Ginseng root vs. Codonopsis root: Which is More Powerful?
Eagle Herbs formulas that call for ginseng (人参, 人蔘, rénshēn) include real ginseng, not the cheaper alternative called Codonopsis pilosula (党参, dǎngshēn)*.
Codonopsis root is not a true ginseng, though it does roughly the same thing for the digestion as ginseng. It is cheaper which is good for those who want to save money, but it also requires close to 5 times the dosage to achieve the same effects as true ginseng.
I can’t say how long Codonopsis has served as a low-cost replacement for ginseng, but traditional formula recipes never call for Codonopsis, only ginseng. Continue reading