Adaptogens

May 11, 2021

There’s been a lot of buzz around adaptogens lately, and I want to take some time to talk about them here as well. Although it may seem like they are the new kids on the block, they are far from it. Knowledge about the health benefits that adaptogens supply has been around for centuries. Adaptogens sort of fell off the radar as modern medicine moved away from natural healers into pharmaceutical based treatments, but their effectiveness did not waver, and I’m happy to see they seem to be coming back into the spotlight.

You may be wondering what adaptogens are. In short, they are plants or mushrooms that are non-toxic to humans. Adaptogens work non-specifically throughout the body to tone and strengthen all body systems (cardiovascular, digestive, immune, etc) at once. They can both calm or stimulate depending on your need, and they can help you to maintain better cognitive function and focus.

Adaptogens are especially good at helping to moderate stress, anxiety, and chronic fatigue by feeding and nourishing the adrenal glands. Adaptogens decrease sensitivity to stressors by creating a higher level of equilibrium, as you can see demonstrated below.

By facilitating a higher equilibrium for tolerating stress, your body becomes accustomed to a higher level of consistent strain without having to deal with the nasty side effects stress tends to cause most of us. This prevents the frequency of extreme highs and lows which then leads to exhaustion. In short, adaptogens improve your stamina for day to day stress.

In order to experience the most benefit from adaptogens, it is important to note that they have accumulative effects in the body. Basically, consistency is key when it comes to adaptogens, and it can take a while to really notice their effects. So if you decide to try, give it a few months of consistency before you make a call on whether or not you think it helps.

There are a number of wonderful adaptogens out there that are really worth taking a look at, but today I want to follow up on the ones I mentioned in our last blogpost about adrenal health.

• Ashwagandha
• Tulsi
• Reishi
• Chaga
• Schisandra
• Borage

Ashwagandha

There is a chance you may have heard of this adaptogen already, as it has surfaced in popular culture for all its healing and anti-stress properties. But in the event it has escaped your peripherals, I highly recommend you check it out. This is one of my favorite go-to adaptogens.

I discovered it for myself years ago during my own healing journey for chronic lyme disease. I was struggling with being on a long-term cocktail of antibiotics, and was starting to experience mild-moderate panic attacks for seemingly no reason. I’ve always lead a pretty busy life, but it wasn’t until this time that I really started to feel
afflicted by stress and anxiety in a whole new way. I needed something, and I didn’t want to add another pharmaceutical to my already overwhelming spread. So I searched and I researched, and I found Ashwagandha.

When you read of the benefits of Ashwagandha, the plant seems almost too good to be true, but it’s real folks. This powerful plant packs a serious punch.

Taken over time, Ashwagandha can restore healthy sleep cycles and relieve anxiety. It has a “lifting” quality. For example, think of the caffeine that you get from a cup of coffee… That is the type of energy that “pushes” you forward, whereas ashwagandha lifts and elevates you.

Positive effects of Ashwagandha:

• Improves cognitive function & memory
• Stabilizes blood sugar
• Cardioprotective
• Boosts immunity
• Balances thyroid hormones
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant (helps eliminate free radicals from the body)
• Lowers cortisol (helps manage stress)
• Lowers cholesterol
• Reduces anxiety/depression
• Reduces brain cell degeneration

Ashwagndha may be helpful if you are afflicted with any of the following:

Ashwagandha can also be helpful to those with degenerative diseases such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and multiple sclerosis.

If you have nightshade sensitivities, you might want to sit this one out. It is not as strong as most nightshades, but some people with sensitivities may not tolerate Ashwagandha.

It is also important to consult your doctor if you are pregnant, have diabetes, or any other health condition.

As with any change to diet, it is important to consult with your doctor before adding any sort of supplement or over-the-counter regimen to avoid complications. Vitamins, minerals, herbs and other dietary supplements are readily available and may seem harmless, but experts warn not to underestimate the strong effects they can have on the body. If paired with the wrong prescription medication, you could potentially have an adverse reaction.

