Juicing For Health - The Difference Between Stimulants
The Difference Between Stimulants
There seems to be a large misunderstanding especially around the raw food movement about the differences between CNS stimulants and foods/herbs that have stimulant actions on certain organs.
As briefly mentioned above there are two different classes of stimulants. One are the type that effect the central nervous system which are known as CNS stimulants. The other are not strictly stimulants in the sense that the latter is, but have stimulant actions on various organs such as the liver and digestive system.
CNS Stimulants
CNS stimulants are the ones you want to avoid, some examples of commonly used stimulants are caffeine(coffee/energy drinks), theobromine, nicotine, ephedra etc. CNS stimulants are very detrimental to the health and functioning of your adrenal glands and if chronically abused can cause a host of health problems. Not only that the energy and oomph they give you is false and will always result in a crash. This usually results in you having another cup of coffee to top yourself up. Like i say this endless cycle can result in crashing your adrenal glands and becoming addicted to these stimulants.
The above are the most commonly used CNS stimulants but we cant forget recreational stimulant drugs which many use in the same manner such as amphetamines, cocaine, MDMA etc. All of the above should be avoided like the plague if you wish to pursue a healthy lifestyle.
For those who enjoy the energy boost coffee gives them and are looking for a healthy alternative i would recommend adaptogenic herbs. Adaptogenic herbs help increase the bodies resistance to stress, provide a mild natural energy boost whilst supporting the adrenal glands. Some examples of adaptogenic herbs include tulisi(holy basil), ashwagandha, ginseng(korean/panax), suma root, schizandra berry, maca root, reishi, cordyceps, licorice root and astragalus.
CNS Stimulant Side-Effects
Not even taking the adrenal glands into account, CNS stimulants have a range of serious side effects such as increased blood pressure, heart rate, some of the stronger stimulants have been linked to heart disease and stroke, addition, depression, mood changes and much more.
Other Types Of "Stimulant"
Now onto the other class of stimulants, these are not really true stimulants more herbs and foods which have an affinity for stimulating certain organs. These in most cases are healthy and have no side effects minus one bad example which are stimulant laxative herbs. These should be avoided as they can weaken bowel function, some examples of common stimulant laxative herbs are senna and rhubarb root.
Bitters are a good example of herbs/food which have a beneficial stimulant action on digestion and the liver, these are very beneficial for those with weak digestion or sluggish overburdened livers. Cayenne is another example which has a stimulative action on blood circulation, although in my opinion there are better herbs for blood circulation overall. There are many other beneficial herbs with stimulant properties such as respiratory expectorants, which facilitate the removal of mucous from the lungs.
There seems to be a real lack of understanding between the difference of stimulants in the raw food movement, and although i don’t follow the natural hygiene principles ive heard it stems from there. Ive even heard some raw gurus suggesting that foods such as chili or spices are stimulants which will burn out your adrenal glands which is absolute nonsense. In a sense it is true that cayenne and other hot chili’s have stimulant properties such as on the blood circulation but again they are not CNS stimulants like the above and certainly wont harm adrenal gland health.
Recommended Herbal Retailers
Indigo Herbs are a good retailer of herbal powders and superfood products, if you wish to purchase these please use the link below as it helps keep our site running. Thanks.
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