The most valuable medicinal plant in Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine considers ginseng one of the most valuable medicinal plants, primarily using the root, which sometimes resembles a human form, but also the leaves and stems. The saponins contained in the plant are said to improve heart function, respiration, and the immune system, and to lower blood sugar, fat, and cholesterol levels. Its botanical name reflects these meanings: Panax = Greek = all-healing / Ginseng = Chinese jen shen = human root. Roots with a high degree of human and, moreover, male resemblance can fetch prices of up to $25,000. These high market prices have led to some populations being designated as vulnerable under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and wild populations are considered largely extinct.
habitat is found in northeastern Chinese provinces, northern Korea, and the southern part of the Primorye region of Russia.
