November 5th, 2008 Posted in Health N Beauty | No Comments »
Stress comes in many forms. Stress can come in a more primitive “flight or fight” form which is usually temporary, and generally happens when we are scared by something and the body gets ready to either run or stay and fight. For example, in a scary movie we might get frightened and immediately jump in our seats, but in a couple moments the mind takes over and tells us that it is just a movie and there is nothing more to fear or do. Then there is the stress that we all know and think of when we hear the word ’stress’. The stress of our everyday lives-be it trying to meet deadlines at work or at school, family responsibilities, or just the daily grind of ‘trying to get ahead’ in life that many of us face. This kind of stress can hang around for days, if not months and sometimes years! It is a hidden killer, and can lead to higher risks of many health conditions. Although our bodies were made to endure the temporary “flight or fight” reaction to stress, we were not made to endure stress over long periods of time, as it gradually degrades the health and vitality. Stress over a long period not only degrades our ability to react to stress, but also our ability to perform our normal daily tasks. One example that most of us are familiar with is the effect of stress on our immune systems. The more stress we endure the easier it is for us to get sick and catch colds, as our immune system is depleted by the constant stress our body has undergone.
This is where a group of herbs that are used throughout the world can help us they have been called the “adaptogens”, and are generally herbs that are taken to help the body adapt to and endure stress. Paramount in this group of herbs are the ginsengs and Eleuthero (formally known as “Siberian ginseng”). There are two main types of ginseng, Asian ginseng and American ginseng. Herbalists generally think of Asian ginseng as being warming or having a “yang” quality, while American ginseng is thought of as cooling, with a more “yin” quality. Eleuthero, on the other hand, is generally regarded as neutral, so it can suit more body constitutions. In fact, the Soviet scientist who is a lead researcher in the attributes of Eleuthero, named Brekhman, has reported that Eleuthero has a wider range of activity compared to the two ginsengs. Eleuthero is becoming more popular today as an antistress agent, as it has been the subject of over 1,000 scientific studies! The studies are showing that Eleuthero is able to support the body in times of both chronic and acute stress. It not only helps the functioning of the body, but also the mind, and is a mind/body approach to helping us deal with stress.* 1, 2 Eleuthero has a long traditional use in traditional Chinese medicine as both a tonic and a preventative herb, as it was thought to increase longevity, improve health, the appetite and memory.*1 As Eleuthero received little attention from Western scientists until fairly recently, most of the studies have been performed by Soviet scientists. Soviet studies involving over 2,000 healthy subjects have concluded Eleuthero to have the ability to 1) promote human performance in times of adverse physical conditions,* 2) increase work output and mental alertness,* and 3) improve the quality of this work output in both a mental and physical level.* Additionally, Eleuthero can help with easing a troubled mind and increase our ability to get a good night’s sleep, improve our mood outlook, and sense of wellbeing.* Eleuthero is known to have a gentle stimulating effect on people, and can improve overall energy levels, but it does not have the typical side effects of caffeine.* Eleuthero increases energy without caffeine or ephedrine stimulants.* Other areas for which Eleuthero has been found to be favorable in studies are in promoting cardiovascular health, immune function, longevity, athletic performance, respiratory health, normalizing blood sugar, promoting visual acuityand hearing, and normalizing cellular growth.* 1, 2, 3 , 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
In one example that shows the normalizing effect of Eleuthero on our response to stress, Eleuthero was given to 29 seaman, while another group received placebo.* The group who received Eleuthero showed increased general health and physical capacity for work, as well as healthier hearts, blood vessels, and pace of breathing. Overall, Eleuthero had such an overall effect on promoting wellness, it can be said that its effects were non-specific, that is not targeting only one system of the body.* 2, 13
Another study explains part of the story of how Eleuthero can achieve this effect. In one double-blind clinical study, an extract of Eleuthero was given to 36 healthy volunteers or a placebo for four weeks. At the end of the four weeks, the group that had been taking Eleuthero showed a pronounced increase in the functioning of the immune system (increased T lymphocytes, cytotoxic, and natural killer (NK) cells.* The authors found no side effects after observing the volunteers for six months. Such a general strengthening in the immune functions in healthy people could translate into many better health in many of the structures and functions of the body.* 3
Athletic Performance
Another kind of stress that most of us never think of as ’stress’ is the kind of stress the body goes through when we are going through a work out, or getting our daily exercise. Increasing the heart rate and enduring heavy muscular workouts may make us look and feel better over the long run, but there is a downside to the stress that it puts on our bodies.* Every time we work out we create an inflammatory state in our bodies that our bodies must recover from. Professional athletes know this well, as the period of recovery after sports is a crucial factor in their lives of training and performance.* Eleuthero has been found to effect many areas of athletic performance as well as its well known ability to help the body adapt to the overall stress that exercise exposes us to.* Eleuthero is also able to decrease the lactic acid level, the build-up of which is the cause of muscle soreness.* It also increases glycogen storage (an energy source for the body), inhibits the effect of LDLs (low density lipoprotein) which can inhibit energy storage, increases oxygen usage, and helps the body to build muscle strength and repair.* 2, 9, 10, 11
