ACCORDING TO traditional Chinese medicine, the two most popular types of ginseng in Hong Kong - Korean and American - should be taken at different times of the year.
The underlying belief is that Korean ginseng has strong properties that can accelerate blood flow and raise the body temperature, and should be taken in the winter months, while American ginseng is seen as a mild tonic that can dissipate heat accumulated in the body and is valued for its cooling effect in summer.
A recent seminar hosted by the Korea National Agricultural Co-operative Federation and Agricultural and Fishery Marketing Corporation questioned this age-old Chinese theory by presenting research that it claims is evidence that ginseng has no bearing on body temperature and can be taken all year round.
Dr Han Sang-won, associate professor of the College of Oriental Medicine at South Korea's Daegu Haany University says: 'Many Chinese people think Korean ginseng would create 'hot air' [accumulation of heat] in the body and they only take it in winter. But the theory is unfounded. Korean people drink Korean ginseng tea throughout the year and they don't have any problem.'
In a bid to show that Korean ginseng is suitable for consumption all year round, Han and his research team carried out tests between May and July last year to see how different kinds of ginseng affect the body temperature of Koreans and Chinese.
The study enlisted 160 men in South Korea and 160 men - mostly university professors and students - in Shenyang in northern China. They were given four types of ginseng in tablet form - Korean red, Korean white, ginseng from Liaoning, in China, and American ginseng - and a fake ginseng which was made of corn flour without the subjects knowing. During the period, the men's body temperature, blood pressure and pulse rate were recorded.
'When we first invited the professors [in Shenyang] to take part in the study, they said they didn't want to do it. They feared Korean ginseng would give them 'hot air' [a Chinese term meaning rashes and pimples] and cause headaches. But one month later, it was shown they were wrong. Their body temperature didn't vary much from before,' Han says, adding that the blood pressure and pulse rate of the subjects did not change. 'The findings show the belief that Korean ginseng would increase body temperature, while American ginseng would decrease it, is a misunderstanding. Korean ginseng can be taken any time of the year.' the doctor adds.