Suma Root Notes -- Holmes

Growing up to an impressive eight feet in length in the Amazon rainforest, Suma root is an adaptogenic remedy from the unlikely Amaranth family. Its nicknae, "Brazilian ginseng" among Japanese communities in Brazil attests to the esteem it enjoys there. Native Brazilians have used Suma for over three centuries for both internal and topical use, including low energy, impotence and eczema. The remedy was introduce to the cities during the 1970s and became popular among doctors, researchers and the public alike.

Among its 152 identified compounds, research has focused on its six unique saponins pfaffosides), which have shown antitumoral and blood sugar regulating activity. Beta-ecdysone, a plant steroid, was shown to facilitate improved cellular oxygenation, while the phytosterols stigmasterol and sitosterol enhanced estrogen production and lowered blood lipids. Because a few plants in the amaranth family are used either as staple dietary grains (including quinoa) or as wild foods (goosefoot or lamb's quarters), it comes as not surprise to learn that Suma also has a considerable nutritive aspect, with 19 amino acids and a slew of minerals and vitamins to its name. While most of the research has been done in Brazil and Japan, Suma has found clinical use in preventive and curative medicine by therapists worldwide.

As a broad-spectrum neuroendocrine restorative, metabolic regulator, antioxidant and immune enhancer, Suma Root is very similar to Eleuthero and Oat berry and straw. Like these, Suma goes to the root of chronic conditions involving endocrine imbalance, immune deficiency/dysregulation, toxicosis and systemic microbial dysbiosis, thereby addressing that ubiquitous symptom, fatigue and generally slowing down to process of aging. In energetic medicine, the remedy is a tonic to the Qi, Blood and Essence and finds application in many deficiency conditions but also in particular conditions such as chronic disease (e.g., in viral terrain with immunodeficiency, and in immune hypersensitivity), menopausal hormonal deficiency, postpartum depletion, burnout from the unproductive stress caused by overwork or emotional disharmony, and hereditary neuroendocrine deficiencies. Suma operates in particular as a pituitary stimulant of adrenotropic, gonadotropic and other hormones, resulting in greater adrenocorcial efficiency and and estrogenic effect among others.

Like Eleuthero in particular, Suma root seems to work especially by promoting systemic functional regulation at core levels, thereby being able to address opposite states of metabolic dys-stasis (loss of homeostasis), such as hypertension and hypotension, hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, electrolyte excess and electrolyte insufficiency , and so on. As such, this adaptogenic remedy -- like all other true adaptogens-- is the furthest removed in its pharmacological dynamics from synthetic medication. The Brazilian "harmony remedy".

Like several other nutritive remedies, Suma root promotes optimum balance between nutritional uptake and assimilation, and rejection and elimination of waste products. On one hand it optimizes anabolism through its anastative nutritive, liver and pancreas restorative and protective actions; on the other hand it optimizes catabolism through its detoxicant effects. This is why the remedy will address anababolic and liver/pancreas deficiencies as well as endogenous forms of metabolic toxicosis such as rheumatic disorders, gout and arthritis.