Promising stress reducers

Adaptogens are not only used to cope with the stress and hassles of everyday life but are also powerful antioxidants, say C V R Srikant and Gogri Gaurav

In the modern era, around 75 per cent of illnesses are caused by stress and stress-related disorders. Multiple approaches to cope with stress, including pharmaceutical drugs, exercise and relaxation techniques like meditation have been developed by modern medicine. Though these methods can provide some benefits, the results are mixed and often unsatisfactory. In a quest to find agents that can relieve the body from stress, scientists developed a novel approach to reduce stress and prevent stress-related symptoms.

Adaptogens are agents originating from plants that are used to protect the body from various kinds of stress stimulating the body’s own self-regeneration process. These agents support the body’s immune system and thus regulate body processes and improve overall health. The adaptogens are multi-purpose in nature since they alter wide range of positive responses particularly protecting the body from the effects of stress as well as increase in the energy levels of the body. Adaptogens do not have side-effects and do not harm the body unlike allopathic drugs.

Typical root of young ginseng plant	Forked root of old ginseng plant of higher commercial value

The use of adaptogens has been known for centuries. They played an important role in the traditional Chinese medicine and were called as “Kings” or “Elite” by highly respected Chinese herb masters. They were the first to declare that this class of herbs is the most effective for a stressed human body.

A Russian scientist, Dr Nicolai V Lazarev, first coined the word adaptogens in 1947 as it helps the body to increase its resistance, adapt naturally to cope and reduce stress. Based on the initial findings of Dr Lazarev, his protege Dr Israel Brekhman set out to show that the only natural substances to protect the body from stress are adaptogens.

Siberian Ginseng

After two years of research in 1947, the Russian scientists produced Dibazol, the first adaptogen, which is a synthetic corticosteroid. It was used by tens of thousands of Soviet people during flu epidemics with general resistance to a wide range of stressors and improved physical and mental performance. Since 1950, about 5,000 clinical studies have been performed successfully to prove the efficacy of the adaptogens in reliving the body stress.

Properties of ideal adaptogens

Licorice

In a scenario where the side-effects are associated with the pharmacological activity in the allopathic drug, adaptogens must benefit the bodywithout disturbing or doing it harm.

Very few plants possess adaptogenic properties. It is estimated that only one out of 4,000 plants show adaptogenic properties.

For a plant to be called a true adaptogen, it must conform to the following properties:

• The herb should cause no harm and place no additional stress on the body.
• The herb should help the body adapt to many and varied environmental and psychological stresses.
• The herb must have a nonspecific action on the body, supporting all the major systems, such as the nervous system, hormonal system and immune system.
• It should regulate the functions of the body (such as the blood sugar); if they are too high, an adaptogen will lower it and vice-verse.
• An adaptogen is protective. It raises an individual’s resistance to physical, chemical or biological stress.

Mechanism of action

Ashwagandha

The mechanism by which the adaptogens show their stress-reliving property is been researched mostly in the USSR and Japan. According to their findings, when the body is under stress the adaptogens help the adrenal glands to activate the hormonal response by manufacturing and releasing more stress hormones.

For example, in order to cope with the stress and for relaxation the body produces adrenaline (also called epinephrine), which triggers a “flight or fight” response, and nor adrenaline (also called norepinephrine) which helps in maintaining wakefulness and alertness. In the state of fatigue and stress the level of noradrenaline in the body is lowered.

In order to overcome this state of stress, adaptogen is administered which stimulates dopamine secretion. Dopam-ine, a precursor to adrenaline and noradrenaline plays a vital role in maintaining the levels of the adrenaline and noradrenaline.

Consuming tea, coffee, sugar, chocolate, alcohol or smoking a cigarette can also trigger the release of dopamine, which converts to adrenaline and noradrenaline.

However, it is better to go for healthier and less-damaging alternatives.

Types of adaptogens

Korean / Asian Ginseng

American Ginseng: From the family Araliaceae, this is the typical root of young ginseng plant. The forked root of old ginseng plant is of higher commercial value. It is obtained from the dried root of species panax quinqiefolium. It contains ginsenosides, which increases energy, builds resistance against stress, reduces anxiety, improves immunity and increases stamina during exercise and vitality.

Korean/Asian Ginseng: Also from the family Araliaceae, this is obtained from dried roots of panax ginseng. It contains ginsenosides and panaxosides, which are used as immunomodulatory drugs. It increases non-specific resistance and enhances the power to overcome illness or exhaustion. It is used as an aphrodisiac.

Ashwagandha: It belongs to the Solanaceaem and is obtained from dried root and stem bases of withania somnifera. Also called “Indian Ginseng” it’s original name ashwaganda means “smells like a horse”. It raises energy levels, enhances immunity, helps the body to cope with stress, increase libido, reduce the stress hormone cortisol and even stabilises cholesterol levels.

Siberian Ginseng: Also known as eleutherococcus senticosus, eleutheros (eleutherosides) are the beneficial substances found in this ginseng. It relieves fatigue, fights off infection, and promotes endurance and resistance to stress.

Rhodiola Rosea

Rhodiola Rosea: Also known as Russian rhodiola, this belongs to the family Crassulaceae, golden root and arctic root. Rosavin and salidroside are the beneficial substances found in rhodiolia rosea. This herb stablises adrenal hormones. It boosts immunity, improves concentration and stress resistance, increases physical performance and mood.

Licorice: Belonging to the family Leguminosae, it consists of dried root and stolon of glycyrrhiza glabra. It helps to balance the levels of stress hormone cortisol. Also used topically for herpes, eczema and psoriasis. Licorice extract is found to boost the skin’s natural steroid hormones to counteract inflammation and irritation.

Uses

Adaptogens are not only used to cope with the stress and hassles of everyday life but are also powerful antioxidants. The antioxidants contained in the adaptogens help the body fight free radicals which are released during the oxidation process of metabolism in the body, which can cause a variety of problems such as cell degeneration, cancer, ageing and many other diseases. It is ideal for people perpetually fatigued or those who require to increase stamina, endurance, concentration and mental clarity.

Diagramatic representation of the mechanism of action of adaptogens

Dosage

The dose of the adaptogens to be administered is as per the Recommended Dietary Allow-ance (RDA). There are no reported toxic effects of adaptogens; hence the body can tolerate high intake.

Conclusion

In the seventies, information about these remarkable herbs with adaptogenic properties began to cross the Soviet border. Their effectiveness was confirmed by the scientists from Germany, Sweden, Japan, and the US, who proved that:

• Adaptogens make the stress response less damaging
• They help maintain homeostasis in the face of stress by regulating the body’s adaptive reactions
• Adaptogens reduce most signs of the alarm stage of the stress response, and delay or promote avoidance of the exhaustion stage
• The use of adaptogens eliminates or significantly decreases the classical signs of the prolonged stress reaction described by Hans Selye as the stress triad
• Adaptogens help the body utilise fuel more efficiently, with fewer toxic or waste byproducts (like lactic acid), which can contribute to fatigue and reduced function
• Efficient use of energy means greater reserves are more readily available when needed for performing difficult tasks.

The writers are pharmacy graduates from University of Nagpur and University Pune respectively