In Russia, herb extract of Eleutherococcus, also known as
eleuthero or Siberian Ginseng, was approved for human use
as early as 1962 and many subsequent scientific studies
have examined its effects upon thousands of people.
Siberian ginseng is consequently known to be a powerful
adaptogen, a term believed to have been first used in
Russia in the late 1940s which describes substances found
to help optimise physical and mental performance, and to
normalise the body's functioning in response to all kinds
of stress.
Research has shown that Siberian Ginseng may produce
significant improvements in individuals' adaptogenic
response to such stresses as heat, cold, excessive noise
and vibration, physical exhaustion, viruses and bacteria,
chemicals and pollution. In fact, the positive effects
identified have been so many that it almost seems as though
eleuthero may enhance the human organism's ability to cope
with the stresses of 21sr century life itself. And the
power of its tonic and stimulant effects quickly made it a
favourite with millions of ordinary Russians.
But the power of this remarkable plant (an unprepossessing
spiny shrub growing to a maximum of nine feet tall) has
been known in China for at least 2,000 years and it is
still widely used there as a general tonic and stimulant in
keeping with Chinese medicine's focus on prevention rather
than cure, and for promoting improved vigour and general
health and increasing resistance to disease and longevity.
More specifically, eleuthero is also a traditional Chinese
folk remedy for heart and circulatory problems, bronchitis,
rheumatism, male infertility and a host of other common
ailments. And more recent Russian studies have also
highlighted Siberian Ginseng's potential role in tackling
diabetes, blood pressure problems and even cancer.
It's important, of course, to stress that eleuthero is not
claimed as a cure for these conditions, but rather that the
tonic and stimulant properties of the adaptogen give a
major boost to the entire system, helping the body's
natural healing processes restore it to health and vitality.
But your doctor, in line with orthodox medical opinion in
the West, may well still nevertheless insist that you don't
need Siberian Ginseng, or indeed any of the other herbal
adaptogens such as Black Cohosh and Dong Quai which are now
becoming readily available.
And if you get a regular eight hours of quality sleep a
night; always eat a well balanced nutritious diet, consume
alcohol only in strict moderation and tobacco not at all;
have a mutually satisfying intimate relationship with a
loving partner and enjoy freedom from work and financial
pressure but nevertheless take plenty of relaxing breaks
and vacations, your doctor may just be right.
And if this sounds like your life then I must congratulate
you, because it's clear that you already have it organised
for optimal mental and physical performance, giving your
mind and body the best possible chance of resisting the
stresses that are systematically breaking down the health
of so many millions in the affluent Western world.
But if you're like most of us your life is a long way from
this ideal. Likely you find that our culture's obsession
with work and the gadgets that keep us always in touch with
the office, not to mention the demands of family life and
the ready availability of 24/7 electronic entertainment,
all militate against your getting anywhere close to enough
sleep. Likewise, you eat on the run; a snatched breakfast
or none at all followed by lunch on a sandwich at your
desk; and in the evening "enjoy" a highly processed,
nutrition-stripped ready "meal" for dinner. Still, you can
always disguise the taste with the drink or two that by now
you really need to help you relax.
Now, you're not exactly ill, or not yet anyway. There may
not be any specific physical symptoms you can point to. But
at best you're conscious of a vague feeling that you lack
the energy to get all that you could and should out of
life. At worst you feel like you're clinging to a sheer
cliff face, maybe even sliding towards depression.
Not that doctors aren't sympathetic; why wouldn't they be
when they're often in this condition too? But the problem
they have is that their training simply doesn't equip them
to tackle this kind of general lifestyle problem. In fact
the more traditionally minded amongst them might even argue
that it is no part of their business to do so.
You see, conventional western medicine is very effective at
producing specific treatments for the specific illnesses
with which it's commonly confronted. But it's not nearly
so good at preventing you from becoming ill in the first
place, or at optimising every aspect of your physical and
mental performance.
That's where Siberian Ginseng and other adaptogens can be
of tremendous value, as the many elite athletes, military
personnel, deep sea divers, cosmonauts and others making
extreme demands on their bodies who have used it for
enhanced performance can attest.
----------------------------------------------------
Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in
direct marketing and with a particular interest in health
products.
Find out more at
http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/In
formation.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment