Article: Reverse Aging With Adaptogens!

Never before in history has the human population been so focused on living healthy, and more intently, living longer. The biggest reason for this is the baby boomer generation. Some 80 million strong, boomers are beginning to enter their golden years and they’re very concerned with remaining youthful.

Unfortunately, many of these folks and those in even younger generations have turned to the knife-plastic surgery, in hopes of regaining their youth. Though cosmetic procedures do appear to turn the clock back in some cases, they more times than not distort a person’s appearance and lead to a host of other health problems.

Baby boomers, however, aren’t the only ones who’ve been highly interested in turning back the clock. Throughout history, there have been countless stories of individuals and groups devoted to the idea of eternal youth. Ponce De Leon traveled to the America’s looking for the fountain of youth. And, the Alchemists and ancient herbalists of the Far East searched for the elixir of immortality. Like modern cosmetic surgery, ironically, many of these searches also turned out disastrous. For instance, some of the alchemists of old brewed up decoctions made of mercury and lead, which inevitably killed one of China’s famous emperors, Huangdi.

Fortunately, some of those ancient herbalists, most notably the Taoists Masters, found some things that did work. They turned to nature for insight. In fact, Taoist Masters were accomplished master herbalists. They sought plant materials for their healing benefits and anti-aging qualities. Much of their work carried on through the millennia to build the foundation for such disciplines as Traditional Chinese Medicine and the ultimate herbal directory, The Materia Medica.

Chinese Culture is rich in stories telling of the wonderful effects of their herbs. Many of these stories are more likely myth and legend, rather than actual truth. However, they are effective tools that pass on important medicinal secrets from one generation to another. There is a particular tale about an old man named He Shou Wu. As with most stories, there are several versions of it, however, the main premise is always the same-profound aging reversal. I’ll tell my favorite version of the story.

Old Man He (pronounced huh) lived in China long ago. While walking in the woods, one day, he got lost. While searching for a route home, he grew very hungry. He came across a vine growing on a tree, and took it for nourishment. For the length of time he was lost in the woods, which is not clear, he ate the plant. Eventually, Old Man He found his way home. When reunited with his family and friends, they were astonished at what they saw! His hair and beard, which were thin and gray before, were now thick and black. He stood upright with youthful vigor, instead of slouching as he had before. The story goes on to say that Old Man He was in his 60’s feeble and impotent before he ate the herb, but surprisingly, he went on to father 4 children and lived 132 years. The summary of the tale is that the herb he ate had incredible youth giving properties.

Honestly, no one knows if there ever was an actual Old Man He. What we do know is that the herb named after him, He Shou Wu, contains amazing healing properties, especially anti-aging qualities.

Western Science is now beginning to verify what those ancient herbalists and masters knew-certain herbs have incredible longevity powers. In Chinese Medicine, He Shou Wu, or as it’s also called Fo Ti and Polygonum Multiflorum, is used for strengthening the kidneys and liver. Most notably, it tonifies the kidney essence and kidney blood-which translates as supporting the sex hormones located in the adrenal cortex on top of the kidneys. These hormones keep us vital, energetic, and most importantly young. Once we see the signs of aging, we can rest assured that these important hormones are being depleted.

To restore the adrenals and these youth giving hormones, we must fortify them. A natural and healthy way to do this is by supplementing our diets with adaptogens. He Shou Wu is an adaptogen! There are other plants, like He Shou Wu, that are considered adaptogens and noted for their anti-aging attributes. Some of them are: Astragalus, Reishi Mushroom, American Ginseng, Lychii Fruit, and Licorice Root.

This select group of herbs is called adaptogens, because of their unique ability to help the body “adapt” to all kinds of stress-be it mental, emotional, physical, or environmental. They additionally help to heal the negative effects of stress by restoring the adrenals to optimum function. The adrenals are the body’s primary mechanism for dealing with stress and the systemic damage caused by stress. Not only do they restore the adrenals, but adaptogens are known to reduce other causes of aging, such as inflammation, toxicity, oxidation, and cellular mutation.

When choosing an adaptogenic supplement, select a concentrate-extract or powder form of the herbs. These tend to be most potent preparations. Another key point to remember when shopping is to pick a formula with a wide array of adaptogenic herbs. A variety gives the body an optimal chance to benefit from their healing properties.

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