Adaptogens – In Sense Botanicals

Adaptogens, Nature’s Ancient Answer to Modern Stress

Heather Hawkins — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 12:12:22 +0000

Adaptogens, Nature’s Ancient Answer to Modern Stress

I first discovered adaptogens in 2017-2018 and began taking Mucuna pruriens as well as Ashwagandha to help with the stress of being newly sober.

I had no clue how to operate in the world without self medicating, so adaptogens offered me a new chance at life. And some adaptogens are truly life changing – like Mucuna pruriens.

MUCUNA PRURIENS – MY FAVORITE ADAPTOGEN

Adaptogens are rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Adaptogens regulate cortisol levels which in turn calms anxiety and boosts your mood and energy levels – naturally.

One adaptogen in particular, called Mucuna Pruriens, contains L-dopa, a naturally occurring amino acid which is a precursor to dopamine, that feel good chemical in your brain.

Higher levels of dopamine are “linked to enhanced brain function, elevated mood and energy levels, and a more balanced nervous system,” writes Hallie Gould.

Modern life, with all of its conveniences, has a dark side: in our efforts to create ease and comfort we have created an artificial environment filled with stressors that assault us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We are exposed every day to a sea of toxic chemicals in our air, food, and water; this is coupled with intense time pressures and information overload at home and at work.

Excessive use of alcohol, nicotine, and recreational drugs, combined with the grow-ing use of prescription medications, adds to this load, further taxing our bodies to their limits.

On a daily basis our bodies are presented with a heavy burden of foreign substances to metabolize and eliminate. Not surprisingly, fatigue, minor illnesses, and chronic emo-tional stress are epidemic in our country, and can all be traced back to chronic stress. Meanwhile, beneath the surface, deeper and more serious problems can arise.

There’s no question that we have benefited from science and technology. But in the process we have lost our connection to Earth, to her natural rhythms, and most importantly to the ancient wisdom that for thousands of years has guided human beings in living in health and harmony with our internal and external environments,” Donald Yance writes in his book ADAPTOGENS IN MEDICAL HERBALISM.

SHOP ASHWAGANDHA

The word adaptogen refers to the nonspecific, endocrine- regulating, immune-modulating effects of certain plants that increase a person’s ability to maintain optimal balance in the face of physical or emotional stress. These botanical agents provide the perfect antidote for the life robbing deficiencies in vitality created by the demands of modern life.

Meet Mucuna, the Mood Boosting Bean that’s Better than Coffee

Heather Hawkins — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 02:09:14 +0000

Brain health is rarely discussed in terms of diet. Usually we eat what we think will be healthy in terms of keeping a trim waist, amirite?

But if we want to fuel our brains for a tough day when we really need to be at the top of our game, we have to feed our brains, too!

Mucuna pruriens is an excellent tool for supporting your healthy lifestyle and brain health!

Mucuna pruriens is a prevalent Ayurvedic herbal adaptogen also known as velvet bean.

It is also well identified for its wide range of unifying, strengthening and all around constructive properties such as increasing brain power, calming the nerves and uplifting the mood. Perhaps it is best known as a potent herbal aphrodisiac.

“It is also considered as of the most beneficial herbs for normalizing the Vata dosha. In other words, it is a great herb for calming the nervous system and deeply nourishes tissues and fluids of the body. It is one of the rare Ayurvedic herbs that balances all three doshas or body types Vata, Pitta and Kapha,” says Dr. Krishna Maddikera.

The tropical climbing legume Mucuna pruriens is an ancient healing ally known for its wide range of tonifying, strengthening, and long lasting mood and health balancing gifts. The seed of Mucuna, commonly known in the west as velvet beans or cowhage, is an important herb in the ancient Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine and Unani Tibb (Greco-Arabic) medicine, and has been worked with medicinally for at least 2000 years.

Both traditional use and modern research and applications share of its multi-diversified functions in the management of Parkinson’s disease, increasing dopamine levels in the body naturally, aiding in addiction issues, promoting fertility in both men and women, increasing strength, endurance and energy, and as a nootropic (an herb that gives broad cognitive benefits to the human brain. )

Some direct applications for Mucuna are to help protect humans from free radical mediated diseases, atherosclerosis, nervous system disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, depression and much more. Mucuna has been successfully worked with as a companion and cover crop and a nitrogen fixing soil builder across the globe.

