ABSTRACT
That too much has been written about ginseng is a gross understatement. The Research Institute of the Office of [Ginseng] Monopoly, Republic of Korea, has cited and abstracted 1,191 books and papers published on the herb between 1687 and 1975.1 And since 1975, the volume of writing has increased enormously. To say that we now have a reasonable knowledge of the botany and chemistry of ginseng is a fact. Recent studies in both areas have made significant contributions to our knowledge. But to say that we have an adequate understanding of the way ginseng works (if indeed it does) in helping to maintain health or in preventing or curing disease in the human body is an enormous exaggeration. Most of the literature in this area is based more on superstition and subjective opinion than on objective, scientific evidence.
