Sometimes, the right medicine was there all along. For more than 4,000 years, adaptogens, or healing herbs and plants, have been used in Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic healing traditions. Predominantly used to treat stress, adaptogens have been used for centuries, and later on these natural remedies helped treat soldiers’ stress during World War II; the term “adaptogenic” was coined years later in the 1950s by Soviet scientist Dr. Nikolai Lazarev.
Adaptogens primarily help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Overall, they relieve any inflammatory conditions caused by stress, including heart disease, obesity, cancer, arterial disease, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, and more. “Stress is one of the root causes of everyone’s health issues,” Phil Catudal, certified personal trainer for the National Academy of Sports Medicine and author of Just Your Type: The Ultimate Guide to Eating and Training Right for Your Body told us. “Be it an athlete, an executive, or a stressed parent, what holds us back from peak performance or feeling truly healthy is our high stress levels. High stress levels means high levels of inflammation, and when we have a fire inside us, which is exactly what inflammation means.”
Predominantly available in supplement form, other adaptogens are available as more edible roots, herbs, and berries. American ginseng root, ashwagandha root, Asian ginseng root, cordyceps, dang shen root, eleuthero root, holy basil herb, jiaogulan herb, licorice rhizome, rhaponticum root, rhodiola root, schisandra berries/seeds (also known as Wu Wei Zi), maca, and reishi mushroom are all adaptogens and basically have the same effect: They reduce stress.
We broke down some ways adaptogens can help you chill out, boost endurance in the gym (and sack), prevent illnesses, and beyond. In the end, the less stress, the better the health.
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Less Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
A 2015 French study, published in the Journal of International Medical Research, reviewed a group of people suffering from job-related stress and gave them the adaptogen eleuthero for 12 weeks. (Known as “Siberian ginseng,” the name eleuthero gives this adaptogen some distinction to avoid confusion with pure ginseng.) By the end of the study, the individuals had improved sleep, less fatigue, depression, and other stress-related symptoms. “They are the most powerful solution to naturally deal with stress and inflammation,” said Catudal. “Adaptogens are like meditation pills. It’s like dropping little zen bombs in your system that provides your body with a relief that it’s been waiting for, for years.”
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Stronger Immunity
Ginseng may help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and prevent autoimmune disease, in addition to helping prevent other conditions like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and more. Too much cortisol (aka, the main stress hormone) depletes the body’s nutrient reserves, which can impair memory, and effect metabolism, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Dried roots of rhodiola rosea contain chemicals that can help reduce the secretion of cortisol during stressful situations.
“If you Google ‘adaptogen benefits,’ you will see a ridiculous list of benefits and claims ranging from insane weight loss, to instant anti-anxiety, to cancer curing benefits, and the bottom line is that most benefits that come from adaptogens comes from their ability to optimize our cortisol hormone,” said Catudal. “Adaptogens help regulate our adrenal system, our stress and fight-or-flight hormones.”
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Builds Endurance, Burns Fat
The eleuthero supplement contains compounds that combat fatigue and burn fat for energy, according to one study, while another report found that consuming 800 milligrams (mg) of eleuthero a day for eight weeks increased a man’s endurance time by 23 percent, when their cardio was examined during cycling exercises. The subjects also saw an increase in peak oxygen saturation by 12 percent, and boost in heart rate by three percent. Ashwagandha, available in powder and supplement, also has some fat-fighting power. When 300 milligrams were taken twice a day for two months, it significantly lowered cortisol levels, according to a study in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. Elevated levels of cortisol are linked to belly fat.
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Sex Without Stress
As far as clinical trials go, a small study in BioMed Research International found that women ages 21 to 50 who took ashwagandha for eight weeks had improvements in sexual health, including orgasm and arousal, compared to those taking a placebo. Currently there is no sexual research linking adaptogen use to male sexual health, but less stress can certainly help in the bedroom. Like all adaptogens, ashwagandha can help ease anxiety, insomnia, or nervous tension, and relieve muscle spasms. It can also stimulate the thyroid and help with hypothyroidism.
