Ginseng and Tonic Herbalism

Many people today are aware that many of the pharmaceutical medicines we use regularly are derived from traditional herbal remedies. Many are also aware that there is a tremendous amount of research happening today trying to derive new medications from traditional herbs.
Every culture around the world has developed some form of natural medical system, generally including some variety of herbal remedies. In some cultures, the level of sophistication developed around herbal remedies is astounding. Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Japanese Kanpo, and other styles of herbalism developed many complex formulae to treat a wide range of diseases and injuries.
There is also another style of herbalism in most cultures, besides medical herbalism. This is the tradition of Tonic Herbalism.
Tonics may be defined in many ways; in this article, the term will be used to describe a certain subset of medicinal herbs. (That means that all the tonic herbs may be used as medicinal herbs, but not all medicinal herbs can be used as tonics.)
The focus of tonic herbs is not relieving symptoms, but to increase or fortify the natural processes and systems of the body. Tonic herbs are generally very safe to use, with few or no contraindications, and many benefits.
In Chinese medicine, they divided the tonic herbs into two classes, Superior (or Celestial) and Inferior tonics. Some Western herbalists use the terms Major and Minor tonics to describe these two classes of tonics.
The Superior Tonics generally have very broad effects on a wide range of body functions; some are even believed to affect psychic and spiritual energies.
More recently, researchers have coined the term "adaptogen" to describe some of these tonic herbs. They discovered that adaptogenic herbs actually have a stronger effect when the organism taken those herbs is under greater levels of stress.
Ginseng is probably the most familiar tonic herb. There are several types of ginseng, including Panax Ginseng, probably the most famous of the ginsengs, and for the oldest roots, the most expensive. It is most commonly available as red or white Ginseng. The difference between red and white ginseng is how the roots are treated after harvesting.
There is also a Siberian Ginseng, although this term is used to describe several different plants. Eleutherococcus Senticosus (often called Eleuthero) is the most researched of these, and may actually be the most researched herb on the planet. This was the herb first described as an adaptogen. Acanthopanax Gracilistylus is also sold as Siberian Ginseng, and shares many properties.
There is also an American Ginseng, Panax Quinquefolium, which once grew wild in great abundance, but over-harvesting has made wild American Ginseng scarce. Botanically, it is the closest of the Ginsengs to Panax Ginseng.
All these varieties share many characteristics. They all function as adaptogens, they all tonify a range of body systems and they all are safe to use, and are suitable for long-term use.
Some people find that Panax ginseng over stimulates them, and find that Siberian or American ginseng are better choices.







The material presented in this blog is for informational use only and should in no way be used as a substitute for needed medical treatment. I am not a doctor, I do not diagnose or treat disease. If you need medical care, please consult the appropriate medical professional. And please discuss with your doctor if you are taking or planning to take any herbal preparations.





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Herbal Remedies for Stress and Sleeplessness- Rhodiola rosea

I mentioned an adaptogenic herb called Rhodiola rosea, also called Arctic root or Golden root in an earlier post, and said I would discuss it further this week.

Adaptogen is a word coined by researchers seeking to describe the effect of Eleutherococcus senticosus, also known as Siberian Ginseng; they had observed that as stress on the experimental subjects increased, the effect of the Eleutherococcus seemed to be stronger. Their observation was that the herb somehow helped the body adapt to the stressor, whether it was physical or psychological. The researchers thought the word "adaptogen" was the best way to describe this ability of the herb to help the body function under stress.

Further research has led to other herbs also being classed as adaptogens, among them is Rhodiola rosea. (While there are other varieties of Rhodiola, Rhodiola rosea is the type most studied, and thought to be the most effective.)

Rhodiola rosea helps the body adapt to many different types of stress, but also has other health benefits.

It seems to both stimulate mental function, while calming the emotions; it appears to help the memory, and improve concentration.

Rhodiola rosea also helps improve the energy levels of the body, and make it more resistant to fatigue, as well as improving recovery time after strenuous exertion.

This herbal remedy also seems to have strong anti-oxidant effects, and Rhodiola extract was shown to reduce C-reactive protein, a protein that increases during systemic inflammation (meaning wide spread or general inflammation, rather than a local inflammation which may occur with an injury), and C-reactive protein seems to show increased risk for heart disease. For more information about C-reactive protein, see the American Heart Association website .

Chinese researchers have also demonstrated the ability of Rhodiola rosea to reduce feelings of agitation, and sleeplessness, and described calming and sleep inducing effects from the herb. There are also preliminary reports that Rhodiola rosea has anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects.

The many positive effects of this herbal remedy suggest that it is a good addition to anyone's herbal repertoire. The only caution I have seen for this herb is that it may cause feelings of agitation in high doses. The average doses I have seen range from 200-400mg of standardized extract daily. (I always suggest starting at the lowest dose, and increasing if needed, as long as there are no side effects.)

As always, consult with your doctor, or a professional herbalist, before taking any herbal remedy.

The material presented in this blog is for informational use only and should in no way be used as a substitute for needed medical treatment. I am not a doctor, I do not diagnose or treat disease. If you need medical care, please consult the appropriate medical professional. And please discuss with your doctor if you are taking or planning to take any herbal preparations.





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Adaptogens for Stress Relief

Just a short post today, since it is the weekend. I have been talking about sleeplessness, stress and anxiety, and some herbal remedies for these problems.

There is a class of herbs described as "adaptogens" which were so named because they seemed to help the body "adapt" to different types of stress.

I already mentioned one in an earlier article, Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), which is useful both for stress, and insomnia. (I will discuss it at greater length next week, along with the next herb.)

Another adaptogenic herb worth discussing here is Rhodiola rosea, also called Arctic root or Golden root. It is a tonic herb which was relatively unknown in the United States until quite recently, although it was much researched in the former Soviet Union. It is particularly noted to boost energy, and combat mental fatigue. Stay tuned for more on these great herbs.......




The material presented in this blog is for informational use only and should in no way be used as a substitute for needed medical treatment. I am not a doctor, I do not diagnose or treat disease. If you need medical care, please consult the appropriate medical professional. And please discuss with your doctor if you are taking or planning to take any herbal preparations.





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herbal remedies, herbs, natural remedies, alternative remedies