Question: I
work full time as a teacher, parent twin toddlers and my elderly father has
just moved in with us. I drink a lot of coffee but I feel tired all the
time. I am concerned that I might be more susceptible to getting sick. Do
you have any herbs that can give me more energy and keep me healthy?
It is understandable you
feel tired with all the stress and demands of your life because you are tired. Prolonged stress can take a toll on our
health. We were made to handle extreme stress just long enough to escape from a
saber tooth tiger but not chronic, ongoing stress lasting years. Coffee only
ramps up our nervous system which depletes our energy even further. And when
our energy reserves get spent, we seem more susceptible to illness.
There is a category of
herbs called “adaptogens” which may be helpful. Usually we think, to get more
energy we need to stimulate our bodies with caffeine or herbs like Ephedra.
This just isn’t so. Adaptogens actually minimize the sympathetic stress
response in our bodies. This is the innate, uncontrollable, physical response
we have to stress. An example is that blood rushes to our vital organs and away
from our extremities when we suffer a fright. Everyone does stress differently.
Some people eat more, some less. Some want to sleep all the time, and others
can’t hold still. Whatever your personal response is to stress, adaptogens can
be useful to diminish it, and that is what allows us to feel like we have
better energy.
Some of the most
frequently used adaptogens are the ginsengs (Panax spp.). There are
several species and to confuse matters, some are cured which changes how they affect
our bodies. To simplify things let’s just consider Chinese (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium). There are many types of preparations available
but the most important thing (as always with herbs) is good quality. Because
ginseng is one of the most expensive herbs on the market, it is also,
unfortunately, one of the most adulterated. The reason it is so expensive is
that it takes years to grow the useful root, and it is in high demand.
There is fascinating
history about this plant. One tidbit is that only men were allowed to use it in
China where it has been revered for thousands of years. Also, early European
settlers in America had a thriving trade in American ginseng which they
harvested from the hardwood forests and shipped to China. It apparently helped
with the libido among other things.
Years ago when I was on
a layover in the T‘aipei airport I saw beautiful, red velvet lined boxes
holding single, large, anthropomorphic, ginseng roots that owners displayed in
their homes or gave as gifts. The price on some was $500! The more humanoid
features the root has, the more desirable it is especially if there is a
resemblance of genitalia.
I cannot tell whether
you are a man or woman, but another adaptogen I like for men and especially
women is Eleutherococcus, formerly known as Siberian ginseng. I think
the name got changed so the two plants would not get confused in the market
place. This is a root from Russia that acts similarly to the other ginsengs by supporting proper function of the adrenal
glands that can be adversely affected by long term stress. Siberian ginseng is
being overharvested, but it is still very affordable.
One of the beauties of
ginseng is that by preventing your body from running itself into the ground, it
allows you to stay healthier. James Green explains in his wonderful book, The Male Herbal, “This adaptogen action appears to work through
hormonal regulation of the stress response which in turn has a modulating
effect on human immunity.”
When you use ginseng,
you may find your outlook on life is brighter, and you feel you have more
energy for daily living. Be warned though, this sense of well-being may help
shift you into new directions in your life or give you the ease to look
squarely at something that you have wanted to avoid.
