Relax - stress under control!
The 5 synergistic adaptogenic herbs most studied and observed to counter stress to date. They naturally increase stress tolerance and prevent stress symptoms from becoming chronic. They reduce accompanying symptoms such as lack of energy, brain fog and mood swings.
12 reasons to fortify your diet with adaptogenic herbs
- reduced mental and physical work capacity
- psychosomatic illnesses
- general weakness, fatigue, tiredness
- insomnia at night, daytime sleepiness
- mood swings, depression
- anxiety, panic, feelings of fear
- distraction, forgetfulness, brain fog
- adrenal fatigue
- autoimmune diseases
- cardiovascular complaints
- female, male sexual dysfunction
- eating disorders, increased alcohol consumption, smoking
Adaptogenic plants and the stress mechanism of action
Stress has 3 phases: fight or flight RESPONSE, (surges in levels of adrenal hormones, adrenaline and cortisol to maintain homeostasis) the RESPONSE PHASE (defence and adaptation is sustained and optimal) and the EXHAUST STATE (depleted reserves outstrip the body's ability to withstand them).
Adaptogens enhance the resistance phase under stress and reduce sensitivity to stressors, resulting in stress protection and prolonging the resistance phase.
Adaptogens prolong the resistance phase under stress and reduce sensitivity to stressors, resulting in stress protection. The physiological properties of adaptogens are well documented in both animals and humans.
What is stress?
Stress is the body's physiological response to environmental threats or pressures (stressors).
It can come from external sources such as work pressures, money, social relationships, health concerns, or even poor diet. It can come from internal sources such as lack of self-love, perfectionism or excessive fears.
Stress is a common disease, one or the sole cause of our premature ageing and illness and has been shown to not only cause but provoke our existing symptoms and illnesses. Improving stress tolerance literally prolongs life!
What is chronic stress?
Initially, the body may adapt to perform under stress, but it quickly becomes dysfunctional if the stress is prolonged and too intense.
Chronic stress causes long-term changes in brain structure and function, altering neural networks and causing a wide range of physical and mental symptoms.
Chronic stress is defined by the WHO as
According to the WHO, stress is the health epidemic of the 21st century, with a range of consequences such as fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, teeth grinding, dizziness, overeating, reduced sex drive or insomnia...
Chronic, prolonged stress causes abdominal obesity, muscle and bone loss, burnout with conditions such as anxiety, depression, autoimmune complaints, poor immunity, heart, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal disorders or diabetes.
What does it mean as an adaptogen?
The term adaptogen is used to describe herbs that have the ability to normalise bodily functions that are compromised by stress and to strengthen organ systems. They modify the body's responses to various stressors, increasing resistance to stress.
Adaptogens harmonise the functioning of our endocrine glands and immune system. When needed, they slow down overactive organs while speeding up underactive ones. Meanwhile, they do not alter the functioning of the optimally functioning organs.
Only 1 adaptogen out of 300 herbs. Adaptogens help the body to adapt to stressors, are not sedatives or tranquilizers, do not "sedate" or "habituate.
The adaptive and mobilising power
Adaptogens have adaptive and mobilising powers, enhancing our cognitive abilities, our ability to concentrate and our ability to think logically.
They reduce extreme emotions and feelings (anger, sadness, depression), disturbances of attention and accompanying symptoms such as backache or headache. They improve our daily quality of life and contribute to our overall health.
An adaptogen is smart, acting only when it is needed. An adaptogen is a blood pressure reducer when blood pressure is high and a blood pressure lifter where it is low, but it does not act in people with normal blood pressure.
5 definitions of adaptogenic herbal extracts
1. help our body adapt to extreme stresses increase alertness and stamina in fatigue and reduce/mitigate stress-induced damage, nervous system and immune system disorders
2. they have a balancing effect on our endocrine glands, organs and organ systems, pulling them back when they are overactive, stimulating them when they are underactive
3. they act as and when we need them at the moment, an important and significant general adaptive response to stress, involving the whole body and its major organs and functions
4. The effects of adaptogens can be grouped into stimulatory and stress-protective effects on the central nervous system, autonomic nervous system, endocrine and immune systems, which are defined as parts of the neuroendocrine-immune complex - stress system
5. It is important to note that a plant can only be an adaptogen if it is safe to consume over the long term and has no side effects
