In today’s world, it seems like you have to juggle everything. Between work, relationships, and daily responsibilities, your brain is constantly on. “Go, go, go!” you tell yourself until one day you collapse on your bed, stressed. You need a helping hand that can naturally restore you and guide your body to adapt to face the stress. Adaptogens are nature’s helping hand that are designed to do exactly that.
What is my stress type?
Before you learn about adaptogens, let us take a minute to briefly discuss constitutions. According to Eastern medicine, each of us falls under a certain set of constitutions & temperaments that can help explain our regular personalities as well as our emotional responses. Understanding your constitution can help you decide which adaptogen will work best for you. Read the following four descriptions to see which one you most align with.
- Hot + dry: I am a high-achieving individual who thrives off of goals and schedules. I am not afraid to speak my mind and be honest about my opinions. Once I commit to something, I am determined to persevere until it gets done. I compete with both myself and my peers to always prevail on top. My internal environment is like a desert where the persistent and unwavering sunlight burns brightly all year round.
- Hot + damp: I am a social butterfly who loves to be around people. My work style may come across as chaotic to some but trust me when I say it is an organized chaos. I find it hard to sit still, especially when there is so much exciting stimulation around me. I live in the present, which makes many of my decisions spontaneous. My internal environment is like the rainforest filled with vibrancy and bold colors.
- Cold + dry: I am a perfectionist in everything I do. An orderly environment is where I work best. I can find the smallest details in any work, which means that any small error will make me unsatisfied. When meeting with friends or traveling, I assume the role of the planner and make sure we stick to the schedule. My internal environment is like the arctic where life is constant atop the pristine white, clear-cut snow.
- Cold + damp: I am calm and reserved and tend to watch life rather than drive it. Confrontation is my worst nightmare. I am hesitant to try new things and am content to stick to my regular daily routine. If a friend comes to me with a problem, I will openly listen to them. My internal environment is like the ocean where all its beings nonchalantly cruise along their own paths.
Adaptogens for Stress
An adaptogen is an herb or plant that aids your body’s stress response (3). There are over 70 adaptogens, each one treating stress in a slightly different way. After all, stress presents itself in many forms so it would not make sense to treat them all with a universal compound. Although adaptogens are a powerful way to help your natural stress response, they should be viewed as an addition to a strong foundation of diet, exercise, and sleep.
Choosing what adaptogen to incorporate into your routine can be tricky as many of them seem to have the same benefits. One way to look at it is to imagine your body as the environment in which the adaptogen will best thrive. In the real world, certain plants are best suited for certain conditions and will not grow as well in other conditions. For example, a cactus will be happy in a desert but put that same cactus into a rainforest and it will likely wilt from over-moisture.
Reishi: the Protector
Stress can be unpredictable, but there are instances in which you can predict a more mentally or physically demanding time period. Think about a time when you had a lot going on in your life, like an exam period. Do you remember falling sick around that same time? This is because of the close connection between your stress response and immune system. Being under higher amounts of stress weakens your immune defenses, making you less able to fight off unwanted infections. You might feel anxious, withdrawn, unable to sleep, and are constantly getting sick. One way to protect yourself from the negative effect of stress is by adding immune boosting herbs. This is where Reishi mushrooms come into play as protectors. They help to decrease the effects of stress on your immune system by replenishing your immune cell troops to function as strong soldiers that can fight back against infections. Reishi mushroom’s benefits stem from their role as communicators in the outside world. In the wild, mushrooms have a unique ability to learn from their environment. If a nearby tree is sick, the mushroom will pick up the signals from the tree and adapt their responses accordingly. In your body, reishi mushrooms are able to sense when your immune system needs a boost versus when it needs a calming signal. This duality makes it extremely versatile, even for autoimmune conditions.
Reishi mushroom is warming, making it ideal for you if fall into the cold temperament. It is not drying nor moistening, which allows it to benefit people who internalize their stress regardless of how structured they are. Reishi mushroom is also excellent for those suffering with insomnia, making it an excellent choice for those who are stressed, not sleeping well, or getting sick often.
When choosing mushrooms, look for brands that are sustainably and ethically foraged. We highly recommend the brand Host Defense (founded by renown mycologist Dr. Paul Stamets) for medicinal mushrooms. The recommended dosage for capsules is three 500-1000mg tablets, three times a day.
Ashwagandha: the Moderator
Does the phrase “everything is a problem” linger in your brain? This sense of the world crumbling on your shoulders stems from feeling like you do not have the resources to properly deal with each problem individually. One problem piles on top of another, and before you know it, you are left in a state of distress. Here is where Ashwagandha can come in as a moderator to help you keep things mentally in check. This bitter root strengthens your body by making your cells more efficient at energy production. The more energy your cells have access to, the more capable you feel of dealing with the issues that are actually impacting your life. Ashwagandha can also help prevent your stress battery from draining. Imagine your body under stress as a cold room. Taking Ashwagandha is like turning on a heater that will help warm up the room to a comfortable temperature. Once that temperature is reached, Ashwagandha turns off the thermostat so that your heater is not working unnecessarily. Ashwagandha can also help relieve muscle soreness and promote more restful sleep. It also enhances the functionality of your thyroid, your body’s energy factory. To learn more ways to fuel your thyroid, read our blog post Fuel Your Thyroid: What is a Hypothyroidism Diet?. Adding Ashwagandha to our patients’ routines has led many of our patients to go from “everything is a problem” to “what used to trigger me before doesn’t trigger me anymore.”
