What are the contraindications of drinking American ginseng soaked in water?

American ginseng is usually used to make tea, which can improve qi and blood, and is also very effective in nourishing the kidneys and body. However, you need to be careful when drinking American ginseng in water. There are many taboos that you need to understand clearly. For example, people with weak constitution and prone to excessive liver fire should not drink American ginseng on a regular basis.

Although there are many types of ginseng, the ones generally used as tea are Korean ginseng and American ginseng. Although both are excellent Chinese medicinal materials, the medicinal properties of these two types of ginseng are just opposite. American ginseng is cool in nature and has a neutral tonic nature, nourishing yin and reducing fire, while Korean ginseng is warm in nature and has a strong tonic nature, replenishing qi and helping fire. Therefore, when drinking ginseng tea, you should first choose according to your physical condition.

Korean ginseng is divided into white ginseng and red ginseng. White ginseng is suitable for people with spleen deficiency and excessive fire, because it has a cool nature when used raw, and is slightly bitter to nourish yin. Red ginseng is suitable for people with spleen deficiency and weak lungs, because it has a warm nature when cooked, and is sweet to nourish yang. In general, Korean ginseng tea is more suitable for elderly people with obvious symptoms of qi deficiency, as it can strengthen the body and enhance immunity. But if you have a cold or sore throat, drinking ginseng tea will be too hot.

In comparison, American ginseng tastes bitter, slightly sweet, cool in nature, and is not easy to cause internal heat. It is mainly used to treat long-term cough due to lung deficiency, or symptoms such as hemoptysis, dry throat and thirst, false heat and fatigue, physical weakness in the elderly, and lack of energy. People with yin deficiency and hyperactivity of fire, who are prone to coughs, often drink American ginseng tea to replenish qi and yin, promote salivation and quench thirst.

In short, no matter which type of ginseng it is, it is usually suitable for patients with qi deficiency, that is, people who often sweat, feel weak, and are prone to colds. If you are a patient with real heat syndrome who is prone to getting angry, you should not drink any ginseng tea. Even for normal people, they should only drink a cup of ginseng tea when they are overtired or feel weak. One cup is about 500 to 600 milliliters, and 3 grams of ginseng is enough. People with qi deficiency usually drink it once every two or three days. They cannot drink it every day, nor can they drink ginseng slices repeatedly as tea.

If after taking large doses of ginseng for a long time, you feel chest tightness, irritability, or skin fever and itching, insomnia and bleeding symptoms, these are manifestations of ginseng poisoning. You must stop taking ginseng immediately, and only resume taking it in small doses after the symptoms disappear completely.