ASIAN GINSENG – HOW THE HERB RELIEVES ACNE

 

Asian ginseng is a perennial herb known widely for its medicinal properties. This Chinese and Korean medicinal herb treats a lot of health ailments and it is sometimes called “cure-all.” Ginseng has anti-inflammatory, anti-stress, and brain-enhancing properties, and its lesser-known use is treating acne. This is one of the reasons why now there are many ginseng-based beauty products available in the market. In this article we will discuss how to use ginseng to get rid of acne.

Acne is a very common problem that affect not only teenagers, but also people of all ages. It happens when skin pores are congested with oil, bacteria, or dead skin cells. There are numerous reasons for acne, the top one is genetics, and others include puberty, menstruation, and infections. One unusual fact is some people have anxiety and stress because of acne, and this stress worsens breakouts. It is also known that people with severe acne issues have low self-esteem, and even develop anxiety and depression because of acne.

Asian ginseng (also called Korean Red Ginseng and Panax Ginseng) helps in relieving acne symptoms by reducing hormonal imbalance, decreasing acne-pain, and reducing any infection that might be causing skin acne. Let us see how ginseng can be a “go-to” herb when it's comes to acne.

Asian Ginseng Enhances Sleep

Sleep is alone the basis for many acne-causing issues. Checking on your sleep schedule can keep you away from stress-induced acne, acne inflammation, and excessive hormones blocking your pores. Sleep deprivation is evident on your skin. Those who do not have a restful sleep cycle often have tired-looking gray skin and dark circles adoring their eyes.

Asian ginseng  is a right herb for people who have sleep deprivation and cannot sleep peacefully. A study carried in 1990 shows that when freely behaving rats were given ginseng extract for one week, it decreased their amount of wakefulness and increased slow wave sleep. Overall, the researchers concluded that intake of ginseng extract leads to sleep enhancement.

While the above study was on rats, another research with human volunteers proved that ginseng improved quality of sleep in humans. In this study, healthy male volunteers were given 1500 mg of ginseng orally for 7 days. The results showed an enhanced sleep pattern, total wake time reduced and sleep time increased.

A group of rats, subjected to 200 mg of red ginseng extracts for 9 days, were monitored on the 1 st , 5 th  and 9 th  day of the research. On the 1 st  and 5 th  day, there was no significant change in sleep pattern, however, on the 9 th  day there was an improvement in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and sleep pattern. Ginseng increased NREM and total sleep time, and wakefulness was reduced as observed on the 9 th  day.

These studies prove that sleep deprivation can be treated with proper intake of Asian ginseng extracts and better sleep cycle leads to reduced acne.

Ginseng Reduces Hormonal Imbalance

One of the major causes of acne is hormonal imbalance, and this can happen in women at any age. Hormonal imbalance not only leads to severe breakout but also has an overall negative impact on health. Asian ginseng or panax ginseng has natural estrogen that can work as a supplement to estrogen hormone in women. Regular intake of Asian ginseng can reduce the adverse effects of hormonal imbalance like stress, acne, bloating, fatigue, etc.

Along with its quality of balancing hormone levels, Korean Red Ginseng can decrease vaginal infections in women which are caused due to an imbalance in estrogen levels.

Ginseng Heals Old Acne

Acne spots is a consequence of acne, and many people struggle with getting rid of acne spots even when the acne and blemishes are long gone.

Nitric oxide is a gas that helps in wound healing, controlling blood flow, and regulating blood pressure. It is obvious that this gas helps in reducing after marks of acne and promotes acne-spot healing. Now, Asian ginseng plays a big role here by increasing the amount of nitric oxide in the body.

In a study, 12 non-smoking and healthy male volunteers were given 500 mg of red Korean ginseng. It instantly increased the nitric oxide levels in their breath, and reduced heart rate and blood pressure.

With the increase in nitric oxide levels, there is an enhancement in acne scar healing. If you are suffering from old acne marks that refuse to leave your skin, then ginseng can help you. It gives you additional benefits by regulating blood pressure, blood flow, and heart rate.

Asian Ginseng Strengthens Immune System

Many times, acne occurs because of bacteria and digestive issues. Asian ginseng enhances the immune system by getting rid of bacteria and impurities in the body.

There are numerous proofs of ginseng as an immune system boosting herb, and one such confirmation is given in this study. It shows that ginseng improves immune system health, increases resistance to illness, fights inflammatory diseases, and other infections.

Ginseng has Anti-Inflammatory Properties

One of the main properties of ginseng is anti-inflammation; it is used since ages to reduce inflammation. However, you might be wondering how it is related to acne. Though it is unknown to most, inflammation is a major cause of acne. Chronic inflammation not only leads to the formation of acne but also becomes the key reason for many diseases such as irritable bowel, fatigue, muscle weakness, etc.

When 100 mg of red Korean ginseng was given to a group of rats for 7 days, it reduced inflammation. Initially, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-6, and interleukin-1 beta levels were higher in these rats which were reduced at the end of the 7th day, hence, inflammation decreased.

Conclusion

Ginseng is an all-healing herb with various healing properties such as anti-inflammation, anti-stress, anti-aging, and anti-oxidant properties. All the health-enhancing benefits of ginseng are backed by practical studies. Scientists are still researching about the usefulness of this herb. So, if you are also annoyed and discouraged with breakouts and acne on your skin, ginseng is definitely the herb for you.

 

 

References:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjd.12149/abstract;jsessionid=E712F2CAC138110393CFBA3646CC11A7.f02t02
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acne
https://www.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov/pubmed/2388971
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23872254
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3659601/
https://www. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24952024
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11975928
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S108986030500008X
http://ezinearticles .com/?Cure-Your-Acne-With-Ginseng&id=5232764
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3659612/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed /21213400