Early History and Prior Developments of the Theory
Aggressors or stressors were identified by Professor Hans Selye, and described and classified in over 1500 articles and 32 books. He formulated the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) (5), which classified effects on animals and humans affected by threats (exhaustion, disease, fear, extreme cold …) as: alarm (body's recognition of danger and its preparation to deal with threats); resistance (also defined as adaptation, in which the body adapts to resist stress); and exhaustion (condition in which the body's energy supply is depleted). The next step was taken by Soviet scientists led by Lazarev and Brekhman, who investigated properties of substances, with the ability to increase adaptability and resistance to stress. They named these ‘adaptogens’. By 1960 more than 1000 studies had been published by Soviet scientists concerning the use of adaptogens.
In 1962, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Rhaponticum carthamoides and Rhodiola rosea, all adaptogens, were included in the Soviet Union's Pharmacopoeia. Since then many other plants and sources have been found to have the same properties (6–9). The new phytomedicines increased resistance to stressors as depicted by Selye (3), enhancing energy, and regulating immune, neuroendocrine and cellular function. Some researchers question the validity of the adaptogen definition in science; however, most concur on their health enhancing properties (10). Figure 1 is my interpretation of E↓ (drop in Energy) in relation to Selye's description of biochemical collapse I↓ and organic dysfunction O↓. The latter also paved the way to the E, I and O triangle, explained further on, and the Systemic Theory.