Adaptogens are as popular and in demand as rarely before. Here you will find a short summary of what adaptogens are and what they can do. The first part summarizes excerpts from the book "Adaptogens, 1: Herbs for Longevity and Everyday Wellness" by Adriana Ayales, founder of Anima Mundi and herbal expert. Following this, you will find excerpts from study results and medical journals that additionally support everything described above.
What are adaptogens
Adaptogens are remarkable, purely plant-based substances, biologically active substances that help the body adapt to stress and return to its original physical and mental balance.
There are many herbs that many of us love and that basically have an adaptogenic chemistry. Examples include Reishi, Suma, Maca and many others. However, this does not mean that these may officially be called "adaptogen". The following list includes those that were rigorously tested as early as the 1950s and are considered primary official adaptogens. Solely due to a lack of research, many other potential adaptogens have not officially made it into the shortlist. Therefore, "secondary adaptogens" such as Reishi, Gynostemma, Maca, He Shou Wu, Shatavari, Amla and many other plants are technically not primary adaptogens. However, their respective chemistry shows significant parallels to known adaptogenic qualifications and adheres to them very closely.
Primary Adaptogens
Ashwagandha - Withania somnifera
Cordyceps - Cordyceps sinensis
Eleuthero - Eleutherococcus senticosus
Ginseng - Panax ginseng, Panax quinquefolius
Holy Basil - Ocimum tenuiflorum, Ocimum sanctum
Licorice - Glycyrrhiza glabra
Rhodiola - Rhodiola rosea
Schisandra - Schisandra chinensis
Shilajit - Asphaltum bitumen
What do adaptogens do
Adaptogens increase the body's resistance to various stressors, including physical, emotional, chemical and environmental factors. They also protect against acute and chronic stress, which, as we all know, has become so normal in today's world that some people no longer notice it and instead wonder why their immune system is no longer working properly. By the way, I was one of those people. The normalizing effect of adaptogens on the body, especially on the endocrine and immune systems, makes them particularly unique, even if each individual adaptogen works differently for each person. By acting, so to speak, "unspecifically", they influence the basic functions of the organism, restore homeostasis (note NG: balance of physiological body functions; stability of the ratio of blood pressure, body temperature, pH of the blood, etc.) through their regenerative properties and help to harmonize body, mind and soul.
Modern clinical research is increasingly providing evidence that many of the traditions about these herbs are actually true. As far as scientific and clinical studies are concerned, the primary adaptogenic herbs have received the most attention. The wide range of healing effects they offer covers almost all areas of the body.
Adaptogens use their balancing powers to create strength, energy and balance in the body, especially in the neuroendocrine system and the immune system. The neuroendocrine system is understood as the summary of the endocrine system (hormone-forming and producing area in the body) and the nervous system. This system deals with chemical communication in the body via hormones that work in conjunction with the nervous system.
The goal of the nervous system is to create homeostasis (balance of physiological body functions) for all internal reactions, which helps to keep the body healthy and protected. Within the endocrine system we find the famous HPA axis, a complex interaction between the hypothalamus (vital part of the diencephalon, regulates all vegetative and endocrine processes and controls, among other things, breathing, circulation, body temperature, sexual behavior as well as fluid and food intake), pituitary gland (an approximately hazelnut-sized organ in the central nervous system that is the birthplace, synthesis site and release site for numerous hormones) and adrenal glands.
The hypothalamus communicates with the rest of the body via the autonomic nervous system and via hormone secretions. H monitors and evaluates everything that is going on in the body and then tells its "personal assistant", the pituitary gland (P), what to do. The personal assistant P informs the "general managers" (the target organs), who then recruit the "workers" (certain biochemical processes) in the corresponding tissues or organs of the body. The recruited or activated tissues include the visceral organs - heart, lungs, intestines, kidneys, liver and pancreas - as well as many lesser-known parts of the body such as the gallbladder, spleen, blood vessels and skeletal muscles.
Phew, that was like a little flight through the biology of the body and here especially our nerves and hormones, wasn't it?! I find it extremely interesting to understand what is going on in my body. If one now considers the stress of our time, the noise that we are permanently surrounded by, the over-stimulating sensory impressions to which we are repeatedly exposed and the permanent time pressure under which we are, it is no wonder that the longing for peace and closeness to nature is developing as an increasingly strong need in society. And it is therefore just as little surprising that herbs are enjoying increasing popularity in today's world. We are in a time of profound change in history, and herbs with adaptogenic properties have been identified to protect our bodies by helping them adapt to the constant changes and stressors on our planet.
Each adaptogen tunes the body to a series of energy pathways and creates a non-specific homeostatic response in body and mind. As has already been researched, due to their normalizing effect and their bidirectionality in the body, it can be determined that they possess their own intelligence in terms of what the body needs. Since they work so closely with the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, each adaptogen is ultimately experienced individually by each person, as each person also has their own internal recipe for their balance. Adaptogens act at several sites in the body, but primarily on the neuroendocrine system, which includes the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands, as well as the sympathoadrenal system (or SAS, a physiological connection between the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal medulla, crucial for an organism's physiological response to external stimuli). Adaptogens are also directly related to our organs, which shape our individual, primarily nerve-related, perception of the world and partially control basic survival processes such as intuition, pain response, sexual function, blood pressure, circadian rhythm, stress response and much more.
