What Are Adaptogens?
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
Adaptogens come from plants that are entirely safe. They provide valuable support to the human body in coping with the stress of everyday life and they normalize the functions body.
Adaptogens are essential to your health. These special plants have unique, natural organic chemicals that protect the body from stress. They are non- toxic and are not habit forming. Adaptogens exert a normalizing influence on the body and possess a wide range of therapeutic benefits that do not cause disturbances to the normal functioning of your body. Not only do they help us to cope with stress and the hassles of every day living, but they are also powerful antioxidants.
The ancient Chinese classified Adaptogens as the most effective plants to increase physical and mental capacity, reduce fatigue, improve resistance to diseases, and extend lifespan. In China, adaptogens were used by soldiers right before battle. In Siberia, the same plants were used by hunters before long, dangerous journeys. The Tibetan monks were able to get by without food and warm clothes, living high in the mountains for many days using these plants. Despite many legends and thousands of years of utilization of these herbs by many generations of people in China, Russia, Japan, Korea and finally in Europe. There is a vast amount of information available on this ingredient, but it is relatively new in the Western hemisphere, since the Russians, during the Cold War period, did major research on adaptogens.
These herbs were named “Adaptogens” because of the scientific discovery that proved their effectiveness in helping the human body to “adapt” to strains and changes of daily living. Scientific studies have shown that humans and other organisms that are able to adapt survive longer. Adaptogens are natural nutrients and are made from three types of plants – Rhodiola rosea, Eleutherococcus and Schizandra chinensis. In fact, these herbs have managed to survive harsh environments for centuries due to their unique composition of biologically active substances.
Adaptogens affect each person differently. If you are mentally exhausted or physically fatigued they will help you feel more energetic, revitalized, and full of zest for life – yet they are not normal stimulants. However if you are stressed, or emotionally fatigued they will help you relax and make life easier to cope with, yet they are not tranquillizers and will not have a drug-like effect on the body.
The antioxidants in adaptogens help you fight free radicals, which can cause a variety of problems such as cell degeneration, cancer, aging and many other diseases.