Korean ancestors did not simply eat any medicinal or nutritious food. It went through a unique process. We put our sincerity and time into maximizing the unique efficacy. ‘Steamed and dried nine times’. It is a herbal medicine processing method named after steaming nine times and drying nine times to improve the quality of herbal medicines in oriental medicine. Ginseng becomes ‘black ginseng’ only through this process. Considering that red ginseng is made by steaming ginseng three or four times, it takes 2-3 times as much effort to make it. It is so concentrated that the original efficacy of ginseng is doubled.
20 times more ginsenosides than red ginseng
Boosts immunity, prevents skin aging
Menopausal women, especially for those with a lot of heat
Steamed and dried nine times. In oriental medicine, it is a method of manufacturing herbal medicines mainly used to supplement ‘eumgi’. After steaming for 3 hours at 95-99 degrees Celsius, repeat the process of drying in sunlight or a dryer for 24 hours. Professor Park Jae-woo of the Department of Oriental Internal Medicine at Kyunghee University Hospital in Gangdong, Korea, said, “The method of making changes to the manufacturing process such as roasting, steaming, and drying herbal medicines is called ‘numerical method’. It may change,” he said.
Ginseng is very effective in protecting energy. Steaming and drying this type of ginseng several times has the effect of adding yin. Therefore, it is known to be effective in improving menopausal symptoms. Professor Park said, “Black ginseng is good for menopausal women or people who have a lot of heat. Black ginseng has a greater soothing effect than red ginseng.”
Of course, black ginseng has the same pharmacological effects as ginseng and red ginseng. The saponin component (ginsenoside) contained in black ginseng enhances the body’s immunity and acts as an antioxidant to protect the skin and prevent aging. It inhibits platelet aggregation and improves blood flow.
Reduces cancer tumors, lowers blood sugar
Not only this. On the contrary, there is a study result showing that the active ingredient is significantly higher than that of red ginseng. A paper analyzing how the content of 11 types of ginsenosides, including Rg3 and Rb1, changes in the process of changing ginseng to black ginseng was published in the Journal of the Korean Society for Food Science. In this study, the ingredients of black ginseng and red ginseng were compared. As a result, the component showing the greatest difference was ginsenoside Rg3. The content of Rg3 in black ginseng was 7.51 mg/g, which was about 20 times that of red ginseng (0.37 mg/g). Rg3 is smaller than Rb1·Rb2·Rg1 among ginsenosides. That is, as heat is repeatedly applied, the ginsenoside molecule is gradually split and changed to the Rg3 form. It has been transformed into a better form for absorption into the body.
There are also studies showing that black ginseng reduces the size of cancerous tumors. In an anticancer experiment on mice transplanted with a lung cancer cell line, the mice that were injected with black ginseng extract every day for about 2 weeks had a 33% reduction in tumor size compared to mice that did not. It was slightly lower than the anticancer drug Taxol (38.9%), but higher than that of red ginseng (23.3%).
A blood sugar lowering effect was also confirmed. In an experiment on diabetic rats, when black ginseng extract was administered orally every day for 3 weeks, blood sugar (102 mg/) was significantly lower than that of diabetic rats (391 mg/), which was a control group, and was almost normal (100 mg/ or less). returned to state In addition, black ginseng showed effects such as increasing exercise capacity, relieving fatigue after exercise, and improving memory.
Despite these benefits, black ginseng has not always been welcomed. Ten years ago, it was reported on a TV program that ‘benzopyrene was detected in black ginseng’, and it was once on the cutting board. In the process of steaming and drying at high temperatures several times, the ginseng burned, resulting in the formation of benzopyrene, a first-class carcinogen. After that, the black ginseng-related industry and researchers studied the recipe and changed the method of steaming and drying quickly at high temperature to a method of drying at low temperature for a long time. The controversy over benzopyrene has disappeared, and since 2012, the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has newly established and managed the ‘Standard for benzopyrene such as black ginseng’.
FDA-approved new functional substances
In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized its efficacy in January 2016 and registered black ginseng as an ‘NDI (New Functional Substance)’, further increasing its credibility. NDI refers to a substance that has been approved for registration after undergoing a strict review on safety and functionality. This means that black ginseng has been recognized as a safe healthy functional food ingredient in the United States.
There are many ways to eat black ginseng. It can be consumed directly as a decoction or in the form of extracts, powders, or slices. Among them, the extract is a kind of extract made by boiling black ginseng in water and other solvents. In this process, substances such as fiber are removed and absorbed better by the body.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind while taking it. First of all, when taking black ginseng for the first time, it is good to eat it with a ‘consciousness of purpose’ and check the effect. If the goal is to relieve fatigue, take it for 1 to 2 weeks, then check to see if there is any improvement, and if the fatigue is improved, take it for another month or two. If nothing has changed, it may not be working for you. It is recommended to re-evaluate after a month or two to receive a diagnosis from a specialist.
Side effects should also be considered. Professor Park said, “If you take black ginseng in excess, side effects such as insomnia, heart palpitations, and rashes may occur.” he asked.
