Ginseng, a perennial plant belonging to the Araliaceae family, has a unique bitter taste and is rich in various active ingredients such as saponins and polyphenols. It is known to have excellent effects in enhancing immunity, nourishing and strengthening, and reducing the risk of various cancers due to the content of these rich nutrients. The excellent efficacy of ginseng has been documented in several ancient medical books including Donguibogam, and has been widely used as a medicine to treat various diseases since ancient times. Ginseng with such excellent efficacy is called by various names depending on the way it is processed. Raw ginseng is called fresh ginseng, dried white ginseng, and steamed and dried 2 to 4 times is called red ginseng. Black ginseng refers to ginseng that has undergone the manufacturing process of ginseng steamed and dried nine times. During the process of steaming and drying nine times, the glucose in ginseng turned black through heating several times, giving it the name black ginseng. As black ginseng is made with many times more time and care than that of red ginseng, the physiologically active substances of ginseng are more concentrated, and the absorption rate in the body is reduced because the particles of ginsenoside are changed into smaller molecules. It has the advantage of being able to increase it even further. Now, let’s take a closer look at various information about the main effects of black ginseng.
Main effects of black ginseng
1. Strengthen immunity
Saponin, a representative component of ginseng, is an excellent physiologically active substance and is known as an excellent substance for enhancing immunity. In particular, ginseng has a different chemical structure from saponins contained in other plants. These unique saponin components of ginseng are called ginsenosides and are classified into about 32 types of components.
In black ginseng, the main ginsenoside components such as Rk1, Rg3, and Rg5 among the saponins in ginseng increase about 13 times through the process of steaming and drying 9 times. It is said that the increased saponin component strengthens the immune system and protects our body from viruses and pathogens introduced from the outside.
2. Anticancer effect
It is said that Rg3 of ginsenoside, which is increased through the gujeunggupo method, which is the manufacturing process of black ginseng, helps to activate NK cells. These NK cells are a type of red blood cell responsible for innate immunity and are known as immune cells that directly destroy cancer cells. These activated NK cells help to kill cancer cells and prevent the formation of new blood vessels in cancer cells, thereby lowering the risk of various cancers. In addition, excessively increased free radicals in the body not only cause cell damage, but also cause abnormal cell proliferation, which is well known as a risk factor that increases the likelihood of cancer. It is said that maltol, an antioxidant that was not found in ginseng, is produced by the gujeunggupo method of black ginseng, which protects the body from free radicals and has a beneficial effect in preventing cancer.
3. Vascular health
The aforementioned oxidative stress caused by free radicals is also known as a factor that increases the level of LDL cholesterol, which causes inflammation inside blood vessels. is said to work. In addition, the saponin component of black ginseng is said to be effective in promoting blood vessel health to the extent that it is also called blood vessel soap. Since saponin has a chemical structure similar to cholesterol, it is said to be involved in the action of reducing the absorption of cholesterol, improving blood flow and preventing various vascular-related diseases.
4. Skin health
It is said that the ginsenosides Rk1 and Rg5 in black ginseng are effective in inhibiting the activity of tyrosinase, which is an important enzyme in the production of melanin pigment. This action is known to help a lot in skin whitening that brightens the skin tone. In addition, Rg5 is known to have a beneficial action in suppressing the inflammatory response in the skin tissue, so it is said to be helpful in the prevention of various inflammatory skin diseases.
Other Benefits
In addition to the various benefits mentioned above, black ginseng has an excellent nourishing and tonic effect, so it is said to be effective in improving body fatigue and enhancing vitality.
In addition, it is reported that ginsenoside in black ginseng is excellent in preventing pneumonia due to its excellent anti-inflammatory action, and has various actions such as suppressing fat accumulation, controlling blood sugar, and improving memory.
