The adrenal glands are small glands that rest on top of the kidneys. The outer part, the cortex, produces cortisone or steroids. Its job is to maintain the body's sodium, potassium, sugar and hormone levels. The inner portion is the adrenal medulla. It secretes adrenaline and nor-adrenaline that support the body through situations of fear, worry, stress or anger; it is the "fight or flight" hormone. These glands provide us with the hormonal support that is required by the body to get through the day.

In today's fast paced society our adrenal glands are constantly being overworked. We run from one thing to the next, we have to manage our homes, our children and their lives and activities and our careers. We eat in a hurry to get from one commitment to the next and the foods we eat are often not nutritionally balanced. With this lifestyle, eventually the adrenal glands begin to shrink in size and become less effective laying the foundation for many of today's illnesses.

There are other things that can cause your adrenal glands to become weakened other than continual stress and poor diet. Excessive sugar or carbohydrate intake, over use of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine or medications all affect the function of the adrenals. Additional burdens to the adrenals are: too much exercise, exposure to toxins, allergies, trauma, lack of sleep, chronic illness, pain and surgeries.

So how do you know if your adrenals are inefficient? Some of the symptoms can be recurring infections, depression, weakness, poor memory, low blood pressure, irritability, hypoglycemia, fatigue, brittle nails or a low sex drive. Do you wake up feeling tired? Do you feel you need to eat sweet snacks to get through the day? These feelings can be associated with an adrenal overload.

In order to strengthen the adrenal glands we can start by modifying our diet. Eating more foods that are higher in Vitamin B and C, more fresh fruits and vegetables, cold water fish, brown rice, whole grains and legumes; cut back on fatty foods, red meats and processed foods, especially those that are high in sodium. These adjustments in your diet will aid in strengthening the adrenal glands. Moderate exercise will stimulate the adrenals aiding them to function better also.

Herbs can be very useful in strengthening and feeding the adrenals. Licorice contains natural plant steroids that are helpful in supporting the adrenal glands. Borage helps to restore the adrenal cortex and tone the gland. This herb can be used over a long period of time with no adverse effects. Borage can also be helpful if you have been using cortisone or steroid medications. Ginseng helps to increase stamina and physical performance reducing mental or physical exhaustion or weakness. It is known for its adaptogenic properties naturally increasing the bodies' resistance to all kinds of stress. Astragalus can aid the body in coping with stress by boosting the adrenal functions, helping the body to naturally resist illness.

Thanks to Patty Gadone, an apprentice at The Herb Corner, we now have an excellent adrenal formula that contains:

(licorice is not recommended for people with high blood pressure)

This is an excellent formula as is or can be modified for your specific needs. Thank you Patty for sharing this with us.

References:
ABC's of the Human Body "Readers Digest"
The Herbal Handbook by David Hoffman
Women's Body Women's Wisdom by Christine Northrup
Holistic Herbal by David Hoffman
Prescription for Nutritional Healing by James Balch