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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ADAPTOGENS
Health | September 22, 2017
Adaptogens have been popular in both Chinese and Ayurveda medicine for years, and the Western world is only now slowly warming up to the idea of these health and beauty herbs.
And no, we don’t mean herbs like sage and rosemary.
We’re talking herbs like Siberian ginseng, Rhodiola, ashwagandha, and astragalus.
What exactly are Adaptogens?
Adaptogens are a special class of plants (mostly herbs) that have a normalizing effect on the body. They are known to be able to both calm you down and boost your energy at the same time without over-stimulation. Adaptogens help your body achieve a state of homeostasis; which is the body’s natural ability to balance internal and external stress. The belief is that adaptogens can adapt to whatever the body is dealing with, whether it’s stress, anxiety, fatigue. They also help to lessen the symptoms.
Sebastian Pole, the founder of Pukka Herbs, was quoted, stating that these herbs “-can normalize body systems while being non-specific, meaning they can act on multiple parts of the body simultaneously. They are also non-toxic and safe to use over a long period of time.”
Here are some of the most important adaptogen herbs:
- Holy Basil
- Ginseng
- Aswaganda (Indian Ginseng)
- Licorice root
- Golden root (Rhodiola)
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Astragalus root
How do Adaptogens help?
Stress is something which we all know can throw us out of whack.
This is because our bodies treat stress as if it’s a serious threat, and every time we feel it, our bodies react differently (whether behaviorally or physically) to help fight against the “danger.”
Stress hormones like cortisol, for example, are regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is the matrix of glands that play a dominant role in the endocrine system. When triggered repeatedly, the HPA axis can easily get off balance and begins to take a major toll on the adrenals, making it easier for us to become anxious and become prone to certain illnesses.
Lucky for us, adaptogens are said to be able to better assist the body with handling stress more efficiently. They work alongside the HPA axis, which in turn regulates the stress response.
Keep in mind
Studies on adaptogens have been going on since the sixties, and since then these herbs have found to reduce the symptoms of common ailments like insomnia, depression, low libido fatigue, anxiety and even weight imbalance.
Now, while this all may sound too good to be true, keep in mind that there are more for prevention and are not actual cures for whatever it is currently ailing you.
Henrietta Norton, the founder of supplement brand Wild Nutrition, stated that “Prevention, not cure, is the new standard for living well and adaptogens are key to doing this because they nourish, regulate and strengthen the whole body.”
Going Forward
Few adaptogens have been associated with any minor/major side effects, although some may interfere with prescription medicines, and are not recommended to those who have certain health conditions. Therefore, as with any new supplement, it’s best to consult with a doctor before trying anything new.
You can find most adaptogens are available in capsule form, which can be taken as regular dietary supplements.
**Please remember that research on adaptogens are still ongoing, and the FDA has NOT evaluated many of these claims. Again, adaptogens are NOT intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease!
Private Member |
santa cruz, ca
Yes yes yes yes yes!
This is SO IMPORTANT right now because our modern world is FILLED with stressors from all angles, and we absolutely cannot run away from them if we want to live in modern society. We need to help our bodies adapt to find homeostasis in the chemically/electromagnetically/psycho-socially stressful world we live in. I’d like to also add cannabis with high CBD content, which is the most powerful adaptogen, because the function of endocannabinoids (cannabinoids that are synthesized INSIDE the body naturally) is to regulate all physiological processes in every cell.
The TCM and Ayurvedic pharmacopaeia’s are so valuable. We are only beginning to learn about adaptogens. That is some beefy huang qi (astragalus root) in the picture, if I’m correct. Huang qi is part of several of the most common TCM formulas.
This stuff works, yo. It has existed for thousands of years for a reason…..
Private Member |
ellijay, ga, united states
I’d like to pick your brain a little, if I may! ๐ My husband and I use CBD oil daily, and, WOW, is it expensive!! I’m always checking to see if I can find a place that sells it for a little less. We’re currently down one income as my husband is looking for work, so we’re pinching pennies where we can — it absolutely sucks that the stuff is as much as it is! BUT we’ve been seeing major benefits as we use it, so we want to keep it on hand and are always looking for places that sell it for less! We currently get a 300 mg strength bottle (sized 30 ml), water soluble for 50 bucks, in town…and have been able to find a site online that sells a variety of strengths, with the same strength we use for the same price BUT for half the bottle size (and getting half-off online coupons help, BUT makes it come to the same price). *sigh* if only it weren’t so much!! I just was curious if you’ve seen any good places out there online for grabbing some that might be a better deal. We’re fairly new to using it (only the past 3-4 months) so I’m always keeping my eyes open! ๐
Private Member |
That’s so interesting what you said about cannabis CBD and regulating cells. Have you used it? Could you share your experience, F.P.? Has the oil helped you a lot, Christin?
