Ginseng vs. caffeine

Conclusion: Ginseng seems better in almost every aspect over caffeine, but I can't get over the taste.

Here's my take on ginseng vs. caffeine. Over the past month or so I've been switching off between drinking coffee and ginseng when I'm tired. First off, I don't drink either too frequently, maybe once or twice a week. Most mornings I have tea, so the effects of coffee or ginseng are quite noticeable. And for clarification, when I say "drink ginseng", I mean "drink a ginseng beverage", specifically water that had (or still has) a ginseng root soaking in it. Usually a small amount of sugar is added to make it more bearable, although it doesn't help much. This and other bizarre drinks can be found at your local Asian grocery store.

On the days I have coffee I feel really hyper. Usually I shake my leg or play air drums to burn off the excess energy. But after the spike it's all downhill. At the end of the day I'm really dragging and I don't feel like using my brain. Ginseng on the other hand is very subtle and sometimes you forget you even drank it. The feeling is hard to describe. If you drink it on a day you didn't get much sleep, it makes you feel like you got the normal 7-8 hours. If you drink it on a day you're refreshed, it gives you more focus and concentration.

But as I stated in my conclusion, the taste of pure ginseng is absolutely disgusting. I know this is subjective and there might be some people who enjoy the flavor. But it's a pretty safe bet this product won't sell in the states. I'd like to see more R&D from companies like Hansen's or Glaceau to produce a better flavored, healthy ginseng drink. Right now though, energy drinks like Redbull and Monster rule the convenient store shelves. So how much marketing is required to open U.S. consumers' eyes to ginseng?