Adaptogens: The Original Preventives

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For strengthening and building, ashwaganda is unparalleled. It’s also revered for its ability to tone the reproductive system (particularly in men). The species name somnifera comes from the Latin somnus, which means “to sleep’’ — an allusion to the herb’s nervine and sedative properties. This warming herb also has shown marked anti-tumor and antioxidant properties.

Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis)

This acutely sour-tasting berry is warming and astringent in action. It has remarkable liver-protective properties — it’s one of the most effective herbs in the treatment of hepatitis. Schisandra berries help balance the immune and nervous systems, making the herb good for autoimmune disorders and insomnia. Schisandra’s effect on the nervous system extends to the enhancement of memory, the quickening of reflexes and the heightening of learning ability.

Schisandra has also been found to be one of the best remedies for neurasthenia, a term used to describe the host of symptoms often related to chronic fatigue syndrome, including nerve weakness, lack of concentration and pallor. Schisandra’s effects are paradoxical in that the herb is mildly stimulating but also calming to the mind, in a way that can only be described as an “alert calm.’’

Almost Too Good to be True

As I researched this article, I found myself thinking that these herbs seem almost too good to be true. How can there be a whole category of plants whose job it is to help our bodies function more efficiently and to take some of the weight of the world off our physiological shoulders? But there is — because Nature provides. And Nature has given us adaptogens, these remedies for the modern age of 60-hour workweeks, five hours of sleep per night, three cups of coffee, fast food, not enough downtime and far too much worry. Certainly, it should be said that lifestyle changes are in order for most of us, but no matter how well we live, we cannot escape the daily pressures of life. For these pressures, we have adaptogens, and by using them for prevention and self-healing, we embrace the true spirit of herbal medicine.

Jennifer Rabin is a clinical herbalist and freelance writer. She lives, writes, practices and teaches herbal medicine in Portland, Oregon.

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