Ashwagandha is more on the drying end, so for people who fall into damp constitutions, it can add some amount of structure to help you prioritize what to deal with and what to let go.
When choosing an Ashwagandha capsule, look for ones that contain 400-500 mg and have been standardized to 3.5% with analoids. We recommend Nature’s Way.
Maca: the Comforter
When stress starts to creep up, a comforting hug can wrap the moment in calm. Maca is an adaptogen that can make you feel like you got a hug from the inside. This sweet root can sometimes taste like delicious butterscotch caramel and contains unique compounds that provide warmth and moisture. It is especially beneficial for you if stress makes you feel shriveled and withdrawn. Maca provides gentle yet strong support to help you overcome your stress. Like a mother making you a cup of hot chocolate on a chilly winter day, maca’s beneficial properties will help overcome internal dullness. Maca is soothing for women going through menopause, a time when your body craves a little extra comfort, stability, and moisture. To learn more about how your body changes as you progress into menopause, read our blog Am I in Perimenopause? Symptoms, Signs, and What to Expect.
Maca is unique in that it has a pleasant flavor and can be incorporated into sweet treats by using its powder form. For a more potent dosage, we recommend taking two pregelatinized capsules two times a day. Pregelatinized means that they are easier to digest.
Shatavari: the Stabilizer
Being caught up in a stressful situation can feel like you have been pulled far away from your calm norm. This feeling is even stronger when something big changes in your life. Whether it be the loss of a loved one or an intense surgery, your body may feel like it has depleted all its resources. With no appetite and constant fatigue, you may feel like you are dried up on the inside. At times like these, having a grounding energy can bring you back to a state that feels familiar. Shatavari can give you the internal confidence to simply go through your stress rather than exhausting yourself trying to push the stress away. This “queen of herbs” comes with a regal, all-knowing presence that will make you feel like everything will eventually be okay. Its warming and moistening abilities will rejuvenate your dryness and bring you balance and calm. It’s also excellent for those who tend to get more constipated or slower digestion with their stress. Shatavari helps to move your digestive system along.
We recommend taking two capsules three times a day. When looking for brands, ensure you are getting one that is pure Shatavari and not a blend of other herbs. Here’s our recommended brand of Shatavari.
Where can I get the best adaptogen supplements?
We cannot emphasize enough how essential quality is when buying supplements. Supplements do not have to go through the same regulations as the medications you buy in a pharmacy, which means that anyone can put forth a gummy and say that it is good for you without any scientific evidence. We are extremely selective about where our patients purchase their supplements. Our recommended source is Fullscript, a trusted portal that provides high-quality supplements. Fullscript ensures all products go through batch testing and do not allow questionable sellers on their platform. You need a practitioner-provided link to purchase to ensure you are getting quality supplements from a verified source. As a bonus, if you use our link, you will get an exclusive 20% discount on all the supplements on the platform! Supplements do not have to be expensive. Some of our favorite affordable brands like Now Foods and Nature’s Way let you put your health first without breaking the bank. Note: none of the brands mentioned in this article are sponsored, however the practice receives 15% from Fullscript sales to cover overhead costs of maintaining the Fullscript dispensary page & practice.
Fullscript is only available for US-based individuals. If you are unable to access Fullscript, you can also purchase many of the same supplements on iHerb.
Make sure to consult with your medical provider before starting any supplements, especially if you are on any medications or have any medical conditions. This content is for educational purposes only. We strongly encourage you to consult with a qualified practitioner who can guide you in selecting the optimal herb, dosage, and form for your condition. Although these natural stress relief supplements are not chemical based and are safe for most individuals, they can still have negative side effects depending on your preexisting conditions.
We provided dosing information for each herb primarily in capsule form as it is the most convenient and preferred method for most patients. These herbs come in liquid and powder forms as well. To learn how to properly dose those, you are more than welcome to consult with our team or another qualified practitioner trained in herbal medicine.
These four adaptogens are only a sampling of the many herbs that can work to heal you from the inside out. Each one has a personality and environment that it thrives in, which means it is important to pick the one that is best suited for you. If you are interested in learning more about how adaptogens can be added to your routine, our team would be happy to discuss with you.
References
- Hoffman, D. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science Principles and Practices Of Herbal Medicine. Healing Arts Press.
- Winston, D. (2019) Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief. Healing Arts Press.
- Hathaway, M. & Arévalo, W. (2023). How do Fungi Communicate? MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/04/24/1071363/fungi-fungus-communication-explainer/
- Aviva Romm, HMW Course
