I'm excited to try it, but not sure which brand to buy. Which brand do you folks use?

A recent study at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in the U.S. reported that 29% of randomly purchased products claiming to contain ginseng did not have any significant amount of the herb, another 27% contained ginsenocides in amounts so low that the preparation was considered unsuitable for therapeutic value. Thus consumers should be wary of what they are purchasing and be sure of the ginseng content in each item.

Purchasing the actual dried root is the most economical and surest way to get the most value for your money. Mature roots can be consumed in a variety of ways. The optimal dosage of ginseng is two or three grams a day. Herbalists suggest ginseng be consumed daily or intermittently (three times a week). Ultimately each individual must depend upon personal experience with the herb.

Root slices can be brewed slowly in a tea pot (silver or glass) for one hour. The resulting tea can be sweetened to taste, generally a bitter tasting root indicates higher potency. Root slivers can also be added to soups or liquors. In some preparations it is desirable to first grind your ginseng with a mortar and pestle. The resulting powder can be used in meals or can be placed under your tongue where the high concentrations of blood vessels allow the ginsenocides to be absorbed directly into the blood stream. Finally, the simplest way and method of choice for many ginseng devotees is to chew the dried root like a hard piece of hard candy. A quick five minute soak in boiling water will make the root more palatable. Chewing will introduce you to the true essence of ginseng, its flavor, texture, and its many benefits. Experimentation with these methods will allow you to decide what best suits your individual needs.

I've been using an off-brand called "Root to Herb" solely because it was all the local shop had when I first looked for it and it worked. So I stuck with it. In general with any supplements reputation is everything. The one with the best reputation is Jarrow simply because the owner Mr. Jarrow takes a personal interest in quality control. Very personal in that if a supplier screws around with product quality Mr. Jarrow has special attorneys whose job is to put that supplier out of business. Simple but effective.

My second choice is NOW.

One thing I found is that ginseng seems to be heat sensitive so don't leave a bottle in the car in summer like I did.

If you live in the country and have a damp and shady north facing hollow (the kind where black walnut trees grow) order seed and plant some. It takes several years so you are doing for nature but like Don Juan might say, the plant's spirit may reward you. I can look out my window at a 4' x 60' patch two years old and it is satisfying.

Here is a site recommended to me by a Phd pharmacist for checking out which supplements actually have the ingrediates they claim it has without major contaminates. For ginseng:

http://www.consumerlab.com/results/ginseng.asp

Sasha

My chiropractor recommended the same site, but still worries about anything grown in China.

How about the American ginseng sold by Puritan's Pride? Has he mentioned that one?

Hello Sasha:
I must say I am suspicious of companies which sell herbs at triple price because they claim their product being superior. Herbs are basically cheap and I buy it very very cheap from Swanson. My wife tells me that their products are so cheap that can't be but sugar tablets but they seem to me to be respectable?? I hesitate to mention companies names for fear like advert for them but I live in Jordan and only know them through the Innternet so I will apreciate if any body tells me they heard of this company and if their products are (or are not) sugar pills??

Swanson's seems to be a good company and retails their own products as opposed to a company which retails a variety of manufacturors.

There aren't as many individual reviews as I would like, but epinions has an extensive listing of various products by brand at http://www.epinions.com/well-Nutriti...all~9688_brand

Swanson's itself is very well rated with plenty of reviews too

http://www.epinions.com/pr-Online_St.../sort_dir_~des

..This puts my mind to rest.
Also a chance to tell you how much I appreciate and enjoy your posts

I want to chime in with my experience with ginseng. My symptoms are still "mild" compared to some: mainly muscle rigidity causing constant stiffness and pain, a general slowness, very slight tremor and depression. My only prescription at this point is mirapex. The mirapex was only mildly effective even as I was titrated from .25mg x 3 to 1.5mg x 3. The last time I saw my neurologist, he told me to go to 2.0mg x 3 if 1.5 didn't improve things. After I read these threads, however, I decided to try adding ginseng instead. I started taking 650mg x 2 and within 2 days, my muscles were more relaxed than they've been since I was diagnosed last year. My "1000 yard stare" is almost non-existent and my overall mood is greatly improved. Placebo? I can't say, but I can say that physically, I have performed much better in the month with ginseng than in the previous 6 months without. Just for the record, I also take a B supplement with L carnitine and alpha lipoic acid. That helped some, but not to the extent that the ginseng has. Thanks a bunch for sharing your experimentation!