Adaptogens are a class of herbs that help the body manage adrenal hormones correctly. While licorice feeds the actual adrenal glands, these herbs act not on the gland but on the receptor sites for the hormones. If we were talking about baseball, the glands would be the pitcher, the hormones the baseball, and the catcher is the receptor site.
When we’ve been overstressed for too long, our receptor sites go away. It’s part of the checks and balance system, a way to have two ons and two offs. Let the pitcher keep pitching, but take the catcher out of the equation – ball never lands.
Ginseng helps adrenals
So then our adrenals run out of balls to throw, we’re not catching half the ones that are thrown, presto, adrenal exhaustion results.
This is why all chemical highs eventually build up tolerance and crash.
When the adrenals are in over-production mode and we’re still catching, our symptoms are:
fatigue
sugar cravings
allergies
multiple chemical sensitivity
palpitations
aches and pains
arthritis
irritabilitiy
intolerance to cold
decreased concentration.
When the adrenals have been totally drained, we then get:
fatigue
weight gain around waist
insomnia
elevated triglycerides
anxiety
stress
reduced libido
hair loss
increased facial/body hair (women)
acne
memory lapses
Wonky adrenals severely impairs our ability to utilize minerals and certain B vitamins, making remineralization and skin food crucial.
To manage the body’s receptivity to hormones, you can take a supplement of adaptogenic herbs. The most famous adaptogenic herb is ginseng. Here is a list:
Ginseng (Asian and Siberian)
Licorice
Rehmannia
Schizandra
Codonopsis
Atractylodes
Astragalus
Gotu Kola
Aswagandha
Reishi