Eleuthero Uses and Plant Monograph
Formerly known as Siberian ginseng, Eleutherococcus senticosis or “Eleuthero,” is an adaptogen with actions comparable to Panax ginseng; however, it is significantly more affordable, more abundant, and can be utilized by a wider range of people. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that the use of Eleuthero was popularized as an adaptogen by Russian scientists, Israel I. Brekhman and Igor Vasilevich Dardymov, after decades of researching performance-enhancing, medicinal plants. By the mid-1970s, more than three million people in Russia regularly consumed the extract.1,2
Eleuthero Uses & Plant Profile Summary
- Botanical Name: Eleutherococcus senticosus (syn. Acanthopanax senticosus)
- Other Common Names: Eleuthero, Eleuthero ginseng, Siberian ginseng, Devil’s shrub, Devil’s bush, wild pepper, Ussurian thorny pepperbush, taiga root, ci wu jia (Chinese), eleuterokokka (Russian)
- Family: Araliaceae
- Parts Used: the roots, and (rarely) the leaves and stems.
- Energetics: neutral – slightly warming; neither moistening or drying
- Taste: bland, mildly sweet and bitter
- Plant Properties: adaptogen, immune modulator, immune stimulant, glycemic modulator, anti-inflammatory, antiedemic, diuretic, and gonadotropic
- Plant Uses: Eleuthero is a tonifying adaptogen and immunomodulator that increases endurance, vitality, and resilience. It enhances mental clarity, supports adrenal function, sexual vitality, and can enhance the effectiveness of hormone-balancing herbs. It is best consumed for one to three months. It should be discontinued during an acute illness or infection, and during menstruation.
- Plant Preparations: Eleuthero root can be prepared as an alcohol or glycerin extract, a fluid extract (more concentrated), a decoction or cold infusion, capsules, or consumed as a powdered herb. However, the preparation most widely utilized in the scientific studies conducted in Russia was a 1:3 extract containing a menstruum of 33% alcohol (66% water). One can also purchase the standardized extract or solid extract.
Although numerous tonic herbs were consumed world-wide for thousands of years, it wasn’t until the 1940s when researcher Dr. Nikolai V. Lazarev coined the term “adaptogen” to describe a substance that improved the body’s response to stress.3 In order to be classified as an adaptogen, three criteria were required of the substance or therapy: 1) It was innocuous and caused minimal physiological disorders; 2) It demonstrated a nonspecific action that increased resistance to adverse influences by a wide range of physical, chemical, and biochemical factors; 3) It exerted normalizing actions.4 The definition of an adaptogen has been further expanded to include “a substance that enhances the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.”5
Since then, hundreds of herbs have been studied and classified as adaptogens. Prominent examples include: uncured ginseng (Panax ginseng), ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea), schisandra (Schisandra chinensis), tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum), and cordyceps (Cordyceps sinensis).
Adaptogen and Adrenal Tonic
Eleuthero is an adaptogen that increases non-specific resistance, and regulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.6,7,8,9 It modifies the body’s response to stress by inhibiting the sympathetic nervous system reaction (adrenalin flight or fight response), decreasing adrenal corticoids, and minimizing the loss of vitamin C from the adrenal glands.10,11,12 Eleuthero also prevents adrenal atrophy and hypertrophy caused by prolonged stress response.13 As a long-term tonic, eleuthero supports optimum endocrine system function, and reduces stress-induced damage to the thymus and lymphatic system.14,15,16 It enhances the body’s ability to cope with adverse conditions, such as extreme heat or cold, excessive mental or physical activity, increased workload, trauma, surgery, increased or decreased barometric pressure, and jetlag.17,18,19,20 It contains eleutherosides, which are steroidal glycosides attributed to the adaptogenic and anabolic actions.21 Eleutheroside B has the most profound endocrine system-normalizing actions in the pituitary, adrenals, and pancreas. Eleutheroside E prevents gluconeogenesis in the liver and spares creatine phosphate in the muscles.22,23
Eleuthero prevents the onset of adrenal “burnout,” or adrenal fatigue resulting from chronic stress and following the use of steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as corticosteroids (cortisone and prednisone).24 Eleuthero also prevents steroid-induced bone loss.25 Eleuthero extracts demonstrated neuroprotective effects, as well as enhanced neurite regeneration and synapse reconstruction.26
Decreases Withdrawal Symptoms
Eleuthero decreases withdrawal from stimulants such as caffeine, methamphetamines, and cigarettes.27 It mitigates the physical withdrawal effects when tapering from barbiturates, heroin, or methadone.28 It also helps to modify pineal gland stress and organize circadian biorhythms.29,30
Improves Female Reproductive Hormone Balance
Eleuthero aids in maintaining female reproductive hormone balance, and reduces perimenopausal hormone imbalances associated with patterns of adrenalin stress (alarm reaction) and adrenal exhaustion. It modifies menstrual cycle irregularity in females recovering from anorexia, amphetamine use, and prolonged stress.31 It has subtle gonadotropic actions.32 Eleuthero binds with progestin, estrogen, mineral corticoids, and glucocorticoid receptors in vitro.33 It helps to synergize the effects of hormone balancing herbs such as vitex berry (Vitex agnus-castus), don quai (Angelica sinensis), and black cohosh (Actaea racemosa).34
Increases Libido
Eleuthero is a tonic that increases energy, endurance, stamina, virility, and libido.35,36,37 Eleutherosides B, D, and E hasten recovery from sexual stress.38 Eleuthero can be combined with ashwagandha (Withania), Chinese white ginseng (Panax ginseng), muira puama (Ptychopetalum), and/or wu wei zi (Schisandra) to increase libido, virility, and sexual vitality.
