Herbs : Ginseng and Dong Quai links to breast cancer

A colleague of mine sent me an email with an attachment of a newspaper cutting (as shown below). After reading the newspaper cutting, it gave me the inkling to write it in my hub. It is something that, I believe, everyone should know about. So, please go ahead and read about it!

I did a little bit of reading on ginseng too. This will give you a wider view on ginseng. Please read on :

Wow! Did you know that there is an English name for dong quai? I didn't know until I just found out from websites. One of the website is the famous Wikipedia. You can also read all about it from there. I am just giving just a brief write out on both herbs.

Angelica sinensis, commonly known as "dong quai" or "female ginseng" is a herb from the family Apiaceae, indigenous to China.

I read in Wikipedia website that this herb is dangerous for women during pregnancy which may due to possible hormonal, anticoagulant, and anti-platelet properties. Dong quai is often used in premenstrual syndrome formulas as well as menopausal formulas. This herb is used for female reproductive system as the herbalist believe that it is a uterine tonic and hormonal regulator. Animal research has noted conflicting effects on the uterus, with reports of both stimulation and relaxation. Dong quai is traditionally viewed as increasing the risk of miscarriage.

There are two common types of ginseng which are Panax ginseng, which is also called Asian, Korean or Chinese ginseng, and Panax quinquefolius, called American, Canadian, or North American ginseng. Other than the above types of ginseng, there are also two other types of ginseng which are named as Red ginseng and Wild ginseng.

"All-healing" here is the meaning of the word Panax which comes the Greek word. In most country in Asia, ginseng acts as a revitalizer for the whole body. This is partly due to the shape of the root, which resembles the human body.

There are side effect on ginseng that may not be due to changes in hormone secretion, but to direct effects of ginseng, or its ginsenoside components, on the central nervous system and gonadal tissues. In males, ginsenosides can facilitate penile erection.