Managing Stress

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.