"For the first time in the history of human civilization the biological potentialities of the human body have failed to meet the requirements imposed on it by the epoch. One witnesses an unusual 'epidemic' of fatigue aggravated by the powerful action of man-made, external chemical and physical environmental factors. Like the drugs that saved the world from numerous bacterial and viral epidemics that cost millions of lives in the past, the adaptogens are needed to help man withstand the diverse stresses of today." Russian scientist, G.M. Barenboim
If you read my post
Will There Be A New Illness That's Worse Than Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? you know that I fear that our stressful and polluted world is going to only create more health problems and illnesses even worse than CFS. But how to live now and be healthy in this environment is the question. It gets really frustrating and overwhelming and EXPENSIVE to continually read about all the supplements to take for this and that. Sorting out what is good for you and your individual problems is what you need to do. Plus you need to direct your efforts at a lifestyle and diet that is going to reduce stress on your body and mind. What I like to do is to incorporate healthy foods and herbs into what I eat daily.
Stress is a major factor in chronic disease and it’s the cumulative effect of stressors over time that can so damage your immune system, your adrenals, and your nervous system leading to CFS and other conditions like chronic anxiety and insomnia. The most often prescribed and best selling drugs in the US ARE for stress related conditions. They are Tagamet for ulcers, Inderal for hypertension, and Xanax for anxiety.
Adaptogens are herbs that act to strengthen the body and protect it from the stress. The term adaptogen was coined by the Russian scientist N.V. Lazarev, in 1947. According to Lazarev a substance must fulfill the following criteria in order to be classed as an adaptogen:
1. It must cause only minimal disorders in the body's physiological functions;
2. It must increase the body's resistance to adverse influences not by a specific action but by a wide range of physical, chemical, and biochemical factors;
3. It must have an overall normalizing effect, improving all kinds of conditions and aggravating none.
Siberian ginseng and other herbal adaptogens have proven to be extraordinarily effective for preventing a variety of illness, increasing stamina and endurance, and helping adapt to changing or extreme environmental conditions.
Adaptogens:- Support adrenal function counteracting the adverse effects of stress;
- Enable the body's cells to have access to more energy;
- Help cells to eliminate toxic byproducts of the metabolic process;
- Provide an anabolic (building-up) effect (adaptogens are used by by body-builders);
- Help the body utilize oxygen more efficiently;
- Enhance and speed the proper regulation of bio-rhythms.
Before synthetic chemicals and Big Pharma ruled doctors actually gave their patients natural herbal strengthening substances or tonics. Bitters like gentian and quassia were used to improve digestion, and strengthening foods such as oatmeal and yams were prescribed for those convalescing from illness (something which isn’t really allowed now, you get done with cancer chemo and your doctor may send you back to work telling you it’s the best thing for you to get back to your life, when the reality is you need to rest, recover from the trauma to your body and mind, and recoup).
Primary Herbal Adaptogens To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of an herbal remedy, you look at:
- How it’s been used in the past and in other cultures, and with what results;
- What modern scientific research can show about an its effect on the body
- Its active constituents, and whether or not it has any subtle toxicity;
- Its results in modern clinical practice.
Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) has been used in China for thousands of years to promote vital energy. It’s also used in Russia by millions of people who take it daily to increase adaptability and endurance and to prevent illness. Mountain climbers, sailors, factory workers, weight-lifters, runners, cosmonauts and the Russian Olympic team use this adaptogen herb. Eleuthero’s protective and strengthening properties has been extensively tested on humans in clinical trials.
Eleuthero's major physiological effects are as follows:
- Protects against environmental pollutants and radiation
- Normalizes body temperature, thus treating hypothermia
- Regulates blood-sugar levels
- Protects the liver and enhances its ability to break down and get rid of drugs in the body
- Increases the body's ability to resist infection
- Supports optimum adrenal function
- Has an anti-fatigue effect.
Eleuthero is mildly anti-inflammatory, is antioxidant, is a nervine (has a beneficial effect upon the nervous system) and an immune tonic. It is useful when the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) is depleted. This adaptogen increases the ability of the body's cells to utilize phosphorus-containing energy molecules and dispose of lactic acid and other byproducts of metabolism. Lactic acid is what causes sore muscles from a heavy workout.