Also critical to note, is the importance of proper sourcing. Make sure that, should you decide to incorporate any supplement, you choose a reputable supplier that offers high-quality products.

When sourcing Ashwagnadha supplements, look for a product that is made with only the root of the plant, and one that has black pepper in the supplent. Black pepper aids in bioavailability.

My preferred preparations are tea and capsule form, but you can also take it as a tincture or powder.

This post is meant to provide information only, not to offer medical advice.

Tulsi

(also known as Holy Basil)

Tulsi is another heavy hitter in the adaptogen family. It’s widely accessible, and it will help to keep you cool, calm and collected! It is a natural antidepressant and is widely considered to be a “cheerful and refreshing” herb.

As mentioned in my last post about ways to manage stress, Tulsi works wonders for general anxiety. It can even help with some of the outlying effects of long-term stress such as sleeplessness, forgetfulness, and depression. Tulsi protects organs and tissues from both chemical stress from free radicals, and from physical stress from prolonged physical exertion, ischemia, physical restraint, and exposure to cold and excessive noise.

Major benefits of Tulsi:

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antimicrobial
• Promotes skin healing and enhances elasticity
• Provides protection from free radicals and stress
• Draws out a calm emotional disposition

As I mentioned before, Tusi is widely available. It’s just as easy to grow as sweet basil, and (bonus) the bees love it! You can eat it, drink it in tea, use it as a tincture or essential oil.

Some of the uses Tusli is recommended for are listed below:

As with any change to diet, it is important to consult with your doctor before adding any sort of supplement or over-the-counter regimen to avoid complications. Vitamins, minerals, herbs and other dietary supplements are readily available and may seem harmless, but experts warn not to underestimate the strong effects they can have on the body. If paired with the wrong prescription medication, you could potentially have an adverse reaction.

Also critical to note, is the importance of proper sourcing. Make sure that, should you decide to incorporate any supplement, you choose a reputable supplier that offers high-quality products.

Reishi and Chaga

These are two amazing medicinal mushrooms that fall into the adaptogen category. You may be hearing some buzz around cordyceps and medicinal mushrooms. There are all sorts of supplements and coffee replacement powders that are packed with the stuff. I can’t speak for any products specifically, but I have personal experience with both reishi and chaga in its natural form, and I cannot say enough about them. Talk about magic mushrooms! No…not that kind of magic, but they are still pretty amazing.

Both can be found in the northern hemisphere, and both are fairly easy to identify mushrooms. However, I find it important to note… please do not forage for yourself if you are not absolutely certain you know what and how to forage. In recent years, there has been a boom in the foraging world, and our beautiful mushroom culture is getting over-picked to bits. At this rate, we won’t have access to them for much longer. Bottom line… educate yourself, or purchase from an educated source. Now let’s talk a bit about why these mushrooms are so great.

Think of reishi and chaga as balance experts.

Both boost your immune system by balancing microbes in your microbiome, and supply pre-biotics that act as nutritious food for your “good” microbes (gut bugs) to eat.

They balance cortisol and other stress hormones and detoxify chemicals and heavy metals (free radicals) throughout your body.

Both reishi and chaga slow exacerbations of autoimmune disorders so that your body can better respond to intruders.

They reduce histamine release so irritants and allergens can’t take so bad a toll and fight viruses and candida (excessive yeast in the body, which can turn chronic).

Schisandra

Also known as the “5-flavor berry/fruit” because it tastes of all five taste sensations: sweet, salty, sour, spicy and bitter.

Schisandra is a beautiful adaptogen both in color and in benefits. It is a viney growing plant that bears bright red clusters of berries that is most commonly grown in Asia, but actually can grow quite well here in New England! As it turns out, there is a Schisandra farm right over the border in Whately, Massachusetts!

