ABSTRACT
Western herbal advocates now acclaim schisandra as an "adaptogen," an agent supposedly capable of increasing the body's resistance to disease, stress, and other debilitating processes. Schisandra is said to "increase energy, replenish and nourish viscera, improve vision, boost muscular activity and affect the energy cells of the entire body." One marketer claims that its schisandra product can "help to combat damage that can lead to premature aging." Another notes that its product is "capable of providing a more healthy, active and longer lifespan." Schisandra ads also claim that it is effective against premenstrual syndrome, stimulates immune defenses, balances body function, normalizes body systems, boosts recovery after surgery, protects against radiation, counteracts the effects of sugar, optimizes energy in times of stress, increases stamina, protects against motion sickness, normalizes blood sugar and blood pressure, reduces high cholesterol, shields against infection, improves the health of the adrenals, energizes RNA-DNA molecules to rebuild cells, and "produces energy comparable to that of a young athlete."1
