Ginseng tonic secret to long life

Ginseng, or insam as the Koreans call it, is believed to be a medicine and tonic for long life.

The medicinal plant was first listed in the earliest Chinese pharmacopoeia - Shen Nong's Chinese Materia Medica (Shennong Bencaojing), which was compiled during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220). The ancient work described the quality and production areas of ginseng, and its medicinal effects.

Of the ginseng plant, it is the root that is used for medicinal purposes. Dry roots can also be ground into powder, or sliced. They can also be used to make liquor.