Researchers at Seoul National University report that steaming ginseng at higher temperatures can boost its potency dramatically. Ginseng root has been used mostly in Asian cultures for centuries to enhance physical and mental vitality. The nutritional supplement in recent years has become widely available in world markets -- either dried, or steamed at standard boiling temperatures of 212 degrees Fahrenheit -- for use as an antioxidant and blood thinner.

Steaming for approximately three hours at 248 degrees Fahrenheit can multiply the herb's antioxidant qualities by eight times and its ability to relax blood vessels by up to 32 times. The hotter steam produced an optimal amount of biological activity from the same ginseng used in normal supplements. The higher temperature amplifies certain ginsenosides -- the ingredient believed responsible for ginseng's sought-after qualities -- and generates others not normally found in dried versions of the root.

World Poll