It has a long tradition as an amulet herb and of ceremonial and ritual usage in several different indigenous cultures.

There is a modern day resurgence of interest in Mucuna for helping people with chronic disease, dopamine deficiency depression, infertility and addiction issues. It’s important to note that Mucuna is big medicine, containing l-dopa (the precursor to dopamine) and has a potent effect on our entire physiology.

Mucuna pruriens is also an antioxidant and contains serotonin which supports digestive wellness and a sunny mood,” writes The Alchemist’s Kitchen.

Balance and Restore Energy with Adaptogens

Heather Hawkins — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 19:58:57 +0000

As you walk through your local market or health food store, you might be bombarded with the idea that Americans are low on energy.

We drink countless cups of coffee and energy drinks each day, which over time, actually exhaust your adrenal system, leaving you more tired than ever.

Chemically speaking, caffeine inhibits a substance called ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, which can lead to sleep problems.

Less sleep and you’re more likely to be moodier and even more tired the next day. Thus a vicious cycle begins.

So where do we get energy from without our morning Starbucks fix?

A BRIEF CHEMISTRY LESSON

Every living thing must have something that gives it energy.

In humans, our power comes from the mitochondria, which exists in every cell in the body. Mitochondria are the cell’s power plant, so to speak.

Mitochondria produce adenosine triphosphate, our source of energy. ATP’s primary purpose is to transport chemical energy within cells for metabolism. Simply put, ATP converts energy from food to energy that our cells can use to allow them to function properly.

WHAT’S STRESS GOT TO DO WITH IT?.

So what’s the solution when you’re tired and stressed but no amount of sleep or caffeine can restore your energy levels?

ENTER ADAPTOGENS

In the 1990s, a group of scientists named Hildebert Wagner, George Wikman and Alexander Panossian, performed multiple studies on adaptogens and proposed the following definition: adaptogens are natural bioregulators that increase the ability to adapt environmental factors and avoid the damage caused by those factors.

Stress also causes a decline in ATP, and studies show that adaptogens induce the synthesis of ATP and help to “minimize the bodily response to stress, reduce negative reactions during the alarm phase and eliminate, or at least decrease, the onset of the exhaustion phase that is part of the so-called general adaptation syndrome,” according to a research paper published in the Journal of Chinese Medicine.

The paper then goes on to state that, “In 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defined adaptogens as a new kind of metabolic regulator that has been proven to help in environmental adaptation and to prevent external harms.”

Yance, an American herbal doctor, held a view that adaptogens can improve our ability to recognize, respond, recover, and restore or regenerate.

In fact, “Adaptogens can reduce stress-induced impairments and improve stress-related disorders,” according to an article published in the American Botanical Council’s publication Herbalgram.

RHODIOLA ROSEA: ADAPTOGEN FOR ENERGY

One such plant in the adaptogenic class is called Rhodiola.

“Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb that grows at high altitudes in arctic areas of northern America, Europe and Asia. Also known as “golden root,” it’s commonly used in alternative medicine to decrease stress response and anxiety,” according to Healthline.

HOW RHODIOLA HELPS RESTORE ENERGY LEVELS

“Stress can be a serious energy killer, making you feel lethargic and tired. Rhodiola contains a compound known as rosavin that works with the body to decrease the stress hormone cortisol,” explains holistic nutritionist Lorraine Kearney in an article for PureWow written by Alexia Dellner.

RHODIOLA AND ATP

“Rhodiola works with the body by decreasing the stress response and increasing the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)—the body’s main source of energy. When more ATP is produced, then the body can work out for longer,” Kearney tells us.

CORDYCEPS: MUSHROOMS THAT AREN’T MUSHROOMS

These are not the type of mushrooms that you put on your pizza. These are called adaptogenic mushrooms and include Reishi, Chaga, Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps.

Cordyceps is an “adaptogenic mushroom that works to support the adrenal glands and helps your body produce and maintain consistent energy levels by increasing the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which increases cellular oxygen absorption. Overall, it improves the flow of oxygen throughout the body, especially during exercise. Cordyceps have been used in Eastern medicine to reduce fatigue,” writes Elaine for Basq magazine.

Overall, adaptogens have been well studied it appears, and are now enjoying a comeback in the arena of health and wellness.

If you’re looking to boost energy levels without that caffeine crash, you may want to give adaptogens a look!