Guide to Adaptogens: Top Healing Herbs For Overall Health

Your deadlines are having a party on your calendar, your car broke down, your cat is sick, and oh, you’ve run out of milk – hello stress! But before you run away and hide in bed with a tub of chocolate ice cream (although that sounds somewhat glorious), there is another way to cope – welcome adaptogens.

Adaptogens are plants or herbs with excellent benefits. Each one does something a little different, but as a whole, they are designed to increase our body’s ability to cope with stress. Adaptogens help the body deal with stressors of all kinds, whether chemical, physical or biological. They have been used for centuries in Chinese and Ayurvedic healing, but they are having a renaissance in our day and age (and for good reason!). Some adaptogens, like holy basil, can be added to your salad or soup, while others are brewed as herbal tea or taken as a supplement.

How Do Adaptogens Work?

All adaptogens have three things in common; they are non-toxic at normal doses, they help our body return to a state of homeostasis, and they help our ability to cope with stress. So, how do these amazing herbs keep us level-headed?

When we consume adaptogens, they interact with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This is a complex system in the body comprised of hormones, glands, and receptors. The HPA axis is responsible for regulating our stress response, metabolism, and immune system responses. The organic properties and compounds of adaptogens work with the HPA axis to keep our stress levels down and return our bodies to a more neutral state. If one hormone is too high, the adaptogen helps to lower it. However, on the flip side, if there isn’t enough of a certain hormone, the adaptogen helps to replenish it. Adaptogens work with the HPA axis to keep our bodies in balance.

Apart from helping us get a handle on our lives, some studies also suggest that adaptogens boost immunity by interacting with the immune-neuro-endocrine system. This helps our bodies regulate the use of energy and maintain a strong immune defense system. Research has shown that adaptogens can combat fatigue, ease depression and anxiety, enhance mental performance, and help us thrive in life rather than just muddle through.

Top Adaptogens For Overall Health

There are over sixty different herbs and plants that are considered adaptogens, and they all help the body in their own unique way. Here are six of the most popular adaptogens for general well-being:

Stress and anxiety

• Ashwagandha

This evergreen shrub grows in the Middle East, India, and some African regions. Ashwagandha has calming properties and is commonly used to control stress and anxiety. This herbal remedy positively affects the nervous, endocrine, immune, and cardiovascular systems by regulating the metabolism, controlling cortisol levels, and calming how the brain responds to stress. 

• Tulsi
  Tulsi is also known as holy basil or the queen of herbs and is a popular remedy in Ayurvedic medicine. The compounds in holy basil are known to promote focus and alleviate anxiety.

Fatigue

• Rhodiola

This herb is found in high-altitude climates in Europe, Asia, and North America. It has been shown to alleviate symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, and depression. In two separate studies, Rhodiola was given to students during an exam period and doctors on night duty. The results showed significantly reduced fatigue levels.

• Ginseng

Ginseng typically refers to either American ginseng or Asian ginseng. This herb has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Ginseng has been shown to promote energy and help fight fatigue, among many other benefits.

Immune Health

• Reishi mushrooms

These mushrooms are a fungus adaptogen. Reishi mushrooms have been used to help enhance the immune system, improve sleep, reduce stress, and lessen fatigue. In one study, Reishi mushrooms increased the number of certain white blood cells in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

• Astragalus
  This herb has been a part of traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Astragalus has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and supports and protects the immune system, lowers blood pressure, prevents colds and upper respiratory tract infections, treats diabetes, and protects the liver.

How To Take Adaptogens 

Because adaptogens are herbs and plants, they can be taken in many different forms, including tinctures, extracts, capsules, powders, added to food, or made into teas. 

Drinking a cup of herbal tea made from an adaptogen herb is a sure way to make you feel better. Apart from the benefits of the adaptogen, drinking tea is ritualistic and a great way to pause and take a moment to breathe. To add adaptogens to the foods you’re eating, you can buy adaptogen powder to add to anything from smoothies to soups or salad dressings.

In Summary

Adaptogens are an amazing gift from nature that we can use to help support our body’s ability to handle stress. When we have a handle on our stress levels, everything else seems to fall into place, including our mental and physical health.

The dosage for adaptogens will vary based on the plant and how you choose to take it. Before you start taking an adaptogen, please read the label carefully for instructions on how much to take and when to take it. It is also important to consult with a healthcare practitioner before trying anything new. Some adaptogens could react with certain medications you may be on, so it is always recommended to get a second opinion on which herb is best for you.