What is the definition of an adrenal tonic?
A tonic that boosts the activity of the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands (situated just above the kidneys) are important for combatting stress and if someone has had prolonged stress the adrenal glands can become exhausted and their functioning can become below par. This would impact on your health causing more stress and general fatigue and possibly other organ exhaustion or malfunctioning, making you vulnerable to infections and other illnesses. For more info read the article on Adrenal Weakness (link below). All the ginsengs and also a root called Rhodiola rosea (arctic root) are known as adaptogens, which means they help the body meet the demands of stress, whether physical (including physiological and biochemical), mental or emotional. So these are great adrenal gland tonics. Others include: Borage, Astragalus membranaceus (Huang Qi), Licorice root, Sarsaparilla smilax, and Prickly Ash bark. Examples of proprietary (pre-prepared mixtures) of such tonics:
