Evidence supporting the use of: Cistanche (unspecified)
For the body system: Adrenal Cortex

Links: Go back one page, Tool main page, Ingredients list, Health conditions list, Body systems list

Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Cistanche, a genus of desert-dwelling parasitic plants commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, has a long-standing history of use for supporting vitality, fatigue, and "kidney yang" deficiency. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the term "kidney" often encompasses broader concepts, including what might be considered adrenal function in Western terminology, such as energy, resilience to stress, and libido. Thus, Cistanche is sometimes used in herbal formulas intended to "tonify the kidney," which some supplement marketers reinterpret as supporting the adrenal cortex or adrenal function more broadly.

However, direct historical references to the adrenal cortex or the modern biomedical understanding of adrenal function are absent from traditional sources. The link to adrenal support is therefore more of a contemporary extrapolation rather than a traditional use per se. Scientific research on Cistanche has focused primarily on its effects on fatigue, immunity, neuroprotection, and sexual health, with some animal studies suggesting possible anti-fatigue or adaptogenic effects. There is very limited direct scientific evidence supporting a specific action on the adrenal cortex or its hormones.

In summary, the use of Cistanche to support the adrenal cortex is justified primarily by traditional concepts (albeit somewhat re-interpreted), with only weak and indirect scientific support. The evidence rating is therefore 2 out of 5, reflecting reliance on tradition rather than robust clinical or mechanistic data.

More about Cistanche (unspecified)
More about Adrenal Cortex

Products containing Cistanche (unspecified)

We currently have no products on Caring Sunshine that contain this ingredient.