Why Is Ginseng So Expensive? (Top 3 Reasons)

Ginseng is a slow-growing plant that belongs to Genus in the family of Araliaceae.

Ginseng was first discovered in the mountains of Northern China 5000 years ago.

Before Asians discovered its medicinal benefits, people used it as food.

It became popular after the discovery of its medicinal benefits.

However, buying this herb is so costly.

Why? Because it has so many health benefits, its scarcity and takes a lot of time to mature.

We are going to discuss these reasons in detail in the below article.

If you’ve been wondering what makes ginseng so expensive, make sure you follow it to the end.

Why is ginseng so expensive?

Ginseng has a lot of health benefits, unlike other herbs.

It is one factor that primarily increases the worth of ginseng.

We get many health benefits from ginseng, but we will discuss the top three.

Variety Heath benefits

We know many herbs with health benefits, but ginseng has beaten them all.

The roots are sold when dried as a form of traditional herbs.

It is thorough in providing some of the benefits we will mention below.

It cures diseases like type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

Ginseng also reduces the risk of getting a heart attack.

Also, it prevents cancer and helps in treating cancer cell growth.

If you are overweight or want to shed some kilos, ginseng is a better option.

It burns fats by increasing the metabolism of your body.

Ginseng herb prevents your body from storing excess fat in your fatty tissues.

Ginseng lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels in your body.

It reduces LDL, which is the low-density lipids.

Also, it increases HDL the high-density lipids.

For clarification, LDL is unhealthy while HDL is healthy lipids.

Also, ginseng is used as a treatment for men with sexual dysfunctions.

You can also add it to energy drinks, herbal teas.

You can also use this herb as a hair tonics and cosmetics ingredient.

These are some of the many health benefits contained in ginseng.

It clearly shows how powerful this herb is.

If you can get these benefits in one herb, it means that the price of the herb will be high.

Take a lot of time to mature

The maturity period of ginseng is another factor that contributes to its high price tags.

It takes a long time to grow and mature.

It takes like 3-5 years to be ready for consumption.

Also, ginseng roots grow in specific climates, so you can not grow them anywhere.

To thrive, you need to plant it in a place where the weather in that place favors it. 

The more mature a ginseng root is the more health benefits.

Some people sell ginseng roots that are more than 20 years old but very high cost.

Most ginseng is grown in South East Asia, but Korea and Chinese rank among the best of all its variants.

There are also Wild ginseng roots, in which demand is relatively high.

The more the age of a ginseng root, the more costly it is. 

Scarcity of wild Ginseng

Like its name, wild ginseng does not grow in artificial weather conditions.

It does well in the slopes of the mountains, moist soils, and under the shades of the trees.

Wild Ginseng is endangered in most parts of the world.

You don’t have control of weather conditions like floods and storms.

So you can not protect them like artificial ones, and it is easy to get destroyed.

Maintaining wild ginseng to maturity is challenging because of the weather conditions.

Ginseng has a high demand in the market.

China is the largest producer and consumer of ginseng in the world. 

Countries like America export ginseng roots from china because of the low supply and high demand.

Ginseng dealers keep holding it from the market to increase the demand and price.

If you are a fanatic of ginseng, you can grow it in your home or create favorable weather conditions.

Is ginseng worth money

You can make a fortune after ginseng has reached its maturity and is ready for harvesting.

In an example, a ginseng root seedling goes $150 a pound.

If you plant ginseng seeds in half an acre of land, be sure to make over $100,000 after six years, which is good money.

So this means that it is worth money.

Is ginseng really expensive?

Ginseng root is costly from its seedlings to the final products.

It needs a lot of maintenance for it to grow well.

Also, the maturity period is very long and thus makes it costly.

Ginseng supply is low, and the demand is high, increasing the price tags.

Also, the dealers make it expensive by hiding it, making it demand and price increase.

How much does it cost to buy ginseng?

Dealers sell ginseng in terms of pounds.

Also, they can be green or dry ginsengs.

At the moment, dry ginseng is $550-$800 per pound, while green is $160 per pound.

One pound of dry ginseng takes 300 roots to make.

Dry ginseng brings more money than green ones.

So most dealers buy the green ones and dry them to make more money.

What is the most sought-after ginseng?

Wild Ginseng is also known as American, is the most sought-after ginseng.

It grows naturally in the slopes of the mountains or moist areas.

But you can also grow it if you live around the mountains or in humid areas.

Also, it is the most endangered because of the heavy rains and storms.

It is used for maximum medicinal purposes, and most dealers see it as an excellent investment.

Although it takes a long duration to mature, the returns are also good.

The price of dried wild ginseng ranges from $550 to $800, while green is from $160.

Its demands are also high, and so are the price tags.

What is the most valuable part of ginseng?

Panax ginseng root is considered the most valuable part of ginseng.

It is because of its medicinal purposes.

You can use it to fight stress, fatigue, anxiety, depression, infertility in men, etc.

The herb is effective in diabetes, cognitive functions, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculations.

You can also use ginseng in personal care products like sunscreens, body lotions, etc.

Why is wild ginseng so valuable

Ginseng is valuable because of medicinal purposes.

It doesn’t necessarily cure but prevents many diseases.

Wild Ginseng is scarce because it cannot grow in artificial weather conditions.

It grows well in humid environments, like forests or mountains with moist soil.

It takes a lot of years to mature, but its returns are rewarding, especially for dry ones.

The demand for this plant is also high, so the prices are high.

Where to buy ginseng cheaply

There are so many forms of ginseng in the market.

Their prices vary according to the type of quality, preparation, and kind.

Even though it is so costly, you can still buy it at an affordable price in some stores.

It is good to buy from reputable brands to avoid counterfeits since they can be harmful to your body.

You can buy ginseng cheaply from renowned online stores like Alibaba or Amazon.

They give discounts on ginseng, and also sometimes they offer free shipping.

However, you can also purchase ginseng supplements from resellers over the counter.

But ensure to buy from a professional pharmacist for better guidance.

Also, you can buy it cheaper from countries where they grow it, like China and some Asian countries. 

Conclusion

As we conclude this long passage, it is easy to understand the reasons for ginseng premium prices. 

Ginseng takes a lot of years to mature.

Also, it has a lot of medicinal benefits that increase in demand.

Its supply is low, so its prices increase due to the high demand.

There are ginseng seedlings available in the market.

You can buy ginseng seeds and make the environment favorable to grow in them.

Before buying, make sure you buy from a reputable brand to avoid complications.