Modern studies have shown that adaptogens can non-specifically improve the resistance of the human body under a variety of external stress conditions in a multifaceted and multi-channel network-like manner, in particular by influencing the immune system, the neuroendocrine system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
What do we as a boutique for beauty and wellness have to do with adaptogens at all, you might ask yourself. Well, the herbal powerhouses not only support you in feeling stronger and more stable, they also support your skin in its healing process and in staying healthy and beautiful. Silica and calcium as well as other minerals stimulate the body's own collagen production and strengthen your hair, nails and your skin from the inside out.
Excerpts from studies on adaptogens
“Adaptogens are synthetic compounds (bromantane, levamisole, aphobazole, bemethyl, etc.) or plant extracts that have the ability to increase the body's stability against physical stress without increasing oxygen consumption. Extracts from Panax ginseng, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Rhaponticum carthamoides, Rhodiola rosea, and Schisandra chinensis are considered naturally occurring adaptogens, and in particular, herbal adaptogens. (...) The use of natural adaptogens by humans has a long history - they are used for recovery from illness, physical weakness, memory disorders, and other conditions. About 50 years ago, herbal adaptogens were first used in professional sports due to their high potential to increase the body's stress resistance and improve physical endurance. Although many people now take herbal adaptogens, clinical studies in humans are limited. Data from the meta-analysis showed that herbal adaptogens may offer a number of benefits in the treatment of chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment, and immune protection. For the future, there is great potential for the approval of drugs containing herbal adaptogens for therapeutic purposes.”
(Source: Plant Adaptogens-History and Future Perspectives, Nutrients, 2021 Aug 20;13(8):2861. doi: 10.3390/nu13082861. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34445021/)
“The findings from preclinical and clinical studies with Andrographis paniculata, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Glycyrrhiza spp., Panax spp, Rhodiola rosea, Schisandra chinensis, Withania somnifera, their combination products and melatonin suggest that adaptogens may be useful in the prophylaxis and treatment of viral infections at all stages of the inflammatory process, as well as in supporting the recovery of the organism by (i) modulating innate and adaptive immunity, (ii) anti-inflammatory action, (iii) detoxification and repair of oxidative stress-induced damage in damaged cells, (iv) direct antiviral action by inhibiting the docking or replication of viruses, and (v) improving the quality of life during convalescence.”
(Source: The Role of Adaptogens in Prophylaxis and Treatment of Viral Respiratory Infections, Pharmaceuticals (Basel), 2020 Sep 8;13(9):236. doi: 10.3390/ph13090236._ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32911682/)
“Adaptogens are stress response modifiers that increase an organism's non-specific stress resistance by increasing its ability to adapt and survive. (...) Molecular targets, signaling pathways, and networks common to adaptogens have been identified. They are associated with stress hormones and key mediators of homeostasis regulation. In this context, the mechanisms of action of adaptogens are specifically related to the stress-protective activity and the increased adaptability of the organism. Consequently, adaptogens have versatile positive effects on chronic inflammation, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative cognitive disorders, metabolic disorders, cancer and other age-related diseases. Current and potential applications of adaptogens relate primarily to stress-related fatigue and cognitive function, mental illness, and behavioral disorders. Their prophylactic use in healthy individuals to reduce stress and prevent age-related diseases appears justified. It is very unlikely that the pharmacological activity of a phytochemical is specific and only associated with one type of receptor, especially in adaptogenic compounds that influence key mediators of the adaptive stress response at the intracellular and extracellular communication level.”
Source: Understanding adaptogenic activity: specificity of the pharmacological action of adaptogens and other phytochemicals_Ann N Y Acad Sci 2017 Aug;1401(1):49-64. doi: 10.1111/nyas.13399. Epub 2017 Jun 22._ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28640972/)
“Originally, adaptogens were defined as substances that improve the "state of non-specific resistance" to stress, a physiological state associated with various disorders of the neuroendocrine immune system. Studies in animals and isolated neuronal cells have shown that adaptogens have neuroprotective, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, anxiolytic, nootropic, and CNS-stimulating effects. In addition, numerous clinical studies demonstrate that adaptogens have an anti-fatigue effect that increases mental work capacity under stress and fatigue, particularly in tolerance to mental exhaustion and improved attention. Recent pharmacological studies with a number of adaptogens have also substantiated these effects at the molecular level. It has been discovered that the stress-protective effect of adaptogens is associated with the regulation of homeostasis via multiple mechanisms of action related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the regulation of key mediators of the stress response such as molecular chaperones (e.g. HSP70), the stress-activated c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase 1 (JNK1), the Forkhead Box O (FOXO) transcription factor DAF-16, cortisol and nitric oxide.”
(Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System and the Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Their Stress-Protective Activity, Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2010 Jan 19;3(1):188-224. doi: 10.3390/ph3010188, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27713248/)
Note
It is important for us to emphasize again and again that taking and using adaptogens in no way replaces medical treatment or even mitigates the need to consult a doctor. Adaptogens can support you in your mental and physical health and this is your own responsibility. At North Glow, we carry a selected range of adaptogen-rich products from the American brand Anima Mundi. I can say for myself that the products have become an indispensable part of my everyday life as well as the daily routine of many of our customers and have actually changed many things for the better. You have to try it to experience it. You can access our range of Anima Mundi products by clicking on the following image. I wish you a lot of fun discovering. Daniela from North Glow
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