Bing Han Ginseng Powder

If you read this blog long enough, you know I love convenience. Maybe because I am lazy. I like to think that I like shortcuts to health.

Anyway, for the past 4 months I have been taking this product that I feel has been doing me good, despite its hefty price tag. 

But first, a little introduction is in order. 

It's a product from Taiwan called Bing Han Refined Ginseng Powder and it's made from panax ginseng. 

Bing Han Ginseng Powder from Taiwan

It is water soluble. Which means I can dissolve it in water and drink it up. In my books, it's always a good thing right? Sheer convenience. 

I had heard of the miraculous things people have said about ginseng. When my late grandmother was alive, she was given Korean ginseng and her white hair started turning black! 

Anyway, Chinese folks love their ginseng. It's a well-known fact. I had a friend who used to drink ginseng soups when she was pregnant. Her two children do have beautiful skin! 

But the thing about ginseng is this: most people are cautioned about taking ginseng especially Korean ginseng for fear of being too "heaty". Which is why American ginseng, a more "yin" ginseng, is often taken as teas and in soups. 

So I was a bit hesitant when I learnt that I had to take a spoonful of this powdered ginseng daily, as a warm beverage (dissolved in warm water, upon waking up). I had the same thoughts - "Would this be too heaty for me?" (The spoon is not your average teaspoon. It's a tiny plastic spoon which gives about half a teaspoon.)

My friend who sells this ginseng powder did warn me that I would have vertigo reactions - or what is called side effects for the first few weeks as the body cleanses or detoxifies itself - when I drink this on a daily basis. As she sells this, she tells me to drink at least 3 times a day, once before breakfast, once after lunch and once in the evening before dinner. 

Another friend who is taking this ginseng powder told me that it's OK to just take it once a day. After all, one jar (150 gm) of the powdered ginseng costs RM 570. It's not as if it is a RM 57 product. Her rationale is that we're healthy folks and we just need ginseng for "maintenance". 

150gm of ginseng powder for RM570 

It has been used for cancer patients and they finish one jar about every 3 days! No kidding. I heard these cancer survivors tell their stories - they recovered by taking intensive doses of this product. But then again, psychologically people think you can't get well from cancer. Yet I heard these living, breathing souls emotionally recall how their lives were saved with this product. Believe it or not. 

In the first 2 weeks of taking this ginseng each morning, I did experience some odd symptoms. I felt very thirsty and kept gulping water like a fish. I also had a terrible sore throat. And I started coughing and coughing up whitish phlegm too. It was like my body was doing some major overhauling. I felt warmer than usual. 

According to the pamphlet, these symptoms mean I have an acidic physical constitution and my lungs were weak. A friend who drank this ginseng told me she would feel extremely sleepy in the first two weeks too. All of us, it seemed, had something to be expelled before recovery could happen. 

I would also feel terribly hungry in the morning after drinking the water soluble ginseng. I was given a tumbler to mix the powder with 300 ml of warm water but you can even eat the powder on its own if you like, though it might be more palatable as a drink. 

What I did experience after 30 or so days of imbibing this product is that my period came after 30 days. I have issues with my menstruation cycles. Sometimes it's 30 days, other times 35 days. It fluctuates. So I was very pleased when my period arrived on the dot. When it did, I had less cramps and less blood clots. I felt more energetic too. 

I am still taking this ginseng and I just finished a jar and ready to order another jar. I do feel better when I take this powder but then again, ginseng has always been a beloved Chinese herb. 

The company says that only 6 year old ginseng cultivated on their own farms in North Eastern China are used. Whole ginseng is used where it is washed, dried and made into powder - and it is supposedly 4 times more concentrated. 

Due to its treatment, the ginseng is neutral in its properties (not heaty nor cooling) and can be taken by everyone, babies included. 

I think it has something to do with its low temperature processing (28C) compared to the conventional high temperature processing (128C). One other thing is that the company invites you to visit its processing plant to see for yourself how the ginseng is processed. While its ginseng is grown in China, I believe the HQ is in Taiwan. 

The box and its can are tacky in their design and screams "Chinese" on all fronts (and that's the other thing which bothers me other than the price). They do include a quality and batch assurance certificate with each box you buy. 

I would overlook my overly enthusiastic friend's egging and continue to take a spoonful a day, if only to feel rejuvenated and healthier. 

Plus I have this secret dream that if I continue taking ginseng, maybe when I reach 80 years old, I will still look like I am 50? (I know. I would have to eat a lot of ginseng and live till 80 to find out if that's true. Still, at least I am not swallowing antibiotics or pills.)