In a recent study, Eleuthero has been shown to have an anti-fatigue action on forced swimming time while at the same time increasing the recovery of the immune system (of Natural Killer cell activity) and inhibiting corticosterone (stress hormones) levels.* This showed there is not only an enhancement in performance by Eleuthero, but that this enhancement also has to do with its nonspecific effects on stress and the immune system.* Clinical studies continue to mount that show Eleuthero can help us be better athletes, and also help us be healthier, calmer in the face of stress and the extremes of sports, as well as helping our body adapt to wider ranges of temperature and weather conditions we meet while exercising.* 9, 10, 11, 12
Work Performance Most people equate the workplace with stress. Eleuthero has the ability to not only help us to adapt to that stress, but also to increase our performance, focus, and resistance to states that can keep us from work.* The Soviet studies have been famous for their study of Eleuthero under different work conditions, such as in workers at car factories, seamen, and telegraph operators. In the case of the telegraph operators-a job that requires not only focus, but a quick reflex-the operators worked for five minutes in intensity, and the number of errors they made were recorded. Whereas the control group showed about a 30% increase in error rate, the Eleuthero group showed a 30% decrease in errors! * 2, 13
Quality of Supply
Another advantage of Eleuthero is that it is more plentiful in supply, and that translates into higher quality product being found in the marketplace. Safety: In the Soviet studies that involved over 2,000 individuals, no side effects were reported. Only instances where very high dosages of Eleuthero extract was taken in a medical setting has reported a few side effects being possible, such as headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia and palpitations. 1
The German Commission E reports the root to be contraindicated in hypertension. There have been other cautions for individuals that have rheumatic heart disease, myocardial infarctions, or febrile states avoid Eleuthero. There have been several studies on the use of Eleuthero in pregnancy and lactation, and no adverse effects found. The German Commission E does not contraindicate the use of Eleuthero for pregnancy or lactation. 1
Usage Recommendations: It is important to find a good quality Eleuthero. Sibergin® provides a high quality 5:1 standardized extract. This means that there are five parts of Eleuthero herb to one part of extract. Sibergin® also contains lecithin to increase the bioavailability of the Eleuthero extract. Sibergin® can be taken at maintenance levels of 500 mg daily.
You may start by taking one capsule (500 mg) upon rising, and then wait 20 minutes before eating for your body to absorb it fully. The daily intake of Eleuthero for at least 3-6 weeks is recommended to produce its adaptogenic and energetic benefits. 1, 2, 13 Eleuthero has either calming or energizing effects on people depending on the individual. For those who feel too stimulated, try altering the time of intake to be early in the day (before noon). Eleuthero is known to give a gentle stimulating effect that is different than caffeine, and will not cause “shakiness” or the “gitters”. 13
References:
1. McKenna D, Jones K, Hughes K. Botanical Medicines: The Desk Reference for major herbal supplements, 2nd Ed. 2002 Haworth Herbal Press:
Binghamton, NY
2. Deyama T, Nishibe S, Nakazawa Y.Constituents and pharmacological effects of Eucommia and Siberian ginseng. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2001
Dec;22(12):1057-70. Review.
3. Bohn B, Nebe CT, Birr C. Flow-cytometric studies with eleutherococcus senticosus extract as an immunomodulatory agent. Arzneimittelforschung. 1987
Oct;37(10):1193-6
4. [Improvement of light and color perception in humans upon prolonged administration of eleutherococcus] Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2004 Jul-Aug;67(4):64-6. Russian.
5. Cicero AF, Derosa G, Brillante R, Bernardi R, Nascetti S, Gaddi A. Effects of Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim.) on elderly quality of life: a
randomized clinical trial. Arch Gerontol Geriatr Suppl. 2004;(9):69-73.
6. Glatthaar-Saalmuller B, Sacher F, Esperester A. Antiviral activity of an extract derived from roots of Eleutherococcus senticosus. Antiviral Res. 2001
Jun;50(3):223-8.
7. Arushanian EB, Baida OA, Mastiagin SS, Popova AP, Shikina IB. [Effect of eleutherococcus on short-term memory and visual perception in healthy humans] Eksp
Klin Farmakol. 2003 Sep-Oct;66(5):10-3. Russian.
8. Steinmann GG, Esperester A, Joller P. Immunopharmacological in vitro effects of Eleutherococcus senticosus extracts. Arzneimittelforschung. 2001
Jan;51(1):76-83.
9. Kimura Y, Sumiyoshi M. Effects of various Eleutherococcus senticosus cortex on swimming time, natural killer activity and corticosterone level in forced swim
ming stressed mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Dec;95(2-3):447-53.
10. Williamson EM. S. Szolmicki, L. Samochowiec, J. Wojcicki and M. Drozdzik, ‘The influence of active components of eleutherococcus senticosus on cellular defence
and physical fitness in man’. Phytotherapy research 14(1) 2000, 30-35 Phytother Res. 2000 May;14(3):225.
11. Asano K, Takahashi T, Miyashita M, Matsuzaka A, Muramatsu S, Kuboyama M, Kugo H, Imai J.Effect of Eleutherococcus senticosus extract on human physical
working capacity. Planta Med. 1986 Jun;(3):175-7. No abstract available.
12. Novozhilov GN, Sil’chenko KK. [Mechanism of adaptogenic effect of Eleutherococcus on the human body during thermal stress] Fiziol Cheloveka. 1985 Mar-
Apr;11(2):303-6.
13. Khalsa, S. Siberian Ginseng: An answer to stress. Nutrition News. 1995 Special Edition 1-3
An excellent source of Eleuthero is Healthaid Sibergin Siberian Eleuthero.