What is Eleuthero?

Eleuthero Root. One of the most potent fatigue-fighting herbs on the planet. This plant acts as a brain tonic, energizing our body through kidney, spleen, and heart nourishment. Known as one of the best brain tonics, this plant can improve oxygenation to the brain, improve adrenal fatigue and release or restore energy while providing us with sustainable non-jittery energy throughout our day.

There are many potential benefits from Eleuthero supplementation, which is best absorbed in tincture form. Some of the main Eleuthero benefits are improved mental alertness, improved energy production in the kidney-adrenal system, anti-aging tonic, reduced inflammation & fatigue, immune system boost, neuroprotective properties, and enhancement in cardiovascular endurance and heart health.

• Two powerful adaptogens similar to Eleuthero, which may boost energy, fight fatigue and balance hormones are Maca Root and Ashwagandha Root.
• Two powerful mushrooms that may act as brain tonics are Lions Mane Mushroom and Cordyceps Mushroom.

How is it Made?

Eleuthero can be acquired from the leaves and woody roots of the Eleutherococcus senticosus plant. In traditional Chinese medicine leaves and roots are boiled and pressed to extract volatile oils. Taking Eleuthero along with astragalus or Schisandra can amplify its effects.

History & Origin

Eleutherococcus senticosus a woody shrub in the Araliaceae family native to Northeastern Asia. Native to Japan, South and North Korea also, this plant has been used as a dietary supplement and cosmetics. Eleuthero is part of traditional Chinese medicine and used as an adaptogen, which acts as a stimulant. Known also as Siberian Ginseng, Eleuthero helps us release more energy and adapt to stress.

Eleuthero Benefits

1. Reduces Fatigue, Increases Energy

Eleuthero is known to have fatigue-fighting properties and produce lightness when we happen to feel lethargic, exhausted, heavy, or fatigued. It is an adrenal gland tonic, that helps in releasing chi energy. When fatigue shows up, whether through physical or mental exhaustion, it acts on our CNS through serotonin causing internal conditions that prevent further exhaustion. Eleuthero can balance that.

Eleuthero can extend the time to exhaustion, thus improving one’s physical endurance. It was shown to reduce fatigue by accelerating energy changes through B-oxidation facilitation in skeletal muscles. (1)

Anti-fatigue properties of Eleuthero were found to be helpful in preventing physical fatigue while improving recovery time. One of the possible mechanisms that protect muscle tissues and delay exhaustion is the reduction of lactic acid accumulation. (2)

Eleuthero was shown to improve performance in individuals with mild-stress-related fatigue and increase tolerance to mental exhaustion. It was also beneficial in enhancing attention and mental endurance in situations of decreased performance. One of the regulation mechanisms is homeostasis in the HPA axis (Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis). (3)

2. Neuroprotection, Neuroplasticity, Cognitive performance

Eleuthero can be beneficial for our cognitive process not just as memory and focus, but it can also improve the brain’s ability to adapt or change. This is one of the primal reasons why it helps with transitions like climate change or job change. Adaptogens enable us to cope better with stress.

Shown to act as an AMPK activator which plays role in cellular energy homeostasis and can activate glucose and fatty acid uptake and oxidation when there is low cellular energy. Eleuthero also acts as a BDNF modulator, useful for CNS diseases, which enhances brain’s ability to adapt, also known as neuroplasticity. (4)

This plant can be beneficial and support neuroprotection on isoflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction, (5) plus, it reduced hippocampal neural death in the CA1 region in mice and stimulated spatial memory recovery. (6)

There are also other brain-related and cognition-enhancement effects from eleuthero, research shows. Eleuthero may improve cognition and have beneficial effects in many areas such in mental performance such as improved attention, speed, and accuracy under stressful cognitive tasks in tired individuals. (7)

• By helping to recycle choline more effectively, eleuthero may have the potential to improve its synthesis, thus improving cognitive function. (8)
• Phyto-adaptogens, like Rhodiola, Panax Ginseng, and Eleuthero all have neuroprotective features. They have been shown to protect brain neurons and are proposed for use as therapeutic modulators in neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson’s disease. (9)
• One of the main neuroprotection nootropics is Eleuthero. Neuroprotection is protection from amyloid plaque, oxidative stress, or other brain-aging factors. The power of eleuthero lies in its ability to reduce inflammation. (10)

3. May Improve Athletic performance

When we exercise, levels of serotonin slowly increase, especially in the mid-brain, suppressing the immune system. That consequently decreases (dopamine) neural activity which extends or increases recovery time.

Eleuthero has the potential to increase endurance and the time to exhaustion, by acting similar to caffeine, which is by suppressing exercise-induced 5HT synthesis and TPH expression. (10)

There is evidence that supports Eleuthero’s effects in increasing endurance, through increased FFA production, and decreasing glucose levels. It does this by altering the metabolism for sparing glycogen, enabling a more efficient way of producing energy. (11)

It was also shown to shorten recovery time in a mice swimming test, increasing fatty acid B-oxidation in skeletal muscle. (12)

Eleuthero may also improve cardiovascular ability through increasing oxygen metabolism uptake and maximal oxygen pulse. (13)

4. Boosts Memory & Focus

When it comes to memory, it all goes back to how efficiently can we recall the information we are looking for. There are different types of memory, such as spatial, short-term, or long term memory.

There are active ingredients in Eleuthero which are able to penetrate the brain, and those can act to enhance memory function. (14)

The beneficial effects of eleuthero are seen as improved mental performance, increased attention, and mental endurance in situations of decreased performance caused by fatigue. (15)

5. Fights Stress, Depression, and Anxiety

Eleuthero has been shown to help in autonomic nervous activity and might contribute to the anti-stress response. At first, as an adaptogen, it acts in a way that can enable us to adapt to different stressors easier. Second, this plant has been used in treating anxiety, even though there is not enough research, people say they had more energy and experienced a calming sensation.

Mental stress causes physiological changes as autonomic nervous activity changes BDNF expression level. Eleuthero increased hippocampal BDNF signaling. (16) Also shown to regulate autonomic function, eleuthero may contribute to anti-fatigue and anti-stress responses. Improving the recovery time of NK reduction activity and inhibition of corticosterone elevation induced by swimming.

A combination of Lithium and Eleuthero has shown potential in improving symptoms of bipolar disorder. (17)

6. Lower Blood Sugar Levels

One study found that 480mg per day significantly lowered post-meal and fasting levels of blood sugar. The examination was done in patients with type 2 diabetes. There are effects on lipid metabolism, lowering values of total cholesterol and triglycerides, being significant in eleuthero, the so-called Siberian ginseng group. (18)

There is also a potential for anti-diabetic effects of Acankoreagenin from Eleuthero leaves are found. This study demonstrates that Acankoreagenin might offer therapeutic benefits for treating diabetes. (19)

7. May Increase Bone Density

Bone loss is tightly related to estrogen hormone levels. It turns out that Eleuthero may have a potential effect here, in preventing bone loss without influencing estrogen hormones. This can be a more natural alternative for postmenopausal osteoporosis. Rats given eleuthero at a dosage of 100mg, had increased 16.7% bone density in the femur bone, but it’s animal-based research. (20)

Disclaimer: The content on this Site is for informational purposes only, and it is NOT intended to give or replace medical advice. Make sure you consult your physician, doctor, or health professional before using any supplement, for its dosage, uses, precautions, and interactions.

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