Let’s face it: life in Hong Kong for most people is stressful. The fast pace of living, working and playing can take its toll. Living far from the everyday support of family and friends; significant travel demands and work pressures all contribute to our sense of stress.
Air pollution adds a physical layer too causing free radical damage to our bodies; noise pollution causes sleep disturbances affecting our cardiovascular health and driving up blood pressure. It’s no wonder we’re stressed.
The good news is: herbs can help support a healthy stress response, soothing our nervous system and helping heal our body and mind.
There are thousands of herbs from a wide range of ancient traditions that have supported healing for centuries and are commonly used in western naturopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic medicine from India; and homeopathy.
But, there’s a certain special group of medicinal herbs called adaptogens. These botanicals increase our ability to adapt to, and ease stress from tough environmental or workload related situations1.
So, which adaptogens should you focus on if you want to reduce your stress levels?
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Ashwagandha is used in Ayurvedic medicine and western naturopathy. Some call Ashwaganda the ‘Indian Ginseng’ as it has tonic properties.
One of the most common standardised forms is called Sensoril – and it’s been widely studied for its benefits to mental health and sleep.
Research shows that those with chronic stress saw a reduction in fatigue, anxiety and or depression by 72% within 2 months of taking Sensoril. A study also showed that 70% of the participants experienced better sleep – which is essential for improving mental wellbeing, energy and concentration.
The researchers concluded “Ashwagandha root extract safely and effectively improves an individual’s resistance towards stress and thereby improves self-assessed quality of life.”
Ashwagandha also supports better memory and concentration.
Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus or “Eleuthero” for short)
Russian experiments show that Siberian ginseng can protect against many physical stressors including heat, cold, blood loss and illness.
One study shows that taking a Siberian Ginseng supplement for eight weeks enhances endurance capacity, elevates cardiovascular function and supports metabolic health.2
Taking Siberian ginseng has also been found to boost endurance for people working across a wide range of professions from pilots to proof-readers. The proof-readers demonstrated the ability to work more quickly and make fewer mistakes.
Rhodiola
Rhodiola rosea is commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and also in Scandinavia and Russia where it is used to relieve the effects of living in cold, harsh weather.
In a human study of 128 patients aged 17-55, Rhodiola alleviated fatigue, irritability, distractibility and weakness in 64 percent of the cases.
In a study of students, physicians and scientists, Rhodiola was given for 2-3 weeks several days before intense intellectual work like final exams. The extract improved the amount and quality of work and prevented decreased performance due to fatigue.
Another study showed that medical students who took a Rhodiola extract for 20 days had significant reduction in mental fatigue and improvement in general well-being, final exam grades and physical fitness.5
Rhodiola helps the body adapt to stress by regulating levels of mood related neurotransmitters found in the brain, supporting the nervous system. It appears Rhodiola inhibits the breakdown of neurotransmitters, while facilitating neurotransmitter transportation within the brain.
Holy basil
Also known as tulsi, research shows that holy basil is able to relieve stress and low mood – at a comparable rate to anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications.
It helps protect people from multiple origins of stress – including chemical, physical and emotional.
One study demonstrated that holy basil helped people feel more sociable.⁷
Animal studies showed that holy basil may be protective against noise pollution, as it helped lower stress in loud places.
As well as boosting mood health, tulsi also helps boost cognitive health, improving mental agility, memory and attention.⁸
Schisandra
Research shows that schisandra protects against stress-inducing environments from extreme heat and cold, to swimming under load and heavy metal exposure. It’s able to increase physical and mental function, increasing endurance in all aspects. ⁹
Magnolia
Magnolia is considered by some to be an adaptogen, but technically, it’s more of a nervine. Nervines are similar to adaptogens, but rather than adapting your body’s response to stress, they nurture your nervous system in order to achieve a state of relaxation.
Magnolia helps defend against oxidative stress, a contributing factor for mental health conditions. Studies have shown it’s effective in relieving stress and improving your mood.
This botanical is also supportive for better sleep, helping reduce the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, as well as increasing the quality of deep sleep (REM). This is thanks to magnolia’s ability to boost superhero for relaxation, GABA.
Lavender
You likely already know about lavender’s soothing powers. Able to relieve stress and low mood, lavender is more than just a regular essential oil – it’s also considered to be a nervine.
A study concluded that lavender plays ‘an important role for the serotonergic system,’ reducing anxiety.5 Lavender also stimulates the GABA pathway, a calming neurotransmitter that supports better relaxation and sleep.
In Summary
Adaptogens can help support a healthy stress response and better sleep: two key pillars for better mental health.
You can find herbal formulas featuring our top adaptogens in our online shop. Our practitioners recommend Sereni-Pro, a potent formula which we have found helps nearly everybody sleep better at night, feel more relaxed with more energy and ability to concentrate during the day.
For herbal recommendations specific to your needs, you can ask our Integral Health Advisor for a free 15 minute consultation, or meet with one of our naturopaths.
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In summary
Adaptogens can help support a healthy stress response and better sleep: two key pillars for better mental health.
You can find herbal formulas featuring our top adaptogens in our online shop. Our practitioners recommend Sereni-Pro, a potent formula featuring four of our favourite adaptogens. In clinic, we have found Sereni-Pro helps nearly everybody sleep better at night, feel more relaxed with more energy and ability to concentrate during the day.
For herbal recommendations specific to your needs, you can ask our Integral Health Advisor for a free 15 minute consultation, or meet with one of our naturopaths.
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1 Panossian, A.; Wikman, G.; Wagner, H, Plant adaptogens. III. Earlier and more recent aspects and concepts on their mode of action, 1999.
