Posted 2018/11/19
Since ancient times ginseng (ren shen) has been used as a tonic, restoring vitality, virility and even allegedly bringing people back from the brink of death.
Legend has it that ren shen was discovered by accident by two brothers hunting in the snowy mountains. They set off on a fine morning and were successful in bringing down game but were caught in heavy snow as they continued to hunt. Their way home was blocked, so they took refuge in a cave.
They dug nearby for wild vegetation and discovered a root shaped like a human torso with two legs. They ate it as fruit and discovered that they felt energized by it. When they ate a lot, however, they suffered nose bleeds.
When spring arrived and the snow melted, the brothers went home with their game, some of it frozen by the snow.
Their neighbors were surprised that they returned alive after the cold winter - and that they looked so healthy. The brothers told everyone about the "fruit" and showed them.
It looks like a human and it helped the brothers stay alive, so it should be called ren sheng (man living), one villager suggested.
The name ren sheng (人生) was passed on through generations and the root was given its own Chinese character shen (参).
Chinese ginseng is mildly "warm" (containing yang energy), according to traditional Chinese medicine. It is used to increase energy, especially to reinforce essential qi (the original energy one is said to be born with). It is beneficial to the lungs and spleen (digestive system), relieves fatigue, promotes formation of body fluids, benefits the brain and soothes the nerves. It is used to treat persistent coughing, breathing difficulty, anxiety, insomnia and diarrhea, among many other conditions. Though it is commonly farmed, wild and old ginseng is believed to be more effective.
It is also a blood thinner - that's why the brothers had nose bleeds.