Immune Modulator
Eleuthero contains immune modulating and immune stimulating polysaccharides that increase non-specific resistance and support acquired immunity.39,40 It elevates the number of immune competent cells, particularly helper T and natural killer cells, and increases the activity of T-lymphocytes and phagocytic neutrocytes.41,42,43 Eleuthero increases interferon production, thus having an antiviral action.44,45,46 Consuming eleuthero extract long-term (2-6 months) aids in treating conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes simplex, human immune deficiency virus (HIV), and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and hastens recovery from the Epstein Barr virus. 47,48,49 Regular use of eleuthero reduces incidence of influenza, cold, and common infectious illnesses.50,51,52
As an immune tonic and prophylactic, eleuthero can be combined with other immune modulating herbs such as huang qi (Astragalus membranaceus), reishi (Ganoderma), cordyceps (Cordyceps), dang shen (Codonopsis), and smaller amounts of licorice (Glycyrrhiza), and/or wu wei zi (Schisandra). Note: Discontinue use of the compound during an acute infectious illness. According the Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, tonic herbs can strengthen the microbe. When a person experiences an infection, it’s important to first address and clear the infection. Tonifying herbs can be consumed after the infection has cleared to replenish and enhance various functions in the body.
Reduces Frequency of Herpes Outbreaks
Regular consumption of eleuthero aids in preventing and reducing the frequency of Herpes simplex type II outbreaks.53,54,55 Patients prone to herpes outbreaks from an exacerbated stress response have found that consuming eleuthero in semi-frequent doses (up to four times daily) helps to prevent the sores from erupting if it is taken prodromally.56 Eleuthero can also reduce the severity, shorten the duration, and hasten the recovery process when an outbreak occurs.57,58
Hastens Recovery from Chemotherapy and Surgery
Eleuthero has protective actions for cancer patients receiving radiation and chemotherapy treatment; it minimizes the side effects, and hastens recovery from treatments and surgery.59,60,61,62 In animal studies, eleuthero demonstrated protection from exposure to X-ray radiation.63,64,65 It stimulates non-specific immunity following surgery or chemotherapy.66 Eleuthero has antitumor and carcinostatic effects that inhibit the spread of metastases.67,68 Eleuthero has mild anti-inflammatory actions.69
Elevates Mood and Improves Mental Focus
Eleuthero has mood elevating and subtle antidepressant actions.70,71 It is an invigorating herb that increases mental alertness, and improves a sense of well-being.72,73 Eleuthero also improves visual acuity, color differentiation, hearing, and motor activity.74,75 Eleuthero extract can aid in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as it increases mental focus.76 Note: Avoid use in individuals medicated for ADHD.
Eleuthero adaptogenic qualities serve as an adjunct for treating individuals with hypothyroidism and adrenal exhaustion. It appears to have mild thyroid stimulating properties, and has slightly decreased requirements for exogenous thyroid hormones in patients. It aids in treating numerous symptoms of hypothyroidism, including fatigue, sluggishness, poor concentration, and amenorrhea. Note: It is important for individuals consuming thyroid hormones to work closely with a medical practitioner to monitor thyroid hormone levels, as medication requirements may need to be adjusted when introducing herbs or iodine-containing seaweeds into their protocol.
