Week 5 - Adaptogens Flashcards
What are adaptogens?
- non-specific response
an increase in power of resistance against multiple stressors including physical, chemical, or biological agents. - has a normalizing influence on physiology
- safe, well-tolerated medicine
Eleutherococcus senticosis – Siberian ginseng
Family: Araliaceae
Part Used: root (most researched), stem bark and leaf
Energetics: warm, stimulating (in higher doses), dispels wind dampness
Actions: adaptogen, immunomodulating, mild CNS stimulant
Indications/CIs: Eleutherococcus senticosis – Siberian ginseng
Indications: build vitality, increase resistence to infection, stress, and toxicity, improve physical performance, and improve mood
Contraindications/Cautions: Adulteration is common. Monitor blood glucose in diabetics and hypoglycemics
Eleutherococcus Actions
Nonspecific antistress effects Adaptogenic Ergogenic Anabolic/anticatabolic Antitoxic Radioprotective Chemoprotective Immunoprotective Immunoregulatory Antiviral Gonadotrophic Insulintrophic/antidiabetic Neuroprotective
Add’l studies on Eleutherococcus
Reduced recurrence of herpes infections by 50%
prevention of bone-resorption in steroid induced osteoporosis
Panax ginseng – Asian Ginseng
Family: Araliaceae
Part Used: root, leaf
Energetics: warming
Actions: adaptogen, tonic, stimulant, hypoglycemic, antitoxic
Indications/CIs: Panax ginseng – Asian Ginseng
Indications: weakened state due to chronic illness or chronic stress
Contraindications/Cautions: always buy organically grown roots as some farming practices use considerable amounts of fungicides and pesticides. If used long-term with caffeine, may cause hypertension.
*CI with MAO inhibitors – case report of mania
Ren Shen人參 – Man Root (Panax ginseng)
Actions
- Strongly tonifies the basal qi: for extreme collapse, minute weak pulse, after severe blood loss.
- Tonifies the lungs and augments the qi: wheezing, SOB, difficulty breathing with exertion caused by lung qi deficiency.
- Strengthens the Spleen and tonifies the stomach – stimulates appetite, used in chronic diarrhea.
- Benefits the heart qi and calms the spirit – for palpitations with anxiety, insomnia and restlessness due to qi and blood deficiency
CIs with Ren Shen人參 – Man Root (Panax ginseng)
Cautions and Contraindications: yin deficiency with heat signs, heat excess, or in the absence of qi deficiency. Contraindicated in stage 3 hypertension. Overdose leads to headache, insomnia, palpitations.
Panax quinquifolium – American Ginseng
Family: Araliaceae
Part Used: root, leaf
Energetics: cooling
Actions: tonic, nervine, adaptogen, hypoglycemic
Constituents: steroidal saponin: panaquilon
Indications/CIs: Panax quinquifolium – American Ginseng
Indications: nervous dyspepsia, loss of appetite, mental exhaustion
Contraindications: pregnancy (not studied)
Panax quinquefolium
Specific Indications.—Nervous dyspepsia; mental and other forms of nervous exhaustion from overwork.
Action and Therapy.—A mild, stimulating tonic whose effects are observed only after quite a long period of administration. It is a feeble nerve stimulant and as such is adapted to nervous exhaustion of a mild type from too close application to work, and to mild forms of nervous dyspepsia and slight stomachic debility. As a medicine it acts kindly and quietly, giving a grateful sense of comfort to the stomach.
