Hey guys, so in this video, we're going to be comparing two of the most popular herbs on the planet, ashwagandha and Panax ginseng. So, let's jump right in. This video is sponsored by Skillshare. Hey guys, my name is Zach, and welcome to Nutrition Library, where we take an evidence-based approach to supplementation and nutrition. If you guys are new to the channel, do me a huge favor and hit the big old red subscribe button that is below this video so that you guys can stay up to date with all of our future content. Thank you so much. All right, guys, so if you guys are familiar or have been curious with herbal supplementation to any degree, I'm sure you have come to the point where you are somewhat overwhelmed with just how many options there are. And so, one of the main points of this channel is to kind of help simplify the decision-making process so that you guys can figure out what supplements, what herbal supplements, and natural supplements are right for your personal health goals. And so, again

In this video in particular, we're going to be taking a deep dive into comparing two of the more popular adaptogenic herbs on the planet, which are again ashwagandha and ginseng. Now, more specifically, we're going to talk about how they are similar and some of the traits that they kind of share, as well as how they are different. Um, and so let's go ahead and jump into the first area of comparison, which is how they are alike. Now, the largest similarity between ashwagandha and panic's ginseng is the fact that they are both adaptogenic herbs. Now, this means specifically that through various mechanisms, these adaptogenic herbs are able to lower the effects of stress on the body. And one of the reasons that adaptogens, just as a whole, have become so popular over the past few years is the fact that they are able to so effectively reduce the effects of stress, as well as improve mood, which ashwagandha and panic ginseng definitely fit this bill. Now, adaptogens usually do

this by both increasing levels of specific neurotransmitters in the central nervous system, as well as increasing levels of specific neuropeptides that also decrease levels of stress. Ashwagandha and panic ginseng both seem to be arguably some of the most potent adaptogens that exist. Now, one of the first areas of comparison that I want to look at as far as how ashwagandha and ginseng are different is how they specifically interact with the body and affect mood. Now, mood for most individuals exists on a spectrum, with kind of anxiety and nervousness type of symptoms on one end of the spectrum and more kind of lethargic and depressed symptoms on the other end of the spectrum. My point in bringing this up is that most individuals kind of exist on that spectrum at one place or another, and so most individuals will kind of tend towards anxiety, and then some individuals end up tending to more of the depressive side of that spectrum. My point in bringing this up is that there really isn't a

one-size-fits-all approach to improving mood and taking natural substances in order to improve mood. Now, with this in mind, it is important to note that ashwagandha definitely seems to be more calming when it comes to mood. And so, ashwagandha definitely seems to work well with individuals that tend towards the anxiety end of the spectrum, whereas individuals that kind of tend towards the more depressive end of the spectrum, panic's ginseng typically will work better for those individuals. Now, the reason for this is that ashwagandha seems to be slightly more inhibitory than panic's ginseng is. And the reason for this is that ashwagandha's mechanisms of action seem to be quite inhibitory. And so, ashwagandha has been shown in a handful of studies to reduce cortisol, as well as to kind of modulate the receptors of the 5-ht-2a receptor, as well as the gaba a receptor, which are both slightly inhibitory neurotransmitters.

receptors, and so when these neurotransmitter receptors get activated by ashwagandha and modulated by ashwagandha, there definitely tends to be some relaxing properties that come along with this. Now, on the flip side of this, panic's ginseng definitely seems to be more stimulatory, and unfortunately, the evidence here is somewhat vague. There just isn't a ton of research right now on how ginseng interacts specifically with neurotransmitters in the body. However, there are a couple of studies in particular that kind of point to the fact that panic's ginseng may have the capacity to bind to the dopamine receptors as well as increase alertness, which are typically signs of stimulation. However, with that being said, from what little evidence we do have, it is fairly clear that panic's ginseng does tend to be slightly more cognitively stimulating. Now, the second area of comparison that I want to look at between these two herbs is how they affect hormone levels and to

be quite frank, there really isn't that much competition in this area. Ashwagandha really is the king when it comes to hormone optimization, specifically for men. The reason for this is that ashwagandha, as of right now, is literally the only herbal compound that has been shown in several different clinical trials to improve testosterone production in men. The reason for this is that ashwagandha is so effective at both lowering cortisol and increasing thyroid hormone, which both through separate hormone pathways in the body are able to increase levels of testosterone. When you compare that to something like panax ginseng, which also has been shown to increase testosterone in a few different studies, it does appear that panax ginseng is only effective at increasing testosterone levels in infertile men. It appears that the only reason it's able to do this is because it has the capacity to inhibit 5-alpha reductase, which is an enzyme that converts testosterone into a more potent androgen.

known as DHT. So, when you inhibit the production of DHT, it kind of causes a backlog of testosterone, so to speak. And so, through this mechanism, Panax ginseng is able to increase testosterone. However, it is at the detriment of decreasing levels of DHT in the body, which isn't necessarily a good thing if you are looking for something that is a little bit more calming and has the capacity to improve hormone function. Ashwagandha is definitely going to be your best bet. And if you're looking for something that is a little bit more cognitively stimulating and has the possible effect of being able to improve cognition, Panax ginseng is definitely going to be your best bet if that is your particular goal. Now, before I let you guys go, I do want to give another huge shout-out to Skillshare for sponsoring this video. Skillshare is an online learning community with thousands of available online classes on anything from entrepreneurship to graphic design to even things like

minimalism, which is actually a class that I'm currently taking by Aaron Broyle called Everyday Minimalism, that's actually been helping me out a ton on honing down my personal nutrition and supplementation regimen, and kind of helping me to ask the tough questions on which of these are actually most effective and necessary at helping to maximize this area of my life. Now, the cool thing is that it is only ten dollars a month, and there are absolutely zero ads. And the really cool thing is that the first 1,000 subscribers of mine that go down and use the link down in the description actually get a free month trial of their premium membership. And so, you guys definitely don't want to miss out on this opportunity. And again, the link for that is down in the description. But other than that, guys, that's all I have for you today. If you guys have any questions about these two herbs in particular, leave a comment down below. And if you are interested in a complete hormone optimization supplement guide, I do have a link down

In the description for that as well, um, and so, other than that, I will see you guys next time. Thanks so much.

Ashwagandha vs Ginseng | Improve Mood and Testosterone Production

Ashwagandha vs Ginseng | Improve Mood and Testosterone Production