Ginseng

[Sarah]

A plant of the genus Aralia, the root of which is highly valuedas a medicine among the Chinese. The Chinese plant (Aralia Schinseng)has become so rare that the American (A. quinquefolia) has largelytaken its place, and its root is now an article of export fromAmerica to China. The root, when dry, is of a yellowish white color,with a sweetness in the taste somewhat resembling that of licorice,combined with a slight aromatic bitterness.

[Sarah]

The state of being real with yourself, and staying chill, simultaneously.

[Greta]

Ginseng is usually derived from two different species of plant: American ginseng and Asian ginseng. American ginseng is milder than Asian ginseng. Ginseng is available in many forms, such as fresh and dried roots, extracts, solutions, capsules, tablets, cosmetics, sodas, and teas. The active components are panaxosides in American ginseng and ginsenosides in Asian ginseng.
Siberian ginseng is not really ginseng and contains different active components.
Ginseng products vary considerably in quality because many contain little or no detectable active ingredient. In very few cases, some ginseng products from Asia have been purposefully mixed with mandrake root, which has been used to induce vomiting, or with phenylbutazone or aminopyrine—drugs that have been removed from the market in the United States because of unacceptable side effects.
(See also Overview of Dietary Supplements.)