Constituents
Eleuthero contains eleutherosides A-G and seven additional triterpenes including eleutherosides I-M. It also contains senticosides A-F (oleanolic acid glycosides), additional phenylpropanoids, β-sitosterol, simple carbohydrates, vitamin E, and β-carotene.77,78,79,80
Studies found that eleutherosides B and, to a lesser extent, E, had the most potent adaptogenic effects. In Russia, eleuthero was found to contain both eleutherosides; eleuthero (ci wu jai) grown in China was far less potent and completely devoid of eleutheroside B. Standardized extracts measure eleutherosides B and E for potency.81,82,83,84
Nutritional Properties
Eleuthero contains high amounts of magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, and zinc. It contains low to average amounts of ash, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, crude fiber, dietary fiber, fat, iron, manganese, potassium, protein, riboflavin, selenium, silicon, sodium, and thiamine, as well as vitamins A, C, and E.85,86
Etymology of the plant’s name
The genus name Eleutherococcus means “free-berried shrub.” The epithet senticosus (“thorny”) derives from Latin. Ci wu jia means “five leaves.”
In the late 1960s, eleuthero was referred to as Siberian ginseng as a marketing ploy. In the U.S., it is illegal to market any plant as a ginseng that is not in the Panax genus.87,88
Botanically Speaking
Eleuthero grows in Russia’s arctic sub-tundra, as well as northeast China, Korea, and Japan. It is a perennial, deciduous shrub (2.5 to 6 meters tall). Bristle-like prickles are distributed on the grayish-brown bark of the stems and branches. The root is woody in contrast to the fleshy root of the Panax species.89,90 Please Note: Eleuthero root has minimal odor and a light brown color. If the dried root has an aromatic, spicy, or vanilla scent, it has been adulterated.
The palmately compound leaves have three to five dark green, elliptic or obovate, leaflets. Each leaf has pubescent veins on long petioles that bear fine prickles. The leaflets have tapered bases, end in long, drawn-out points, and doubly-serrate margins.91,92
The flowering head is a terminal umbel, solitary or compound, with clusters of two to six umbels. The small flowers are borne on small stalks; the calyces are fused proximally, and divide into five small teeth distally. The corolla consists of five pink petals with fringes at the apices. Each flower has five short stamens and five fused carpels. The fruit is a purple-black berry bearing a persistent style.93,94
Plant Preparations and Dosage Suggestions
- Tincture: The dry root tincture is less potent than the fluid extract: dry roots [1:3, 33% alcohol]; or [1:5, 60% alcohol]; consume 15-90 drops, up to three times daily.
- Fluid Extract: Dry roots [1:1, 33% alcohol]; consume 15-60 drops, one to three times daily
- Glycerite: Dry roots [1:5, 50% glycerin and 50% water]; or [1:5, 33% alcohol, 33% glycerin, and 33% water]; consume 30-90 drops, up to three times daily.
- Capsules: Consume 2-4 capsules, one to two times daily, or consume 2-6 grams of powdered root. Solid extracts prepared from dried, powdered root should contain at least 1% eleutheroside B; consume 100-200 mg, up to three times daily.
- Tea: Prepare a cold infusion or decoction using 4-6 tablespoons or one ounce of eleuthero root; consume 8-12 ounces, up to three times daily.
Special Considerations
An excessively high or frequent dose can cause insomnia, anxiety, agitation, irritability, palpitations, tachycardia, headaches, and melancholy.95,96,97 Individuals with nervousness or anxiety may feel overstimulated when consuming eleuthero; discontinue use if this occurs. Individuals sensitive to stimulants should avoid consuming eleuthero with coffee, caffeinated beverages, chocolate, or other stimulants. Consuming eleuthero after 2-3 p.m. can cause wakefulness and insomnia.
Consult a knowledgeable practitioner and/or avoid consumption in individuals with moderate to highly elevated blood pressure, and those consuming prescription hypotensive agents.98 According to Dr. Michael Murray, individuals with “rheumatic heart disease have reported pericardial pain, headaches, palpitations, and elevations in blood pressure following the administration of Siberian ginseng.”99 Individuals consuming antipsychotic medications should also avoid eleuthero because it potentially aggravates manic behavior. Eleuthero can reduce insulin requirements in diabetics; therefore, patients and medical practitioners should carefully monitor blood sugar and regulate medication dosage.100
Avoid consuming this herb during an acute illness or menstruation. There are no known contraindications during pregnancy; however, caution is warranted during lactation, as the stimulating qualities of the herb can be passed through the breast milk to a nursing infant.
Please note: Two-month breaks are recommended following two to three months of consistent consumption of eleuthero.101,102,103 This herb can give a false sense of energy and cause depletion when consumed consistently, especially in higher doses.
Adulteration Note: Eleuthero root has minimal odor and a light brown color. If the dried root has an aromatic, spicy, or vanilla scent, it has been adulterated.
Footnotes
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