Some recommended doses:- If you are not under much stress or not in training for long-term maintenance take one dropperful of the liquid extract upon rising (if you put the drops in a cup of warm water or tea, most of the alcohol will evaporate).
- For increased endurance in sports activities, at work or at school, take one dropperful in the same manner upon rising and take a second dropperful again in the evening about an hour after dinner.
- During extra stress (such as changes in jobs or living situations), take three droppersful of the extract, either two in the morning and one in the evening, or one in the morning, at noon, and at night. Every ten days, take a two-day break with no eleuthero, then repeat the cycle. You can do this for up to nine months, or longer if needed.
Schizandra berries (Schizandra chinensis) have all of the five different flavors Chinese herbalists use to classify medicinal herbs: sour, salty, bitter, sweet, and acrid. In China they are thought to balance all bodily systems and are an important ingredient in traditional Chinese tonic formulas for thousands of years.
Schizandra is very often combined with eleuthero in adaptogenic formulas. This formula has been extensively studied in Sweden and Russia. Schizandra is used for the treatment of insomnia, irritation, palpitation and dyspnea, for treatment of skin disorders and as sedative, anti-bacterial, antioxidant, and anti-depressant.
Schizandra can be taken as a tea with eleuthero and a little licorice and ginger, or as tinctures and powdered extracts in tablet form.
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) mushrooms are one of the most well-regarded of the adaptogens. Reishi has shown a wide range of adaptogenic properties, including blood sugar regulation, immune support, anti-cancer properties, ability to oxygenate the blood efficiently, speeded regeneration of the liver, a sedative and calming effect, free-radical protective effect, radiation protective effect, reduction in sensitivity to allergens, anti-hypertensive effect, and it lowers cholesterol.
Reishi Mushroom, Herb of Spiritual Potency and Medical Wonder by Ken Jones and Terry Willard is a comprehensive read on this “King of health foods.”
Reishi is a unique health food with a wide range of medicinal properties which collectively strengthens the immune system and gives the user longevity:
- It has the rare and valuable properties of an Adaptogen, which means that it is non-toxic, non-specific, and has a normalizing effect on the body.
- It is classified as Top of the Superior Quality of all herbs by the pharmacopoeia used by Chinese doctors for thousands of years. Emperors have considered Reishi an herb for the immortals. Its stature is higher than Ginseng.
- It has a long history of safe use (5,000 years). NO toxicity or side-effect has been reported.
- There are 30 years of ample modern scientific evidences in the laboratory and in the clinic for its effectiveness.
- It has extremely wide applications, bringing benefits to the entire body, preventing almost all the common diseases.
- Its potency as a medicine even exceeds many modern drugs. For example, it is more effective than Melatonin and certainly much safer and free from side-effects.
- It is effective even for "terminal" illnesses such as cancer, AIDS, and coronary heart disease.
- It is effective for both PREVENTION and CURE, suitable for daily use as a health supplement.
- It is very easy to gain acceptance by new users because of Reishi's stature, publicity, and complete safety.
Sloan-Kettering has been studying herbs and TCM, their website is an interesting read:
Bottom Line: Reishi mushroom has antioxidant properties and may enhance immune responses.
Reishi mushroom has been shown to contain complex sugars that have anticancer and immunestimulating properties. For example, complex sugars known as beta-glucans have been shown in laboratory experiments to inhibit the growth and metastasis of cancer cells. When animals were fed beta-glucans, certain aspects of their immune system become more active. Limited data from clinical studies suggest Reishi mushroom can strengthen the immune responses in humans.
In addition, reishi mushrooms contain sterols that can act as precursors to hormones in the body, along with substances called triterpenes that may have blood pressure-lowering and anti-allergy (anti-histamine) effects. Reishi mushrooms have also been shown to slow the process of blood clotting.
Wei Chi (Protective Vitality) Soup Simmer
1 ounce of reishi (dried),
3 ounces of fresh shiitake (or 1 oz dried),
1 ounce astragalus (optional)
for 30 minutes in 6 quarts of water.
Add
1/4 cup of organic barley and a variety of sliced or chopped organic vegetables (celery, beets, carrots, etc.)
Simmer for another 30 minutes, adding a quarter cup of sea vegetables (nori, wakame), or to taste.
If you have any recipes for teas or soups or anything else using adaptogens I'd love to see them!