Private Member |
ellijay, ga, united states
I originally got it to help with some inflammation I have in my neck/shoulder from some old injuries (I have a lot of pain in it and am always trying what I can to help it. I figure it’s not a “one thing cures all” sort of deal. Instead, I try to incorporate postural therapy, massage, acupressure, anti-inflammatories like CBD, etc). Some bad days I notice it helps…others, I still hurt. HOWEVER the next massage I went to after a month of using it, my neck/shoulder was much less tight. I HAVE noticed (my second reason for using it) that my sleep is a bit better. I still have a hard time STAYING asleep (we have 2 new kittens, so it’s inevitable that I won’t be getting the best sleep! Ha!), but I find when I take it, I seem to have a much better time GETTING to sleep (20 minutes instead of an hour).
My husband takes it for different reasons, and we’ve noted HUGE benefits for him. He’s a very stressed out person by nature. Sometimes little things will set him into major frustration mode. On top of that, his mind will cycle through little things, causing him even MORE anxiety (for example, he’ll wake up in the middle of the night and will be awake for hours with his brain cycling on whether he should have chicken or fish for lunch the next day). When he takes even half a dose, when frustrations are rising, we’ve noticed he’ll calm right down (within 10 minutes or so. Very fast. LOL, this is good for ME, too, as I don’t have to be around “frustration-mode”! ๐ ) It’s also helped him sleep as it HELPS (though not always completely eliminates) his brain from cycling through the little things.
Private Member |
Wow, that is so cool that ingesting it and putting it on your skin will bring different results! And how different the results are for different people is so interesting. I think I will try it thank you for sharing Christin! Also have you or your husband ever tried GABA? It’s a neurotransmitter-type supplement that makes the brain relax. I take it to get to sleep and also if I’m stressed, my brother with ADD takes it to calm down. It’s similar to alcohol, but without the dizzieness and nausea. A bottle of GABA pills costs like $11, so if you were looking for a cheaper alternative it might be worth a try. It needs b6 vitamin to work. Thanks again!
Private Member |
ellijay, ga, united states
Oh, I take it internally just like my husband does…not on my skin. ๐ (Though I DO have some facial cream with Hemp Oil that I use for a moisturizer).
I take GABA each night for my sleep as well (my chiro recommended it). It works great for me…but my husband can’t take it as it’s the complete opposite for him. We get the powdered stuff off amazon — Nutricost brand is $17 for a pound…it lasts foreverrrrrrr! ๐
Private Member |
Wow, so weird that GABA works for some people and not at all for others. I didn’t know you could get that much gaba for so cheap! Thanks for the tip!
Private Member |
Wanted to add that last night I saw a Netflix documentary on menopause and how it wreaks havok in the female body by causing hormone imbalances of estrogens and androgens. I looked up if metformin has any implications for menopause, and it turns out that metformin is used for poly cyctic ovary syndrome because it acts as a hormone balancer for all areas of the body; which would explain why it cleared up my psoriasis and lactose intolerance. Menopause is treated with supllemental estrogens, but estrogen therapy increases risks for breast cancer exponentially. Metformin’s balancing of hormones and cancer preventative properties has very large implication for menopause therapies, and perhaps even its onset. I’ve been reading up on studies for metformin and menopause, and so far I’ve only found that it protects post-menopausal women from breast cancer. The documentary I saw said that not much is really known about menopause, but if I were going through it I would want to know about metformin. Who knows? Could it change the landscape of hormone therapy? Menopause will eventually happen to all of us, so becoming educated on it now could save us all a lot of pain!
Private Member |
italy, italy
thak u Zuzka, U r always really informed and u r great to explain your knowledge…
cheers
Private Member |
yilan city, taiwan, taiwan
Thanks for the reminder Zuzka! I have been so busy, I haven’t even made myself a pot of Holy Basil tea lately! I think the autumn is a good time to consider adaptogens. As for shitake mushrooms they aren’t technically adaptogens, but like all Cordyceps (reishi, shiitake and maitake mushrooms) are funguses with antioxidant properties. I’ve been adding Maca to my smoothies, but haven’t noticed much of a difference- I’ll still keep it up for another bag tho. Holy Basil Tea and Gaba have an immediate calming effect on me. My TCM Dr./Nutritionist had me and every member of our family on Gaba for the past 10 years and its really a godsend for regulating stress and blood sugar. I believe another adaptogen is Bacopa monnieri (ๅ้ฆฌ้ฝ่ง) also called Brahmi in Ayurveda (not to be confused with Gota Kola). Finally as for licorice root, you have to be careful as it requires professional supervision because of how it affects blood pressure. I think anyone can use Holy Basil safely.