by Roberto Pino
PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology University of Florence
Adaptogen comes from the Latin “adaptare” and the Greek word “genes” which means “born of” .
The Russian pharmacologist Nicolai Lazarev, in 1947 defined as adaptogen “a pharmacological substance capable of inducing a state of increased non-specific resistance, which counteracts the signals of stress and adapts to an exceptional effort”.
In the 1960s Israel Brekhman developed the studies of N. Lazarev, describing the characteristics of an adaptogen (Brekhman & Dardimov, 1968):
1.
They must reduce the damage induced by noxious stimuli, thus presenting protective effects against stressful agents, increase physical and mental resistance , stimulate defenses, have antidepressant and restorative activities for the organism.
2.
They must show stimulating effects , both after single and multiple administration, with a consequent increase in working capacity and cognitive performance in case of stress and mental fatigue.
3.
The stimulating effect of adaptogens is different from those of classic stimulants (e.g. caffeine) and conventional CNS anabolics which after the initial increase in energy useful for a certain action, for example work or cognitive, follows a period of marked reduction. of the body’s energy and plastic resources giving rise to secondary or collateral effects following the discontinuation of the drug.
4.
They must be harmless and must promote normal body functions (normalizing effect).
This definition of adaptogens was based on empirical knowledge of medicinal plants used for centuries in traditional medicine, together with the assumption that some plants might meet these criteria. For example, in traditional Chinese medicine we speak of “superior tonics” , which regulate the various functions of the body and increase internal energy (Qi), promoting general health.
However, further studies conducted with numerous plant preparations have shown that only a few plants actually meet the postulated requirements for adaptogens.
Only the plant kingdom offers us this gift! Recent clinical studies confirm the classification of adaptogens as preparations based on plant extracts that can increase resistance to stress, improve mental performance , attention and the ability to concentrate during temporary or chronic psychophysical fatigue .
The mechanism of action leads us to think that adaptogens make us less sensitive to stressors by acting as a low molecular weight “vaccine” by inducing a slight activation of the body’s alert system in order to prepare it to face more severe stress situations. .
In this sense, adaptogens act stimulating the body to cope with stress factors being themselves “mild stress factors” (stress-mimetic), triggering adaptive and anti-stress effects in the organism mainly associated withhypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) which modulates the functioning of the nervous, cardiovascular, immune, gastrointestinal and endocrine systems in situations of anxiety and stress (Panosian A. & Wikman G., 2009; Borgonetti V, et al., 2020).
The negative or stressful situations that are part of daily life, albeit with different importance, depending on the individual situations of each of us, represent conditions that influence the state and functionality of our organism.
The conditions that generate anxiety and discomfort in us specifically cause an increase in the production, in our body, of substances called biochemical mediators (catecholamines, cortisol, cytokines, etc.). These molecules are normally produced in so-called basal levels and undergo a variation to make our body face situations that alarm it. Once the cause of danger or alert has ceased, they return to physiological equilibrium levels. However, there are particular conditions in which these mediators persist in high quantities in the body, leading to secondary or collateral effects: they are all chronic ailments that impact physical and mental health, that is, stress and chronic diseases, states of convalescence after an illness or after surgery, chemotherapy but also cognitive performance and physical resistance to efforts.
The different problems to be faced guide us in choosing the most suitable plants :
References
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