In the case of eleuthero, all three of these criteria have been eminently fulfilled. Regarding its history of use, eleuthero has been known in China for thousands of years, where it has traditionally been used to counteract general debility and weakness by promoting vital energy. More recently, in Russia millions of people take eleuthero daily, among them mountain climbers, sailors, and factory workers who all use eleuthero to increase adaptability and endurance and to reduce the frequency of illness. The Russian olympic team uses eleuthero, especially weight-lifters and runners, and an eleuthero extract was used to help cosmonauts adapt to the radically different living conditions of outer space. Personally, in the last decade I have taken eleuthero extract once for a 9-month period and several times for shorter periods, and I have always noticed a decided increase in endurance and performance.

Regarding modern scientific research and clinical results, eleuthero is one of the rare herbal medicines that has been extensively tested on humans in clinical trials. Eleuthero's adaptogenic and other protective and strengthening properties have been studied and confirmed with thousands of human volunteers. We can still learn much more about eleuthero, but already researchers have defined some of the ways in which eleuthero affects the body biochemically, and have also identified certain active constituents, which are natural plant steroids called eleutherosides.

The American researcher, Norman Farnsworth, collected and translated many of the original Russian studies on eleuthero (much of it done in the '60s and '70s), and published these in Economic and Medicinal Plant Research, vol. 1 (by Academic Press, Orlando, FL). While many of these studies were not performed with the strictest methods of scientific control (that is, they were not double-blind studies), their results do offer interesting insights into how adaptogens work on large populations of everyday working people, and what benefits they might offer. Representative results of these studies are cited in Table 1. Eleuthero's major physiological effects can be summarized as follows:

1. Protects against environmental pollutants and radiation

2. Normalizes body temperature, thus treating hypothermia

3. Regulates blood-sugar levels

4. Protects the liver and enhances its ability to break down and get rid of drugs in the body

5. Increases the body's ability to resist infection

6. Supports optimum adrenal function

Also, and perhaps most importantly, is eleuthero's anti-fatigue effect. It has a highly beneficial influence on endurance and the capacity to work, increasing the ability of the body's cells to utilize phosphorus-containing energy molecules and dispose of lactic acid and other byproducts of metabolism (the sore muscles from a heavy workout result from a buildup of lactic acid). This anti-fatigue effect is especially important for athletes, both professionals and "weekend warriors."

Finally, for infertile men, eleuthero has shown the ability to increase semen output and reproductive capability. For those interested in taking eleuthero, the original research used a liquid extract (also called a tincture), which contains about 35% ethanol. Based on this research, I recommend three basic dose levels:

1. For long-term maintenance where not under much stress or are not in a training program, take one dropperful of the liquid extract upon rising (if you put the drops in a cup of warm water or tea, most of the alcohol will evaporate).

2. To increase performance in sports activities, on the job, or at school, take one dropperful in the same manner upon rising and take a second dropperful again in the evening about an hour after dinner.

3. For times of extra stress or dramatic changes (such as changes in jobs or living situations), take three droppersful of the extract, either two in the morning and one in the evening, or one in the morning, at noon, and at night. Every ten days, take a two-day break with no eleuthero, then repeat the cycle. You can do this for up to nine months, or longer if needed.