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All about Adaptogens

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All about Adaptogens

Benefits of adaptogens, uses, dosage, we tell you everything!

The adaptowhat??? ADAPTOGENES which therefore… adapt to different needs of the body and which are not only, even if it is already not badly, herbs giving tonus.

In short, an adaptogen is a substance derived from the plant kingdom (herbs and mushrooms) which helps the body to protect itself against the various stress factors and to regulate it.

More specifically, adaptogens are natural substances that help our system to rebalance itself and better manage stress. Thus the body will be able to better resist stress (physical but also biological, emotional and environmental). They also help it to better defend itself against it when it becomes chronic. Unlike other plants, adaptogens help the system to restore a general hormonal balance and to modulate the immune and nervous systems.

If the use of this category of plants is not recent (used in Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and tribal medicines for millennia) the systematic and scientific “modern” study dates from the middle of the 20th century.

Here are the new criteria that plants must meet to be classified as adaptogens:

  • Be relatively non-toxic (not harmful), “relatively” because their side effects should be, if any, minimal.
  • Produce a non-specific defense response to stress. That is to say, they must respond to this stress in multiple ways, without targeting a single factor. They must also help the body to better resist or adapt to the latter if it returns, by constituting a reserve of vital energy which will only be used “just in case”. A stimulating plant, on the contrary, will only act in the short term and may even exhaust the body in the long term.
  • Improve the body to restore its natural balancing ability and help it return to a more normal state, regardless of the imbalance (hyper/hypo). An adaptogen must therefore act in a bidirectional way, which is completely unique. This is why adaptogens are used for several actions and not only one. This may be the case, for example, for blood pressure: an adaptogen must be able to regulate hypertension AND hypotension, which at first seems extremely surprising.

Adaptogens have many attributes and will help regulate the whole body . Their actions can be at the level of the digestive, endocrine, nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems.

The history of adaptogens

During World War II, the USSR became interested in the chemical compounds of certain plants in order to maximize human potential and increase the resistance of its soldiers. Dr. Lazarev then begins to research those that could help reduce the negative effects of acute stress. About ten years later he proposed the concept of "adaptogens". In 1968, Israel Brekhman and Dr. Dardymov gave the following definition:

An adaptogen is non-toxic to the recipient at normal therapeutic doses.

An adaptogen enables the body to more effectively resist a wide range of stressors (whether physiological, biological or chemical).

An adaptogen has a normalizing influence on physiology, no matter what changes it has to face.

In summary, an adaptogen must:

  • To be non-toxic
  • To produce a non-specific response to stress
  • To normalize physiology

Since then the definition of adaptogen has evolved and now it takes much more for a plant to be classified in this very demanding and small family.

Since 1999, adaptogens have been known to work by regulating two main control systems in the body, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympatho-adrenal (SAS) system. HPA regulates most endocrine functions, some aspects of the nervous system, the immune system, cardiovascular function, digestion and our response to chronic stress (the "general adaptation syndrome" defined by Hans Selye). Additionally, the HPA axis affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, which regulates sex hormones and sexual functioning. SAS, on the other hand, is responsible for our fight or flight response to acute stress.

Here are the new criteria that plants must meet to be classified as adaptogens:

  • Be relatively non-toxic (not harmful), “relatively” because their side effects should be, if any, minimal.
  • Produce a non-specific defense response to stress. That is to say, they must respond to this stress in multiple ways, without targeting a single factor. They must also help the body to better resist or adapt to the latter if it returns, by constituting a reserve of vital energy which will only be used “just in case”. A stimulating plant, on the contrary, will only act in the short term and may even exhaust the body in the long term.
  • Improve the body to restore its natural balancing ability and help it return to a more normal state, regardless of the imbalance (hyper/hypo). An adaptogen must therefore act in a bidirectional way, which is completely unique. This is why adaptogens are used for several actions and not only one. This may be the case, for example, for blood pressure: an adaptogen must be able to regulate hypertension AND hypotension, which at first seems extremely surprising.

