Adaptogens
Ethan Russo in Handbook of Psychotropic Herbs, 2015
The concept of adaptogens was popularized in the former Soviet Union after World War II, especially through the work of Lazarev and Brekhman. An adaptogen is defined, to paraphrase Foster (Foster, 1996e), as follows: An adaptogen is an agent that is benign in its effects and does not impair basic functions.An adaptogen displays nonspecific actions but serves to reduce stress and enhance performance in a wide array of clinical contexts.An adaptogen normalizes function in either direction; that is, it will provide energy to the fatigued or calm the overanxious.
Role of the Ayurvedic Medicinal Herb Bacopa monnieri in Child and Adolescent Populations
Dilip Ghosh, Pulok K. Mukherjee in Natural Medicines, 2019
In humans, the anxiolytic effects of Bacopa have shown mixed results. Stough et al. (2001) reported significant reductions in anxious states, a finding that was replicated by Calabrese et al. (2008), who reported a decrease in depression as well as combined state-trait anxiety scores in a sample of older adults (mean age 73.5 years). A trend towards significance was reported on mood measures in a dose-range study by Benson et al. (2014) in 17 healthy adult volunteers, which also demonstrated some adaptogenic factors. An adaptogen is defined as a non-toxic herbal medicine that increases a person’s resistance to anxiety and stress (EMEA 2008). A follow-up study by Stough et al. (2008) was unable to replicate their findings and a study by Roodenrys et al. (2002) reported no significant improvements in symptoms of anxiety in healthy adults. Despite these findings, the significance of the cognitive results may encourage healthy adults or adults with some memory impairment to begin treating themselves with Bacopa. In doing this, people may experience improvements in anxiety and stress. Whether this is related to the improved cognitive outcomes or is a secondary benefit of the herbal medicine has not yet been verified by the literature.
Functional Foods
Datta Sourya, Debasis Bagchi in Extreme and Rare Sports, 2019
Natural ergogenic herbs need to be consumed by individuals for many years to optimize the health status with improved energy metabolism and muscular hypertrophy/strength to thereby improve performance without any adverse effects. Some ergogenic herbs are classified as adaptogen (used to lower body stress), since exercise can induce physiological stress; adaptogens are hence recommended to overcome exercise-induced stress by preventing fatigue as well as improving mental capacity via lowering cortisol production (acting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent) and thus improving physical performance (Bucci, 2000; Molinos, 2013). In this chapter, the author only concentrates on popular ergogenic/adaptogenic herbs including Panax ginseng, Eurycoma longifolia, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Schisandra chinensis, Withania somnifera, Paullinia cupana (Guarana), Rhodiola rosea and Cordyceps sinensis.
Evaluation of modulatory effects of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) aqueous extract on oxidative stress in ischemic stroke patients: a randomized clinical trial
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2022
Saeed Gudarzi, Mahvash Jafari, Gila Pirzad Jahromi, Reza Eshrati, Mostafa Asadollahi, Parisa Nikdokht
Saffron has been used in traditional medicine in various countries as an antispasmodic, nerve sedative, anticonvulsant, diaphoteric, expectorant, stimulant and stomachic. It has also been utilized in the treatment of learning and memory impairment, inflammatory disease and respiratory, hepatic and cardiovascular disorders [10,13,14]. One of the most important properties of saffron is its exhilarant and anti-depressant activity, which leads to the sense of happiness [12]. In Indian traditional medicine (Ayurveda), it is used as an adaptogen (considered to strengthen the body against stresses such as trauma, anxiety and fatigue) [15]. In Iranian traditional medicine, saffron has been used to cure obstructions inside brain to protect it from oxygen deprivation. In addition, the topical use of saffron in the boiling water is good for severe headaches and insomnia [14].
Tinospora Cordifolia: A review of its immunomodulatory properties
Published in Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2022
Charles R. Yates, Eugene J. Bruno, Mary E. D. Yates
The genus Tinospora (Menispermaceae), which comprises 34 different species, is a large, glabrous, perennial, deciduous, climbing shrub of weak and fleshy stem found throughout Asia, Africa, and Australia. A prominent member of the Tinospora genus, T. cordifolia (Willd.) Hook. f. and Thoms (Guduchi), is found throughout the tropical Indian subcontinent and China and has numerous ethnomedicinal applications in Ayurvedic pharmacology (Singh and Saxena 2017; Upadhyay et al. 2010). T. cordifolia is commonly referred to as Guduchi, which is Sanskrit for “one which protects the entire body”. It is a rich natural source of zinc and copper–trace elements with antioxidant activity. In Ayurveda, T. cordifolia has been used traditionally as a decoction, alone or in combination with other rasayana herbs that possesses adaptogenic properties (e.g. Terminalia and Emblica), to enhance energy levels, immunity, general health and longevity (Rege et al. 1999). In this focused review, we will detail T. cordifolia’s ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and safety with an emphasis on immunity and infection.
Rhodiola rosea polysaccharides promote the proliferation of bone marrow haematopoietic progenitor cells and stromal cells in mice with aplastic anaemia
Published in Pharmaceutical Biology, 2022
Rhodiola rosea L. (Crassulaceae) is a perennial herb or subshrub (i.e., dwarf shrub) with a long history of being used as a dietary supplement and a traditional medicine in China, Russia, and other countries. In China, R. rosea is widely used to eliminate fatigue, improve physical activity, and alleviate altitude sickness in high-altitude areas (Petkov et al. 1986). Recent studies have identified more than 150 biologically active compounds in R. rosea (Shikov et al. 2020). Pharmacological research has revealed that R. rosea preparations exhibit an adaptogenic effect (Panossian et al. 2010; Panossian 2017). In addition, R. rosea has been shown to have anti-fatigue, anti-cold, anti-inflammatory, anti-radiation, anti-stress, and antidepressant (Amsterdam and Panossian 2016; Li et al. 2017; Tao et al. 2019) properties; it can also provide resistance to hypoxia, inhibit tumours, and control blood glucose levels (Shi et al. 2012; Lee et al. 2013; Leung et al. 2013; Zhang et al. 2013). In addition, extracts of R. rosea have certain positive effects on haematopoietic regulation (Udintsev and Schakhov 1991; Qian et al. 2011). Thus far, most pharmacological studies on R. rosea have focussed on its alcohol-soluble ingredients such as salidroside, rhodosin, and p-tyrosol (Hu et al. 2010; Li et al. 2011; Xie and Zhu 2012).
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