What Makes Eleuthero So Special?

Eleuthero, which is also known as Siberian ginseng, is listed in the ancient Chinese herbal text, “The Divine Husbandman’s Classic of Materia Medica” written over 2,000 years ago. (1)

And in the 16th century, Li Shih-Chen, a Chinese pharmacologist and physician wrote a 52-volume manuscript detailing the treatments used in traditional Chinese medicine. He covered over 10,000 substances, but there was one herb in particular that stood out to him. When it came to the herb eleuthero, he saw no comparison. He wrote, “I would rather take a handful of eleuthero than a cartload of gold and jewels.”

It has been called the king of adaptogens, because of its almost endless list of benefits endless. (2)

The scoop on Eleuthero.

Eleuthero has been gaining fans in the West since the 1950s when a Russian scientist found that it appeared to have great power as a stress reducer. 

 

Russian physician and scientist Dr. Israel Brekhman and his mentor Prof. Nicolai Lazarv, were charged by Soviet leaders to find substances that could improve workers productivity and provide a competitive advantage to Soviet athletes in international competitions. Their research led them to these amazing herbs that they named “Adaptogens.” How did they come up with that name? The reason for naming these herbs “Adaptogens” resulted from their effectiveness in helping the human body to “adapt” or to “adjust” to strains and changes of daily living. (3) 

 

Eleuthero has been used for centuries....

in Eastern countries, including China and Russia. Prized for its ability to restore vigor, increase longevity, enhance overall health, and stimulate both a healthy appetite and a good memory, it is widely used in some countries to help the body adapt to stressful conditions and to enhance productivity.  

Eleuthero is the common name of Eleutherococcus senticosus.

which is a thorny flowering shrub that can be found at the foot of cliffs. The root and the rhizomes (underground stem) of this small woody shrub are used medicinally. It is native to Japan, China, Korea, and the Far East of Russia. Eleuthero belongs to the Araliaceae family. The word "Eleutherococcus," from Greek, means "free-berried," and senticosus is from a Latin word meaning thorny. Other names for Eleuthero or Siberian ginseng, fittingly, are devil’s shrub, devil’s bush, and touch-me-not.

Even though it’s known as Siberian Ginseng, it’s not related to Korean or American ginseng in any way. It contains components called eleutherosides that are thought to increase stamina and to stimulate the immune system. Eleuthero is considered to be a tonic, relaxant, anti-inflammatory, detoxificant, analgesic and sedating.

Adaptogen is a non-medical term used to describe substances that can supposedly reduce the effects of mental and physical stress and can help the user in a general, non-specific way. Adaptogens do affects the adrenal glands in a positive way. These glands are found directly above the kidneys and are very important to good health. The body uses them to regulate metabolic functions, aid the immune system, regulate energy levels, and produce stress-fighting hormones.

Here's just a few of the health benefits that Eleuthero is thought to help provide:

•    Enhance mental concentration
•    Enhance memory and learning ability
•    Prevent inflammation
•    Reduce stress and fatigue
•    Enhance athletic performance
•    Increase male and female fertility
•    Boost immunity
•    Help the body deal with physically and mentally stressful exposures, such as heat, cold, physical exhaustion, viruses, bacteria, chemicals, extreme working conditions, noise, and pollution.

Whether you call it Eleuthero or Siberian ginseng, it's an ancient plant with modern uses.

If you'd like to check out some products that contain Eleuthero, please visit these links:

Drena-Plus by Dynamic Nutritional Associates (DNA Labs)
Energi by Professional Botanicals
Relaxall by Professional Botanicals
Sinus by Professional Botanicals

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