Wassen International has launched a new ginseng supplement, with added vitamins and minerals, in the UK this week. Gerimax, a concentrated, standardised ginseng extract, has already been marketed in Denmark and other European countries for 20 years.
The daily tablet is targeted at individuals who take multivitamins but want to strengthen their immune system and boost energy and well-being. The supplement contains 20 vitamins and minerals, most at 100 per cent RDA, according to Wassen.
Ginseng is one of the oldest known herbal medicines and has been used in Asia for more than 4000 years as a revitalising tonic. Gerimax contains 85mg of standardised Korean ginseng extract, which the company claims is consistently more effective than much higher levels of ordinary extract. It is also non-GMO and does not contain lactose, gluten or sucrose.
Wassen has timed the launch to coincide with the Christmas period, when energy levels tend to dip. Researchers believe that the supplement works by improving oxygen uptake in cells and thereby increasing energy. Some of the ginsenosides in the Gerimax extract have also been shown to have an antioxidant action, according to Wassen.
Ginsenosides are thought to be 'adaptogenic', as they adapt to the body's needs. Studies have linked the herb to improved cognitive powers, improved immunity, improved energy and better blood sugar regulation.
The product is available from Boots and other high street chemists in the UK and retails at £7.95 (€12.47) for a month's supply.