. Red ginseng can be used in cases of weakness, cold limbs, weak pulse, failure of Qi to take in blood, and bleeding in the case of metrorrhagia (excessive menstrual flow or dribbling).
Both of them can replenish vital energy, but ginseng is more powerful in replenishing vital energy, while red ginseng is more inclined to nourishing yin and taking in blood. Neither of them should be used in conjunction with quassia and wulingzhi. The adverse effects of both drugs are not clear, and both should be used under the guidance of a medical professional.