Do ginseng capsules expire?
June 14, 2009 by Ginseng Reviews and Tips
Filed under More Ginseng Answers
Can you answer Mr. Shankly’s question about Ginseng?:
I found an old bottle of American panax ginseng capsules in my parents’ medicine cabinet. They said I could take them, so I did. They estimate the bottle is as much as 3 years old.
I found an old bottle of American panax ginseng capsules in my parents’ medicine cabinet. They said I could take them, so I did. They estimate the bottle is as much as 3 years old.
Because ginseng is organic I’m wondering if it can go bad. Are they safe to use?
OK, they expire…what is the shelf life?
By “organic” I mean carbon-based, found in nature. As opposed to synthetic drugs. I’m not talking about how it was farmed.
Chinese Red Panax Ginseng
Ginseng Feedback: yes they do expire ,
Ginseng Feedback: First of all, what do you mean by “organic?” Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards, meaning they are grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. Livestock are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. Here in the USA, organic produce must not be genetically modified.
Just because a product is classified as “organic” does not mean that it will never go bad. Does your ginseng even say that it is organic on the bottle anywhere? Even so, that just refers to how it was processed.
If your parents are saying that this bottle is approximately 3 years old (so safe to assume its older,) I would not take it. Look for an expiration date somewhere on the bottle. If none is listed, just throw it away. Ginseng is pretty cheap, so if you want more, go buy some.
Herbs can lose their potency over time so you would have to take more to get the same dose. Its just not worth it.
Ginseng Feedback: It’s okay to take it – it’s not like it’s poison but the effect of it’s potency capabilities are probably little or non. It’s up to you to choose whether to or not. I probably would, but that’s me personally.