David Winston - Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief

I dedicate this book to my wife, Donna, who has made my life better in every way, and to our wonderful family and grandchildren, Elke and River.

DAVID

Adaptogens

There has never been a time when more people at once have suffered from anxiety, sleep disorders, stress, and immune system dysfunction. Conventional medicine provides us only with tools that suppress at best, harm at worst. Yet there is another way, one that is both ancient and modern, a class of herbs called adaptogens. And who better to enlighten us on the history, benefits, and use of these herbs, trusted across cultures, than an herbalists herbalist, universally trusted for his knowledge of both botanical medicine history and use. In this book, David Winston provides us with a tool for resilience that we need now more than ever and that is readily accessible to all who want to welcome medicinal plants into their healing path.

AVIVA ROMM, MD, HERBALIST, AUTHOR OF BOTANICAL MEDICINE FOR WOMENS HEALTH AND THE ADRENAL THYROID REVOLUTION

Here is an herbal gem! Few people know and understand the properties and actions of herbs as well as David Winston. His expertise lies not only in how herbs were used historically but in the latest scientific research as well. Melding information from many traditions, David paints a complete picture of their use and effectiveness. This updated and expanded Adaptogens is a welcome addition for anyone looking to improve their health. This book will expand your understanding of adaptogen herbs, their history, and their relevance in todays chronic-stress society.

PHYLLIS D. LIGHT, MA, RH(AHG)

Endorsements for Previous Edition

Adaptogens are destined to play an increasingly important role in the future of health care. This book provides an excellent introduction to and comprehensive overview of their traditional uses and of the science supporting their safety and therapeutic benefits.

MARK BLUMENTHAL, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN BOTANICAL COUNCIL

Adaptogenic herbs can be most useful in the quest for health in our stressful society. David Winston and Steven Maimes explain and champion the use and benefits of these important herbs.

JAMES A. DUKE, PHD, AUTHOR OF THE GREEN PHARMACY

This is a much-needed book, an important update to the materia medica of North America, and constitutes important continuing education on a wide variety of new herbs entering into the North American herbal marketplace.

PAUL BERGNER, MEDICAL HERBALISM, WINTER 2007

Its about time a book took on the subject of immune herbs, and this one does an excellent job of explaining why they are so effective at combating stress-induced illness. The text is very easy to read and under stand but still contains the latest scientific research, all well referenced.

AMERICAN HERB ASSOCIATION, VOL. 23:1, APRIL 2008

Brilliant! Fully researched, full of information not readily available, and practical and easy to digest. The authors have managed to blend the traditional and recent scientific information into a fully comprehensive and informative text. This will become a classic, a definitive work on this most important group of medicinal plants.

ROSEMARY GLADSTAR, FOUNDER OF UNITED PLANT SAVERS AND AUTHOR OF HERBAL HEALING FOR WOMEN

Essential reading for all involved with adaptogens, whether practitioners or consumers. This is the first comprehensive guide to adaptogens based on good herbalism, good science, and NO hype! A truly excellent book.

DAVID HOFFMANN, FNIMH, AHG, AUTHOR OF MEDICAL HERBALISM AND HERBS FOR HEALTHY AGING

With Adaptogens, David Winston and Steven Maimes have finally made this important healing concept accessible to a wider audience. We need adaptogensgentle remedies that, over time, have the powerful effect of restoring and protecting our health on many levels. David Winstons vast clinical and practical knowledge of herbs adds tremendously to the value of the book.

CHRISTOPHER HOBBS, AUTHOR OF HANDMADE MEDICINES AND NATURAL THERAPY FOR YOUR LIVER

There is so much valuable information packed into this volume that I am grateful to have my own copy and will keep it close by as a very handy reference

MARJORIE TIETJEN, PRICE-POTTENGER JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND HEALING, VOLUME 34 / NUMBER 2, SEPTEMBER 2010

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the coauthor of the first edition of this book, Steven Maimes, for lighting the spark to initially write this book and my administrator, Eileen Frost, whose tireless help, dedication, and hard work makes much of my work possible (Eileen also continues to decipher my scribbles and make them legible to the wider world).

I would also like to thank my friends and colleagues in the herbal, naturopathic, and veterinary communities who contributed to this book with either case histories or photographs, including Kathy Abascal, JD, RH(AHG); Sandeep Agarwal; Phylis Austin; Mary Bove, ND; Thomas Brendler, PhD; Chanchal Cabrera, MS, RH(AHG); Bill Chioffi; Bevin Clare, MS, RH(AHG); Thomas Avery Garran, MTOM, LAc; the late Christopher Hedley, FNIMH, RH(AHG); Christopher Hobbs, PhD, RH(AHG); Robyn Klein, MS, DSc; Cynthia Lankenau, DVM; Nick Larkins, DVM; Helen Lowe Metzman, MS; the late Bill Mitchell, ND; Will Morris, PhD, DOAM; Danny ORawe, ND; Sebastian Pole, Lic OHM, Ayur HC; Kendra Pope, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), TCVMP; Stacey Small; Kevin Spellman, PhD; Jillian Stansbury, ND; Alan Tillotson, PhD, RH(AHG); Kirill Tkachenko; Roy Upton, RH(AHG); and Martin Wall.

Finally, I want to thank all of my teachers, the herbalists, traditional healers, physicians, and health care practitioners who have shared their knowledge with me over the past fifty years and my many patients and students who have taught me as much, if not more, than I taught them.

DAVID

Introduction

We all deal with stress every day, and our bodies strive to adapt and keep balanced and healthy. There is a category of herbs called adaptogens that help the human body adapt to stress, support normal metabolic processes, and restore balance. They increase the bodys resistance to physical, biological, emotional, and environmental stressors and promote normal physiologic function.

This book is about these herbs. In the past some of these herbs have been called rejuvenating herbs, qi tonics, rasayanas, or restorative tonics. Modern research has proven that many of these herbs are important medicines that can be used for the prevention and treatment of a variety of common ailments.

One might say these adaptogenic herbs sound too good to be true. The wide range of health benefits they offer covers almost every area of the body. Yet, if we study medical history, we see that these herbs have been used for thousands of years for a very good reason. The physicians and herbalists of the past knew these herbs well and used them often to effectively treat disease. Now it is up to us to renew and expand upon that knowledge and help these herbs regain their appropriate place in modern health care.

This book focuses on the adaptogens, important healing herbs that have a long tradition of use and benefits. It also includes information on several categories of herbs that work in a complementary manner with adaptogensnervines (nerve tonics), restorative tonics, and nootropics (cerebral stimulants).