Adaptogens have many attributes and will help regulate the whole body . Their actions can be at the level of the digestive, endocrine, nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems.

Not to be confused with “tonic” plants

There is a lot of confusion between energizing herbs, tonics, and adaptogenic herbs. It must be admitted that the original definition of 1969 and that of 1999 differ. In addition there are the concepts of Rasayana (rejuvenating plants) in Ayurveda which includes certain adaptogens, including ashwagandha. Same thing in TCM which uses certain adaptogens (schisandra for example).

The origin of adaptogens

The official adaptogens come to us for us Europeans from very far away. Siberia, Himalayas, India, Andes, North America… So why not in Europe? Why not is a question that we raise. The concept of adaptogen being recent (even in its infancy in Europe) too few studies have been carried out on the possibilities of having it in our regions.

In general, these plant substances are found in arid regions, where the climate forces them to defend themselves against the perpetual external aggressions. Shilajit, cordyceps, maca or rhodiola are some of them. Some of them take an incredibly long time to mature, such as ginseng (5 to 12 years), ashwagandha (7 years) or even rhodiola (5 to 8 years).

Some adaptogens and their main active compound

There are currently 25 adaptogens and probable adaptogens. The 13 proven adaptogens (and their main active compounds) are:

  • American and Asian ginseng ( ginsenoides )
  • Ashwagandha ( Whitanolides )
  • Cordyceps ( cordycepic acid )
  • Dang Shen ( tangshenosides )
  • Eleuthero (eleutherosides)
  • Holy basil/tulsi ( ursolic, rosmarinic, and oleanolic acid )
  • Jiaogulan ( gypenosides )
  • Reishi ( ganoderans )
  • Rhaponticum ( ecdysones )
  • Rhodiola ( rosavin )
  • Schisandra ( schisandrin )
  • Shilajit ( humic acid, dibenzo-alpha-pyrones, triterpenes )
  • And… licorice. And yes, candy fans will be happy. No, we're kidding. The licorice sticks yes, the licorice rolls please forget…: Glycyrrhizic acid (1000 Scrabble points!)

Some specialists also include maca and astragalus.

Most of us, even those with a keen interest in plants, have never heard of these compounds and for good reason: they are often unique to them. However, it would be a mistake to reduce these plants to these active ingredients alone because they are much more complex than that. Studies of one compound have shown it to be far less effective on its own than the whole plant.

Although it is not an adaptogen, let's take a well-known example: turmeric is too often limited to curcumin, with its notorious anti-inflammatory activity. Alone it is already effective. But consumed with everything it naturally surrounds it, it is much more so .

We have seen adaptogens are a class apart, with some immense benefits. However, we warn you: they are not a panacea. In recent years the general public has been more and more interested in the virtues of plants (we are one of them, we wouldn't be here talking to you about adaptogens otherwise) and that's very good because they have many.

But if they really act they cannot be considered as a remedy for all ills. Adaptogens are effective against stress (on a general level as we have seen) but clearly cannot be used to treat a very specific condition. At Siho we will never recommend this or that substance for a problem x or y. We can only mention the studies and the uses to which they are subject as well as share our experience with you. As you have therefore understood, the articles on this blog as well as the product descriptions on www.thesihoeffect.com will never replace the advice of a competent doctor or therapist in the event of a proven or suspected problem.

Side effects are rare with adaptogens. Nevertheless, it would be inadvisable to consume it in the following cases:

Asian ginseng: hypertension and heatstroke

American ginseng: sensitivity to cold and bloating

Eleuthero: heatstroke, insomnia

Reishi: hot shots

Ashwagandha: heatstroke, sensitivity to nightshades (peppers, potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes but also goji or cranberries)

For further

We invite you to read the following references
Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief by David Winston
Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism by Donald Yance (in English only) from which we drew inspiration for the construction of this article.

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