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Adaptogens: How These Humble Herbs and Plants Hack the Body’s Stress Response
It’s fair to say we’re all looking for ways to lower our stress levels, especially during busy times with work, the family or holidays. That’s where adaptogens can come in. These herbs and plant extracts work to counteract the effects of stress in the body, helping us to feel better, faster. Here’s how they work.
What are adaptogens?
Adaptogens are a group of herbs, roots and other plants (like mushrooms) that help our body to adapt to stress and come back to balance after a stressful situation. When we consume adaptogens, they interact with our hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls our body’s stress responses, including the famous ‘fight or flight’.
In plain English? Adaptogens trigger our body to go into protection mode and bounce back from stress to balance. We’re left feeling less anxious and more adaptable and ready for what’s next.
Want to dive deeper? Let’s get into the science! When we’re faced with a stressor, our body goes through a three-stage response known as ‘general adaptation syndrome’ (GAS).
- Alarm.
- Resistance.
- Exhaustion.
Adaptogens nudge us to stay in the resistance phase for longer, which means we avoid the crash of energy that can happen after a stressful event. They give us a way to manage the stress in the moment and move forward. For our fans of motivational quotes out there, adaptogens literally help us to ‘keep calm and carry on’!
Since adaptogens help the body to cope with stress, they can also work to improve our mood, combat fatigue, boost immunity and balance hormones. We all know that being stressed can spill over into other (or all) parts of our life, so it makes sense that adaptogens’ ability to fight stress is pretty far reaching.
Key benefits of adaptogens — and what to look for
So, are there a lot of adaptogens out there? Nope! To get that label, a herb, root or plant must be nontoxic (obvs), support the body with stress management and help it to return to a calm, stable state.
These are some of the most common adaptogens, and how they work their magic:
- Ashwagandha is affectionately known as the ‘warm hug herb.’ It’s restorative, and can help to nourish the adrenals and ease anxiety and depression. It can also work to balance female hormones and support the nervous system.
- Ginseng is a herb that helps to keep tiredness at bay and improve brain function so we feel clear-headed.
- Liquorice root can assist with digestion and gently detoxifying the body.
- Reishi is a medicinal mushroom that can promote a sense of calm and overall wellbeing. It can also strengthen immunity, reduce inflammation and assist with sleep.
- Rhodiola is a flowery plant that can fight fatigue, and help to alleviate pain and the symptoms of depression.
- Schisandra is a vine plant that can improve concentration and endurance. It’s also used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat liver and stomach conditions.
- Tulsi, also known as ‘holy basil,’ can help with focus, anxiety and immunity.
TCM and Ayurveda have been harnessing adaptogens for centuries. With all the buzz around stress management in today’s world, it’s great to see more people adding adaptogens to their daily routines.
How to enjoy adaptogens
That leads us to the next question: How can we consume adaptogens? Well, most adaptogens are naturally earthy and bitter, so they’re usually taken in tea, tincture, capsule or powder form. You can also pop them in a smoothie or porridge for taste. It’s similar to protein powder or collagen — sure, you can just add these to water, but it’s much more fun to mix with other things!
There are also brands creating adaptogen lattes so you can sip your way to less stress. At GoodnessMe, that’s our favourite way to enjoy adaptogens — when you walk into the kitchen at HQ, there’s almost always someone whipping one up!
Hummble has a range of divine cacao powders that are definitely our go-to. Made with antioxidant-rich Peruvian cacao, they’re infused with a blend of medicinal mushrooms (aka adaptogens), organic superfoods like maca, and Ayurvedic herbs to help the body feel balanced. You can enjoy hot or iced, but we can’t go past a warm cuppa with frothy oat milk. You can also scoop into your smoothie for a chocolatey flavour if you’re on the go.
The best part? Hummble has a few adaptogenic blends to match different moods:
- Shop Hummble Awaken Cacao is packed with maca and masala spices to lift and your mood, perfect for the mornings.
- Shop Hummble Elevate Cacao contains cinnamon and roasted dandelion to boost your energy, reduce inflammation and detoxify the body, and it’s great for an afternoon pick-me-up (see ya, 3.30-itis!).
- Shop Hummble Calm Cacao has mineral magnesium and all the soothing botanicals you need for a good night’s sleep — think chamomile and passionflower. This one’s best before bed, when you’re ready to let go of the day and drift off to dreamland.
More GoodnessMe picks:
Teelixir Mushroom Immunity is made up of eight potent mushroom extracts to strengthen the body’s healthy stress response and increase energy. It’s a TCM herbal complex, so you can start with ½ teaspoon and work your way up.
Life Cykel Lion’s Mane Double Extract has a powerful dose of adaptogenic lion’s mane mushroom plus kakadu plum for vitamin C. It’s in a dropper form, so super easy to add to your coffee, tea, water or smoothies.
Nutra Organics Bone Broth Chicken & Adaptogenic Mushrooms is loaded with adaptogens as well as zinc, B vitamins and vitamin D to boost immunity, energy and gut health. We like to pop a tablespoon into our hot water and lemon in the morning, and you can also use it to jazz up soups, sauces and gravies.
Mindful Foods Stardust Organic Nutrient Powder makes a rich, velvety, cacao-y drink with added adaptogenic benefits. It also has a bunch of spices like maca and cinnamon, and tastes delish in warm plant-based milk.
Stress less with adaptogens on your side
Adaptogens can’t fix all of life’s problems, but they can help our bodies to adapt to and recover from stress. By doing so, they can also improve other aspects of our health, like mental focus, sleep, immunity and hormone balance. With the busy holiday season coming up, it’s a great time to add adaptogens to your daily routine.
Ready to try them for yourself? There’s a huge range of adaptogenic products on the GoodnessMe shop, and our team is always here to answer any questions! Shop now.