Eleutherococcus senticosus
(Siberian ginseng)

Therapeutic Actions:

• Adaptogen
• Binds to progestin, estrogen, mineralcorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors
• Boosts physical endurance levels
• Circulatory stimulant
• Enhances oxygen metabolism in tissues and organs
• Improves hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis feed back control
• Increases and activates natural killer cells and lymphocytes
• Increases endurance and concentration
• Strengthens the digestion and kidneys
• Supports the adrenal system
• Vasodilator

Clinical Indications:

• Bipolar disorder
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Insomnia
• Memory loss
• Multiple sclerosis
• Schizophrenia
• Any disease where fatigue appears to slow the mental processes or drain the adrenal glands
• Hyperlipidemia
• Hypotension
• Malignant arrhythmias
• Radiation recovery

Contraindications:

• Hypertension due to the effect on the adrendal glands
• Use lower doses in the sick or the elderly patient

Drug/Nutrient Interaction:

• Enhances monomycin and kanamycin efficacy in treating Shigella dysentery and Proteus entercolitis
• Inhibits breakdown of hexobarbital in animal studies
• Insulin should be monitored due to the hypoglycemic activity

Chemical Constituents:

• Triterpenoid spaonins called eleutherosides

Toxicity:

• Toxic dose produces:
  
  Insomnia

Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).