World leader
in adaptogens
The Swedish Herbal Institute (SHI) was founded in 1975 with
the purpose of collecting information about herbal medicine
and promoting scientific research, as well as developing unique
herbal products based upon that science.
SHI is committed to the belief that evidence-based medicinal
plants and botanicals have a major and ever growing role to
play in the area of public health, both in the doctor/patient
relationship as well as in self-care situations.
These two aspects are closely connected and should consequently be recognised throughout the creation of effective products.
SHI believes that the synergetic principle, by means of modern biotechnology, will lead to effective and safe products in modern health care.
This philosophy is based on the observation that the medicinal and pharmacological effect of most traditional medicinal plants and botanicals is the result of the combined action of several substances on different targets of the same system. Another salient factor is the low frequency of side effects.
In fact, their low toxicity is partly explained by the fact that our systems have learned to metabolize these compounds quickly and efficiently using the plant’s secondary metabolites. Typical constituents are phenolic substances, various terpenoids, flavonoids, polysaccharides etc. |
Adaptogens are pharma-
ceuticals or nutraceuticals consist-
ing of natural compounds (plant
biochemicals) that improve quality
of life for organisms in stress.
Adaptogens constitute a new class
of metabolic regulators that have
been shown to increase the ability
of the organism to adapt to
environmental factors and to avoid
damage from such factors.
The adaptogenic effect is non
specific in the sense that the
adaptogen increases resistance to
a very broad spectrum of harmful
factors (”stressors”) of different
physical, chemical and biological
nature. An adaptogen has a
normalizing effect; it counteracts
or prevents disturbances brought
about by stress. An adaptogen has
no side effects, but rather a broad
range of therapeutic effects
without causing a disturbance of
the normal functioning of the
organism |
