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Adaptogens and Stress One of the most exciting new therapies in the anti-aging field is adaptogenic herbs. "Adaptogens" are botanical herbs which combat the negative effects of stress, improve health and well-being, and enhance athletic performance capacity. They increase the body’s vitality and reserves a key component to a comprehensive longevity program. They come recommended by long term use in traditional cultures , sometimes with hundreds of years of positive experience. Many drugs that are relatively new but commonplace today(i.e. Aspirin) came to the attention of pharmacists via their use in traditional cultures. So too, adaptogens are a “new” class of therapy which have been used for generations. Today they are used primarily to increase physical performance, and in combating stress and the aging process. Adaptogens, by definition, are natural plant substances which : (1) increase the body's non-specific resistance (or ability to cope with internal and external stresses), (2) normalize the functions of the bodily systems, and (3) are entirely safe (no negative side effects). The latest scientific understanding is that adaptogenic substances increase the capacity of our cells to manufacture and use cell fuel more efficiently during periods of stress and strain. Adaptogens are generating considerable interest within the medical, scientific, and athletic communities about the scientifically-documented health and performance benefits they confer. How Adaptogens WorkAdaptogens are a unique nutrient. They work at the cellular level to help normalize the body's various functions and stimulate the recovery processes needed to adapt to all of the different types of stress in our lives - as well as the physiological stress placed on your body as you train for maximum performance. When the body is under any type of stress, complex molecules called beta-lipo-proteins build up and inhibit the passage of energy through the cell walls. The key enzymes (hexokinase) which transform glucose to be used by the cells for energy, are blocked by these stress-induced beta-lipo-proteins. As a result of this physiological response to stress, cells do not receive enough energy and their ability to perform many of their critical functions is greatly hindered. Cumulative stress (and the body's subsequent inability to perform its key functions efficiently), has been linked with most illnesses, ailments, and diseases. This cumulative stress also causes the overtraining syndrome which consistently leaves runners unable to train and race near their potential. The effects of stress can be neutralized if our bodies have built up sufficient stress-fighting capacity. The biologically active substances that are found within adaptogenic plants, work to prevent the formation and accumulation of the harmful beta-lipo-proteins caused by stress and also allow the hexokinase enzymes to more readily convert glucose into usable energy for the cells. In addition, adaptogens have been shown to help our bodies tolerate stressful stimuli (including hard athletic training) by normalizing the body's metabolism and stimulating the body's own immune system. Some of the specific results of this : (1) an increased and steadier flow of energy throughout the day, (2) much lower feelings of stress, (3) increased endurance, (4) greater mental alertness, and (5) more restful sleep. In addition, certain adaptogens have a profound anabolic effect. This means they help the body re-build damaged muscle tissue rapidly and thoroughly following strenuous training. This occurs by facilitating the body's synthesis or formation of protein. This anabolic effect is the same performance "advantage" gained by using synthetic anabolic steroids. However, steroids are not only banned substances, but they are associated with liver disease, infertility, elevated cholesterol, edema, adrenal cortex malfunctions and other health problems. Natural adaptogenic substances, on the other hand, are safe plant derivatives with profound anabolic-enhancing capacities but with none of the harmful side effects that are linked to synthetic anabolic steroids. A Quick History of AdaptogensIn 1947, the Russian scientist N.V. Lazarev discovered a substance that helped increase the body's natural resistance. By 1958, one of Lazarev's students, Dr. Israel Brekhman's search for new, biologically active substances which could increase health, resulted in the classification of a new group of plants called adaptogens. These rare plants with adaptogenic qualities lived through the Ice Age by adapting to and thriving in the most severe living conditions on earth. Because of this, Brekhman believed that they might possess qualities that could help our bodies adapt to the stresses of modern life - and hard athletic training. Brekhman's discoveries and research paved the way for over 3,000 different types of clinical trials and experimental studies on adaptogens - primarily performed in the former Soviet Union and Germany. Many of these studies revealed the phenomenal immunity-building and stress-protective capacity of adaptogens. Adaptogens and StressWhen the body is working close to its maximum capacity as a result of stress, the whole organism is engaged. If the strain lasts for a longer duration, or is repeated, the cells must adapt to work at a higher level, and the capacity to manufacture cell fuel must be built up. 1) More specifically, adaptogenic substances increase the capacity of the cells to build "energy factories" by activating certain "workers," including mRNA (messengers) and tRNA (transporters). According to Michael Wahlstrom, author of the book, Adaptogens: Nature's Key to Well-Being, they also act as anti-oxidants and thwart the free radicals which adversely effect cell membranes. 2) Wahlstrom notes that by normalizing our bodily functions, adaptogens help maintain the stable internal environment known as homeostasis. In order for our body parts to work efficiently, the concentrations of water, food substances, and oxygen (as well as the conditions of heat and pressure) must remain within certain very narrow limits. By helping body parts remain in balance, adaptogens can help us have more energy and greater health. 3) Combinations of this class of plant-based medicines have been perfected and prescribed to elite athletes by Russian and German sports physicians in order to continually assist them in replenishing the depleted structural and psychological reserves that result from the hard training necessary to reach elite levels. Adaptogens have been observed to significantly accelerate the recovery processes after intense training and to increase the body's resistance to stressful conditions. Eleutherococcus senticosus (ES) (Siberian Ginseng) Schizandra Chinensis Rhodiola Rosea Ashwagandha Panax ginseng Suma Astsragalus Reishi FO-TI Summary Adaptogens are not vitamins. They are safe, unique nutrients derived from natural plant substances that work at the cellular level to help the body overcome the harmful side effects of stress. They increase the health and vitality of the cells, thus increasing the health and vitality of the entire organism. With stress as the root of most illnesses, dysfunctions, diseases, and even performance limitations, adaptogens can be a very important piece of the overall health and fitness puzzle. Adaptogens build immunity as well as increase endurance and strength, improve mental focus, speed recovery, and enhance athletic and work performance. These adaptogens have an amazingly wide range of uses as preventive medicines, rehabilitative medicines, therapeutic medicines, and as sports medicine for significantly enhancing health, recovery, fitness, and performance. Although still relatively unknown to Western athletes, coaches, and scientists, Western researchers have already begun to study the positive impact of adaptogens on athletes as well as sleeping disorder, chronic fatigue, allergy, cancer, and psychiatric patients. And while we continually seek out any means for increasing our health, fitness, longevity, and performance, adaptogens will increasingly become an important part of our everyday lives. |