2 Kuo J, Chen KW, Cheng IS, et al. The effect of eight weeks of supplementation with Eleutherococcus senticosus on endurance capacity and metabolism in human. Chin J Physiol, 2010
3 Glatthaar-Saalmuller B, Sacher F, Esperester A. Antiviral activity of an extract derived from roots of Eleutherococcus senticosus. Antiviral Res, 2001.
4 Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of Ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Ind Jnl Psych Med, 2012.
5 Darbinyan V1, Kteyan A, Panossian A, Gabrielian E, Wikman G, Wagner H. Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue–a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty. Phytomedicine, 2000.
6 Chioca LR, et al., Anxiolytic-like effect of lavender essential oil inhalation in mice, J Ethnopharmacol, 2013.
7 D Bhattacharyya et al, A clinical study on the management of generalised anxiety disorder with Vaca (Acorus calamus), 2011.
8 Negar J, Marc M C, The Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Tulsi in Humans: A Systematic Review of the Literature, 2017
9 Alexander G P, Wikman G, Pharmacology of Schisandra chinensis Bail, 2008
壓力緩解的草藥：適應原的力量
對於大多數人來說，香港的生活壓力很大。繁忙的生活節奏，再加上工作和娛樂，都會對我們的身心造成影響。
空氣污染也對我們的身體造成了物理層面的傷害；噪音污染導致睡眠紊亂，影響我們的心血管健康並增加血壓。難怪我們感到壓力重重。
好消息是：草藥可以支持我們應對壓力反應，舒緩神經系統，幫助身心健康。
草藥來自不同的古老傳統，以下是常用於西方自然療法、中醫、印度的阿育吠陀醫學和順勢療法的天然草藥。
但是，有一種特殊的藥用草藥組合被稱為適應原。這些植物能增強我們應對惡劣環境或工作負荷相關壓力的能力。
適應原草藥包括：
印度人參（Withania somnifera）
印度人參被用於阿育吠陀醫學和西方自然療法。有“印度人蔘”之稱，因為它具有補品的特性。
它已被廣泛研究其對心理健康和睡眠的益處。研究顯示，慢性壓力患者在服用2個月後，疲勞、焦慮和/或抑鬱症狀減少了72%。研究還表明，70％的參與者睡眠更好，這對於改善精神健康、提高能量和專注力至關重要。
研究人員得出結論：“印度人參根提取物能夠安全有效地提高個人對抗壓力的能力，從而提高自我評估的生活質量。”
印度人參還有助於改善記憶力和專注力。
西伯利亞人參（Eleutherococcus或簡稱為“Eleuthero”）
俄羅斯的實驗表明，西伯利亞人參可以對抗許多身體壓力，包括高溫、低溫、失血和疾病。
一項研究顯示，連續八週服用西伯利亞人參補充劑可以提高耐力能力，提升心血管功能並維護新陳代謝健康。
服用西伯利亞人參還被發現可以增強各行各業的人的耐力，從飛行員到校對人員。校對人員表現出更快的工作速度和更少的錯誤。
紅景天
紅景天常用於中醫，也用於緩解寒冷、惡劣天氣帶來的影響。
在一項對128名年齡介於17至55歲的患者的研究中，紅景天在64％的病例中能緩解疲勞、煩躁、分神和虛弱等症狀。
在一項對學生、醫生和科學家的研究中，服用紅景天對繁重的智力工作（如期末考試）能改善工作量和質量，並防止由於疲勞而導致的表現下降。
另一項研究顯示，服用紅景天提取物20天的醫學生在精神疲勞方面有顯著減輕，並且在整體福祉、期末考試成績和身體健康方面都有所改善。
紅景天通過調節大腦中與情緒相關的神經傳遞物質的水平，支持神經系統，幫助身體適應壓力。有效抑制神經傳遞物質的分解，同時促進神經傳遞物質在大腦內的傳輸。
神聖羅勒
也被稱為印度九層塔，研究顯示神聖羅勒能夠緩解壓力和情緒問題。
它能夠保護人們免受多種壓力來源的影響，包括化學、物理和情感壓力。
動物研究顯示，神聖羅勒可能對抗噪音污染，因為它有助於降低嘈雜環境中的壓力。
除了提升情緒健康外，印度九層塔還有助於提升認知健康，改善心智敏捷性、記憶力和注意力。
五味子
研究顯示，五味子能夠增加身體抵抗力、抗壓性、活力與耐力。
木蘭
木蘭可以滋養您的神經系統，以達到放鬆的狀態，具身心平衡之效。
木蘭有助於抵抗氧化應激，氧化應激是導致心理健康狀況的一個因素。 研究表明它可以有效緩解壓力和改善情緒。
這種植物還有助於改善睡眠，幫助減少入睡時間，並提高深度睡眠的品質。
薰衣草
薰衣草能夠緩解壓力和情緒低落，它不僅是一種普通精油，還具有鎮靜作用。
一項研究得出結論，薰衣草“對血清素系統發揮重要作用”，可減少焦慮。薰衣草還可以刺激 GABA，這是一種鎮靜神經遞質，有助於更好地放鬆和睡眠。
總括而言：
適應原可以幫助支持健康的壓力反應和更好的睡眠：是改善心理健康的兩個關鍵支柱。
您可以在IMI網店找到最優質的適應原草藥配方： Sereni-Pro，這是一種有效的配方助您晚上睡得更好，感覺更放鬆；白天感到精力充沛，注意力更集中。
IMI亦可以針對您的健康需求而提供個人化的的草藥建議，您可以選擇與IMI整體健康顧問進行15分鐘的免費諮詢，或與我們的自然療法醫師面診。
