ADAPTOGENS... discoveries and interpretations - written by Cantor
- Cantor
- Jun 24
- 3 min read
After hours and hours of reading, I can honestly say that I still do not fully understand how exactly adaptogens work. After decades of research, it appears that scientists don't either (though they have come very far). However, since at least 3000 BCE, there have been healers preparing a wide variety of plants and fungi (today known as adaptogens) to supplement and increase the well-being of their patients. HOW CURIOUS...
Around the world, we can find those who operate between the poles of the clinical and the shamanistic, including adaptogens in their practice. Whether it be Russian medical science, Ayurvedic medicine (India) or Chinese Traditional Medicine, adaptogens are defined, applied and approached in a number of ways.
And, to make things even more perplexing, each area of practice has developed its own specific criteria for what can be categorized as an adaptogen.
Furthermore, each healing modality approaches the treatment differently. No wonder my head is spinning around in circles!
So, what are my main takeaways from the multitude of information on adaptogens?
1. The body's purpose is to maintain its own life and vitality. We should trust its wisdom.
2. When stress (in its many forms) remains ongoing, the body's resilience will break down.
3. Primarily, adaptogen use is meant to restore health and rejuvenate the body, not as a quick fix, but as a process of recovery.
4. Adaptogens can also act as "power of resistance". They can help the body to increase endurance and resist stress from specific conditions.
5. A practitioner who orders a patient to start taking adaptogens, can additionally be aiming to strengthen the immune system and release the negative charge of stress, bringing the patient back to a state of homeostasis.
6. An adaptogen rarely effects one specific organ, system and/or pathogen. This is why I think there are many portraits that use "nonspecific resistance to stress" in their definition.
7. An adaptogen should produce no negative side effect. It should help the body's systems to normalize.
8. Adaptogens have also been studied and used, I feel, in negative ways. For example, certain cures were given to soldiers before battles to help them fight better, and without fear.
9. Not all adaptogens work on the same issue (e.g., convalescence phase, acute illness, depression, fatigue...) they are not a one size fits all !
But WAIT !
Before you run out to your local healer, take a look at your reality. All things in nature have limits, and are at risk of extinction. That is to say, in today's world, remote places have become accessible, and sudden fads for certain plants have been known to place immediate and damaging stresses on the ecosystem.
As we see the demand for stress "cures" rising, we must begin with our body's natural ability to heal itself, before looking to external cures. Before anything else, return to the fundamentals: sleep, nutrition and lifestyle. Change what is in your control and be patient with its progress. It takes time to properly heal.
Wanna geek out like I did ? Here are some good starting points:
Books:
Online resources:
"...your seeds shall live in my body,
And the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart,
And your fragrance shall be my breath,
And together we shall rejoice through all the seasons."
- Khalil Gibran
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