History of Adaptogens

The History of Adaptogens

In the years after World War II, Soviet scientists set out to unlock the secrets of health and longevity enjoyed by the people of Siberia. They had long known that these indigenous people routinely lived well beyond 100 years of age, maintaining healthy minds and bodies throughout their lives; in fact this was documented by both Plato and Hippocrates during ancient times. Modern research suggested that the key might be found in their diet of native plants. So, for a period of more than 45 years, some 1200 research scientists conducted over 3,000 human clinical studies involving more than 500,000 people. This research resulted in the discovery of "adaptogens," a term coined by Dr. Nicolai Lazarev to describe a new class of botanical compounds that could actually help humans (or any mammal) fight off the effects of stress and strengthen their own innate healing powers. Together with Dr. Lazarev and Professor Israel Brekhman, a noted Russian researcher, they proved that these adaptogens dramatically improved the functioning of the entire organism including the brain and other organs, glands, digestive system, immune system, skeletal and muscular structures, tendons, elimination system and reproductive system. These scientists discovered that people who ingested properly extracted and formulated adaptogens experienced significant improvement of health as their bodies strove to achieve optimal balance between all their systems for best functioning and longevity.

Dr. Lazarev defined an "adaptogen" as a plant or herb that increases the body's natural resistance to stresses such as trauma, anxiety, and fatigue. A few years later, Professor Brekhman further clarified the term as a substance that has a "normalizing" effect on the entire body, rather than any one specific organ, and he created the following guidelines for an herb to be considered adaptogenic:

The substance must be entirely non-toxic
It must have a "non-specific" activity, increasing the resistance of the entire body rather than any specific organ
It must work to help the entire system gain balance, also called homeostasis

During this extensive research period, Dr. Brekhman focused mainly on the plants of Siberia, also known as the Russian Far East, becoming one of the world's foremost authorities on these amazing compounds and their ability to combat stress. There he discovered that, due to the incredibly harsh climate, the plants themselves had adapted and evolved, ultimately producing powerful componds that have now been proven to be very beneficial to humans and all mammals.

The result of these studies was the creation of a powerful Human Performance Formula that was then declared to be a military secret by the Soviet Government. This formula was provided to their elite military units, top Kremlin officials, cosmonauts, and the Soviet Olympic athletes. In fact, this formula has since been attributed to the incredible Soviet domination in world athletics, especially the Olympics, at the time.

With the fall of the Iron Curtain, the world-wide rights to this formula, and the research behind it, were purchased by Dr. Zakir Ramazanov, one of the world's foremost plant molecular biologists. His continued research, along with a prominent Western nutrional product developer, has resulted in the most powerful adaptogenic formula known to mankind. This unique formula combines 2 of the most potent adaptogens, Rhodiola Rosea and Ashwagandha, with the equally powerful compounds found in Georgian Pomegranate, Caucasian Bilberry, Acai Berry, and Blueberry Leaf. It is important to understand that the powerful adaptogenic compounds found in these plants can vary in strength and bioavailability depending on the region of the world in which they grow. For instance, the Rhodiola Rosea that grows in Siberia is far more potent than the same plant that grows in Tibet or China. The potency is directly affected by the altitude, climate and soil conditions of the region as well as the time and method of harvesting.

More information on these compounds and how they can benefit specific health challenges can be found by clicking on Health Conditions below.