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Adaptogens: Herbs to manage stress and stressful situations

Sebastian Pole

I started Herbal Reality in 2020 to share traditional, scientific and practical insights into herbal medicine that informs a deeper understanding of the power of plants and clinical herbalism.

Along with my herbal studies and clinical practice, much of what I have learned about the intricacies of the herbal world has come from my time with Pukka Herbs that I co-founded in 2001.

I have travelled to hundreds of organic farms around the world pioneering sustainable herbal value chains, rigorous quality systems and a regenerative approach to business.

I now work with Earthsong Seeds, a medicinal seed project in the UK growing over 100 species to encourage the tradition of the self-empowered apothecary; growing and making health-remedies yourself. I am also a trustee of Earthsong Foundation and serve on the Advisory Board of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia.

I have written Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice, A Pukka Life, and Cleanse, Nurture, Restore with Herbal Tea.

Adaptogens Managing stress and stressful situations

Adaptogens help the body to adapt, adjust and recalibrate itself depending on our emotional and physical surroundings.

None of us are immune to the pressures of modern life, whether it be work deadlines, the daily commute or just simply never having enough hours in the day. The Health & Safety Executive estimate that in 2014/15 stress accounted for 35% of all work related ill health cases and 43% of all working days lost due to ill health.

Our bodies are also regularly exposed to physical and toxic stress too – from household chemicals, pesticides in our foods, pollutants in the air, intensively farmed meats and refined sugar to name but a few.

All this can overwhelm the body’s ability to cope, leading to insomnia, tiredness, anxiety, depression and even physical illness.

Thankfully, there are some incredible rejuvenating herbs that can help. These are the amazing adaptogens.

What are adaptogens?

Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)

So, what are adaptogens? Well, the clue is their name. They help the body to adapt, adjust and recalibrate itself depending on our emotional and physical surroundings. So, for example, they can foster a sense of calm in times of stress; bring peace to a racing mind in the middle of the night; offer clarity amidst turmoil; and imbue us with energy in the face of exhaustion.

The term adaptogen was introduced into scientific literature by Russian toxicologist Nikolay Lazarev in 1957 to refer to “substances that increase the state of non-specific resistance” in stress. Broadly, an adaptogen must have the four ‘Ns’.

  1. Nourishing: Bring nutritive strength.
  2. Normalising: Raise what is low and lower what is high (e.g. energy, stress).
  3. Non-specific: Act on multiple parts of the body at the same time.
  4. Non-toxic: Safe when used over extended periods of time.
Sebastian Pole

I started Herbal Reality in 2020 to share traditional, scientific and practical insights into herbal medicine that informs a deeper understanding of the power of plants and clinical herbalism. Along... Read more

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