Adaptogens ~ What are they?
Photo by Saatchi gallery.
Adaptogens are plants & fungi that support the body's natural ability to deal with stress...
They help the body to 'adapt' & respond to stressors effectively.
Adaptogens increase the state of resistance in stress & decrease sensitivity to stressors.
This results in stress protection, instead of exhaustion & a higher level of homeostasis/balance is attained.
Stressors may be...
~ Emotional stress from our lifestyle, overworking, less rest, our relationships & thinking patterns,
~ Oxidative stress from chemical exposure, drugs, toxins,
~ Physical stress from poor diet & consumption that adds strain & stress to the body.
Adaptogens are associated with several Mechanisms of Action.
~ The HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal)
~ & the regulation of key mediators of the stress response, such as cortisol & nitric oxide release.
The HPA axis
The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA axis)
is a complex set of direct influences and feedback interactions among three components:
the hypothalamus,
the pituitary gland
(a pea-shaped structure located below the thalamus in the brain),
& the adrenals (glands that sit above the kidneys).
Adaptogens regulate this axis, which can often become out of sync when we are stressed persistently & chronically.
They regulate the stress response, recovering homeostasis & promote anabolic recovery.
Thus, building resilience to stress.
Adaptogens are often plants that are very potent and can withstand growing in harsh climates. They adapt to their environment, which is what happens when we take them as medicine, helping us to adapt to our environment.
They have been used in many cultures for thousands of years, Chaga mushroom for example has been an adaptogen made into a tonic drink, consumed in Siberia and Alaska ~ To enable the people of these harsher climates to survive.
The same goes for:
Siberian ginseng, drunk in Siberia and Mongolia.
Reishi mushroom & Astraglus in China.
Ashwagandha and Shatavari in India.
Maca in Peru.
Rhodiola in Iceland.
These are ancient medicines to be taken with gratitude.
Adaptogenic herbs
Ashwagandha ~ Withania somnifera
Astragalus ~ Astragalus membranacea
Chaga mushroom~ Inonotus obliquus
Siberian Ginseng ~ Eleutherococcus senticosus
Licorice ~ Glycyrrhiza glabra
Lions mane ~ Hericium erinaceus
Reishi mushroom~ Ganoderma lingzhi
Rhodiola ~ Rhodiola rosea
Shatavari ~ Asparagus racemosus
Schisandra ~ Schisandra chinensis