"For the first time in the history of human civilization the biological potentialities of the human body have failed to meet the requirements imposed on it by the epoch. One witnesses an unusual 'epidemic' of fatigue aggravated by the powerful action of man-made, external chemical and physical environmental factors. Like the drugs that saved the world from numerous bacterial and viral epidemics that cost millions of lives in the past, the adaptogens are needed to help man withstand the diverse stresses of today." Russian scientist, G.M. Barenboim
If you read my post Will There Be A New Illness That's Worse Than Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? you know that I fear that our stressful and polluted world is going to only create more health problems and illnesses even worse than CFS. But how to live now and be healthy in this environment is the question. It gets really frustrating and overwhelming and EXPENSIVE to continually read about all the supplements to take for this and that. Sorting out what is good for you and your individual problems is what you need to do. Plus you need to direct your efforts at a lifestyle and diet that is going to reduce stress on your body and mind. What I like to do is to incorporate healthy foods and herbs into what I eat daily.
Stress is a major factor in chronic disease and it’s the cumulative effect of stressors over time that can so damage your immune system, your adrenals, and your nervous system leading to CFS and other conditions like chronic anxiety and insomnia. The most often prescribed and best selling drugs in the US ARE for stress related conditions. They are Tagamet for ulcers, Inderal for hypertension, and Xanax for anxiety.
Adaptogens are herbs that act to strengthen the body and protect it from the stress. The term adaptogen was coined by the Russian scientist N.V. Lazarev, in 1947. According to Lazarev a substance must fulfill the following criteria in order to be classed as an adaptogen:
1. It must cause only minimal disorders in the body's physiological functions;
2. It must increase the body's resistance to adverse influences not by a specific action but by a wide range of physical, chemical, and biochemical factors;
3. It must have an overall normalizing effect, improving all kinds of conditions and aggravating none.
Siberian ginseng and other herbal adaptogens have proven to be extraordinarily effective for preventing a variety of illness, increasing stamina and endurance, and helping adapt to changing or extreme environmental conditions.
Adaptogens:
- Support adrenal function counteracting the adverse effects of stress;
- Enable the body's cells to have access to more energy;
- Help cells to eliminate toxic byproducts of the metabolic process;
- Provide an anabolic (building-up) effect (adaptogens are used by by body-builders);
- Help the body utilize oxygen more efficiently;
- Enhance and speed the proper regulation of bio-rhythms.
Before synthetic chemicals and Big Pharma ruled doctors actually gave their patients natural herbal strengthening substances or tonics. Bitters like gentian and quassia were used to improve digestion, and strengthening foods such as oatmeal and yams were prescribed for those convalescing from illness (something which isn’t really allowed now, you get done with cancer chemo and your doctor may send you back to work telling you it’s the best thing for you to get back to your life, when the reality is you need to rest, recover from the trauma to your body and mind, and recoup).Primary Herbal Adaptogens
To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of an herbal remedy, you look at:
- How it’s been used in the past and in other cultures, and with what results;
- What modern scientific research can show about an its effect on the body
- Its active constituents, and whether or not it has any subtle toxicity;
- Its results in modern clinical practice.
Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) has been used in China for thousands of years to promote vital energy. It’s also used in Russia by millions of people who take it daily to increase adaptability and endurance and to prevent illness. Mountain climbers, sailors, factory workers, weight-lifters, runners, cosmonauts and the Russian Olympic team use this adaptogen herb. Eleuthero’s protective and strengthening properties has been extensively tested on humans in clinical trials.Eleuthero's major physiological effects are as follows:
- Protects against environmental pollutants and radiation
- Normalizes body temperature, thus treating hypothermia
- Regulates blood-sugar levels
- Protects the liver and enhances its ability to break down and get rid of drugs in the body
- Increases the body's ability to resist infection
- Supports optimum adrenal function
- Has an anti-fatigue effect.
Eleuthero is mildly anti-inflammatory, is antioxidant, is a nervine (has a beneficial effect upon the nervous system) and an immune tonic. It is useful when the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) is depleted. This adaptogen increases the ability of the body's cells to utilize phosphorus-containing energy molecules and dispose of lactic acid and other byproducts of metabolism. Lactic acid is what causes sore muscles from a heavy workout.Some recommended doses:
- If you are not under much stress or not in training for long-term maintenance take one dropperful of the liquid extract upon rising (if you put the drops in a cup of warm water or tea, most of the alcohol will evaporate).