Oplopanax horridus – Devil’s Club
Family: Araliaceae
Part Used: root, stem bark
Energetics: cooling, stimulating, protective, supporting
Actions: expectorant, respiratory stimulant, hypoglycemic, immunomodulator
Constituents: polyynes, polyenes, glycosides
- ASTHMA AND EMOTIONAL HEALING - Fear & Shame
Indications/CIs: Oplopanax horridus – Devil’s Club
Indications: As an energetic medicine for nervous, mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion – often compared to other aralia family adaptogens, but indigenous use s do not mirror this equation. Indigenous use is as an antimicrobial, antirheumatic, and antidiabetic, and respiratory medicine. Modern research has mainly focused on anticancer actions
Contraindications: pregnancy
Withania somnifera - Ashwaganda
Family: Solanaceae
Part Used: root
Energetics: warming, balances Vata and Kapha
Actions: adaptogen, tonic, immunomodulator, anti-inflammatory, increases hemoglobin, WBCs and neutrophils, sedative, anxiolytic, antiepileptic, hypotensive, enhances cognition, protects against ulcers, neuroregenerative, antidepressant
Constituents: steroidal lactones – withanolides; iron, alkaloids
Indications/CIs: Withania somnifera - Ashwaganda
Indications: high stress causing fatigue, nervous exhaustion, chronic inflammatory diseases, insomnia
Contraindications: pregnancy
Classic Use of Ashwaganda
provide the “power of the horse”
increase longevity and vitality
aphrodisiac
tonic nervine
used to treat emaciation of children and debility in the elderly.
Rhodiola rosea – Rhodiola/Golden Root
Family: Crassulaceae
Part Used: root
Energetics: astringent
Actions: adaptogen, decreases fatigue, increase endurance, increases work capacity and coordination, increases learning ability, improves memory, decrease in drug-induced arrhythmia, decreased CRP and CK after strenuous exercise, stimulant antidepressant
Constituents: Phenylpropanoids: Rosavin, rosin, rosarin; phynylethanol derivatives: salidroside, tyrosol; flavonoids, monoterpenes, triterpenes, phenolic acids
Indications/CIs: Rhodiola rosea – Golden Root
Indications: fatigue, burn-out from highly stressful situations, altitude sickness, intensive learning, neurasthenia
Contraindications/Cautions:
may cause overstimulation and interfere with sleep. May cause vivid dreams, particularly at the onset of treatment.
Contraindicated in bipolar disorder.
synergistic effect with TCAs
Rhodiola rosea - Traditional Uses
- prized for altitude sickness.
- tonify the spleen and boost qi. It also enters the lung channel, where it clears the lung and relieves cough.
- Given to newly married couples to increase fertility and assure the birth of healthy children.
- fortify the body against the stress of the long, cold winters.
- enhance physical strength and endurance.
- increase mental work capacity during stress, as a psychostimulant, and as a general strengthener.
Schisandra chinensis
Family: Magnoliaceae
Part Used: berries
Energetics: sour, bitter, warm
Actions: adaptogen, mind tonic, CNS stimulant, sexual tonic, sedative, astringent, hepatoprotective, expectorant, antitussive
Constituents: lignans, phytosterols, volatile oils, vitamin C and E
Indications, CIs and Cautions: Schisandra chinensis
Indications: depression, irritability, forgetfullness, stress, hepatitis, cirrhosis, coughs, wheezing, shortness of breath, skin rash
Contraindications: pregnancy (empirical, based on uterine stimulant activity)
Cautions: may occasionally cause heartburn
Actions: Wu wei zi -五味子 – Five-Flavored Seed
Contains leakage of lung qi and stops coughing
Tonifies the Kidney, binds up essence, and stops diarrhea
Quiets the spirit and calms the heart: for irritability, palpitations, dream-disturbed sleep, insomnia due to injury of the blood and yin of the heart and Kidneys
Ocimum tenuiflorum – Holy Basil, Tulsi
Family: lamiaceae
Part Used: root
Energetics: Rama – neutral, Krishna – clearing and warming, Vana- sweet (O. gratissimum)
Actions: adaptogen, nootropic
Constituents: Eugenol, carvacrol, linalool, ursolic acid, limatrol, methyl carvacrol, caryophyllene, vitamin C, Vitamin A, calcium, zinc, iron, apigenin, rosmarinic acid, orientin, vicenin
