About the Book
Every day our bodies strive to adapt and stay balanced, energized, and healthy, yet chronic stress and the resulting elevation of stress hormones such as cortisol have been shown to be major factors behind not only fatigue and weight gain but also many chronic and degenerative diseases. In this updated edition of the definitive guide to adaptogenic herbs, clinical herbalist David Winston and researcher Steven Maimes provide a comprehensive look at adaptogens: non-toxic herbs such as ginseng, eleuthero, and ashwagandha that help the body “adapt” to the many influences it encounters and manage the stresses it experiences. They also increase stamina and energy, boost cognitive function, restore the immune system, and counter the effects of aging, especially when used in appropriate combinations.
Beginning with a history of the use of adaptogens, including in Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, and Russian medicine, the book examines how these herbal remedies work and why they are so effective at combating stress-induced illness and ailments. The extensive Materia Medica includes monographs on 25 adaptogens, including eleuthero, ginseng, rhodiola, schisandra, ashwagandha, shatavari, reishi, and holy basil, as well as complementary nervines, restorative tonics, and nootropic herbs, such as milky oats, astragalus, St. John’s wort, and ginkgo. Each monograph presents the latest scientific research and details the origin, traditional and clinical uses, actions, properties, preparation, and dosage for each herb. The book also includes guidance on adaptogenic remedies for our animal companions.
Aimed not only at herbalists but also those interested in natural health, this guide to adaptogens will allow you to safely and effectively use these herbal remedies to enhance your health and improve your chances of living a longer, healthier, and well-balanced life.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part One: Herbal Adaptogens
1 Herbal Medicine around the World
2 Adaptogens: An Overview
3 History of Adaptogens
4 Actions of Adaptogens
5 Adaptogens and the Stress Response
6 Health Benefits of Adaptogens
Part Two: Materia Medica
7 Monographs on Adaptogens
Well-Researched Adaptogens
American Ginseng • Ashwagandha • Asian Ginseng • Cordyceps • Eleuthero • Rhaponticum • Rhodiola • Schisandra • Shilajit
Probable Adaptogens
Cistanche • Cynomorium • Holy Basil • Morinda • Shatavari
Possible Adaptogens
Codonopsis • Guduchi • Horny Goat Weed • Jiaogulan • Licorice • Maca • Manchurian Aralia • Prince Seng • Reishi • Russian Devil’s Club • White Bryony
8 Nervines: Complementary Herbs for Adaptogens
Betony • Blue Vervain • Chamomile • Fresh Milky Oat • Hawthorn • Lemon Balm • Linden • Mimosa • Motherwort • Passionflower • Skullcap • St. John’s Wort
9 Nootropics: Complementary Herbs for Adaptogens
Bacopa • Bhringraj • Chinese Polygala • Ginkgo • Gotu Kola • Lavender • Rosemary • Shankhpushpi • White Peony
10 Restorative Tonics: Complementary Herbs for Adaptogens
Amla • Astragalus • Bee Pollen • Chyawanprash • Goji Berry • Nettle Seed • Processed Rehmannia • Saw Palmetto • Suma
Part Three: Herbal Adaptogens in Use
11 Clinical Use of Adaptogens
12 Adaptogenic Herbs in Combination
13 Adaptogens and Restorative Tonics as Food
14 Adaptogens for Animals Resources
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
About the Author :
David Winston, RH(AHG), is a clinical herbalist and ethnobotanist with 50 years of training in Chinese, Western/Eclectic, and Southeastern herbal traditions. He is a founding member of the American Herbalists Guild, the founder/director of the Herbal Therapeutics Research Library, and the dean of David Winston’s Center for Herbal Studies. He lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Steven Maimes has studied natural medicine for over 30 years. A researcher, freelance writer, and principal of SALAM Research, he lives in Rochester, New Hampshire.
Review :
“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 herbalist’s 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.”
“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 today’s chronic-stress society.”
“Authoritative, indispensable Herbalism at its best. A welcome second edition that confirms the place of this exceptional book on every herbalist’s bookshelf.”
“David’s new edition of Adaptogens offers so much more than most of the herbal books available today. His wisdom, insights and experience shine through every page, guiding and inspiring the reader to find higher health and vitality and protect against the harmful effects of daily stress in a practical and clear style that is imminently accessible.”
"David Winston is one of the foremost clinical herbalists of our time. He is a beloved speaker at medical conferences due to his encyclopedic knowledge of plants and his mastery of teaching to a wide variety of audiences. He knows not only western herbs, he is adept in using herbal foundations of Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medical systems, and weaves molecular, traditional, energetic wisdom together with finesse. These varied skill sets make David a treasure trove of herbal knowledge and his books display his deep understanding and practical experience, all on a base of human kindness."
“I consider this book essential for clinical herbal practice. It is also excellent for all serious students and home herbalists. It reduces to gentle readability the problems inherent in the concept of the adaptogen, rescuing it from both faddism and skepticism, defining it against a backdrop of related and different concepts. It then provides an apothecary of adaptogens that is comprehensive, practical, and will instill confidence in the herbalist using these important plant medicines.”