- For increased endurance in sports activities, at work or at school, take one dropperful in the same manner upon rising and take a second dropperful again in the evening about an hour after dinner.
- During extra stress (such as changes in jobs or living situations), take three droppersful of the extract, either two in the morning and one in the evening, or one in the morning, at noon, and at night. Every ten days, take a two-day break with no eleuthero, then repeat the cycle. You can do this for up to nine months, or longer if needed.
Schizandra berries (Schizandra chinensis) have all of the five different flavors Chinese herbalists use to classify medicinal herbs: sour, salty, bitter, sweet, and acrid. In China they are thought to balance all bodily systems and are an important ingredient in traditional Chinese tonic formulas for thousands of years.Schizandra is very often combined with eleuthero in adaptogenic formulas. This formula has been extensively studied in Sweden and Russia. Schizandra is used for the treatment of insomnia, irritation, palpitation and dyspnea, for treatment of skin disorders and as sedative, anti-bacterial, antioxidant, and anti-depressant.
Schizandra can be taken as a tea with eleuthero and a little licorice and ginger, or as tinctures and powdered extracts in tablet form.
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) mushrooms are one of the most well-regarded of the adaptogens. Reishi has shown a wide range of adaptogenic properties, including blood sugar regulation, immune support, anti-cancer properties, ability to oxygenate the blood efficiently, speeded regeneration of the liver, a sedative and calming effect, free-radical protective effect, radiation protective effect, reduction in sensitivity to allergens, anti-hypertensive effect, and it lowers cholesterol.
Reishi Mushroom, Herb of Spiritual Potency and Medical Wonder by Ken Jones and Terry Willard is a comprehensive read on this “King of health foods.”
Reishi is a unique health food with a wide range of medicinal properties which collectively strengthens the immune system and gives the user longevity:
- It has the rare and valuable properties of an Adaptogen, which means that it is non-toxic, non-specific, and has a normalizing effect on the body.
- It is classified as Top of the Superior Quality of all herbs by the pharmacopoeia used by Chinese doctors for thousands of years. Emperors have considered Reishi an herb for the immortals. Its stature is higher than Ginseng.
- It has a long history of safe use (5,000 years). NO toxicity or side-effect has been reported.
- There are 30 years of ample modern scientific evidences in the laboratory and in the clinic for its effectiveness.
- It has extremely wide applications, bringing benefits to the entire body, preventing almost all the common diseases.
- Its potency as a medicine even exceeds many modern drugs. For example, it is more effective than Melatonin and certainly much safer and free from side-effects.
- It is effective even for "terminal" illnesses such as cancer, AIDS, and coronary heart disease.
- It is effective for both PREVENTION and CURE, suitable for daily use as a health supplement.
- It is very easy to gain acceptance by new users because of Reishi's stature, publicity, and complete safety.
Sloan-Kettering has been studying herbs and TCM, their website is an interesting read:Bottom Line: Reishi mushroom has antioxidant properties and may enhance immune responses.
Reishi mushroom has been shown to contain complex sugars that have anticancer and immunestimulating properties. For example, complex sugars known as beta-glucans have been shown in laboratory experiments to inhibit the growth and metastasis of cancer cells. When animals were fed beta-glucans, certain aspects of their immune system become more active. Limited data from clinical studies suggest Reishi mushroom can strengthen the immune responses in humans.
In addition, reishi mushrooms contain sterols that can act as precursors to hormones in the body, along with substances called triterpenes that may have blood pressure-lowering and anti-allergy (anti-histamine) effects. Reishi mushrooms have also been shown to slow the process of blood clotting.
Wei Chi (Protective Vitality) Soup
Simmer
1 ounce of reishi (dried),
3 ounces of fresh shiitake (or 1 oz dried),
1 ounce astragalus (optional)
for 30 minutes in 6 quarts of water.
Add
1/4 cup of organic barley and a variety of sliced or chopped organic vegetables (celery, beets, carrots, etc.)
Simmer for another 30 minutes, adding a quarter cup of sea vegetables (nori, wakame), or to taste.
If you have any recipes for teas or soups or anything else using adaptogens I'd love to see them!