Schisandra is great because it can be consumed in so many different ways, and you will still reap its benefits. The berry and seed are the parts meant for consumption. You can eat it as fresh or dried fruit, juice it, or steep in tea. Take it as a powder, capsule, decoction, or tincture, any and all forms will support you! Now sure, okay so it tastes pretty good and it’s accessible, but what benefits does it actually provide, right?

Like other adaptogens, schisandra is a master of balance. Schisandra contains lignans which are micronutrients that contain anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties. It reduces cortisol and manages stress in both mental and physical capacities. Basically, it works to achieve balance in your adrenals. Studies have shown that it also moderates blood pressure significantly. Schisandra actually works to lower high blood pressure and raise low blood pressure.

If you’re looking for something to calm and focus you while also providing a lifting energy, schisandra is where you should look. It provides clarity in both the body and mind and can be helpful in moderating ADHD in teenagers and adults. It can help to increase physical working capacity while also being protective of your adrenals so you may reap both mental and physical benefits.

You know those times when you’re exhausted, but no matter how much sleep you get, the fatigue just never relents? That’s when schisandra shines.

Borage

Okay, okay, you got me. Borage is not technically classified as an adaptogen mainly because it can become toxic when taken in high doses. I still want to talk about it here however, because it does contain adaptogenic properties. It is certainly worth taking note of, especially if you are overwhelmed by exhaustion and stress.

Borage boasts beautiful purple-blue, star-shaped flowers. The leaves and flowers are the most commonly used, but the seeds are highly beneficial as well. The seeds can be pressed for oil that is high in omega-6 fatty acids. This works to decrease inflammation when used topically for skin irritations such as eczema or rashes. The leaves and flowers can be used in many different ways. You can eat them fresh or cooked (they taste like cucumber!) but try to use young leaves. Its leaves are hairy, and the older ones can get a little tough. Borage can also be used as a tincture, tea or syrup.

Borage, like most adaptogens, has great anti-inflammatory properties and is probably best known for its positive effects on your endocrine system and its ability to lift mood. It quells anxiety and can provide rest in a way that sleep sometimes cannot. Many believe it helps to relieve suffering from grief, heavyheartedness, and low confidence.

Borage is also taken to help:

Although borage is easy to incorporate due to its accessibility and good taste, it is best taken in small, regular (but not too regular) doses. I would not suggest taking borage daily, as it can become taxing on the liver when overdone. Like a true adaptogen, the benefits of borage will develop over time, so take it slow and easy.

And this is where we leave you today! We hope this brought you some insight and you feel encouraged to further explore adaptogens and their health-boosting abilities.

As always, this information is meant only to be informative. As with any change to diet, it is important to consult with your doctor before adding any sort of supplement or over-the-counter regimen to avoid complications.

Vitamins, minerals, herbs and other dietary supplements are readily available and may seem harmless, but experts warn not to underestimate the strong effects they can have on the body. If paired with the wrong prescription medication, you could potentially have an adverse reaction.

Also critical to note, is the importance of proper sourcing. Make sure that, should you decide to incorporate any supplement, you choose a reputable supplier that offers high-quality products.

Refrences:

Adaptogens: By David Winston, RH (AHG) with Steven Maimes

Alchemy of Herbs: By Rosalee De La Foret

Chronic Stress, Cortisol Dysfunction, and Pain:  A Psychoneuroendicrine Rationale for Stress Management in Pain Rehabilitation,” Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association: Written by: Kara E. Hannibal, Mark D. Bishop

The Herbal Apothecary:  By JJ Pursell

Remedy:  Ancient Medicine for Modern Illness:  Docuseries by the Sacred Science

www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/chaga-mushroom

http://medicenter.org/the-mederi-blog/holy-basil-an-herb-with-incomparable-benefits.html

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov “Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System and Molecular Mechanisms Associated with their Stress-Protective Activity”

www.learnfreshcap.com_atpscience.com/the-benefits-of-schisandra/

www.mushroomrevival.com