Adaptogens are natural herbs that can help the body adapt to things like fatigue and stress, and to environmental conditions. They help regulate very important hormones in the body (keeping it well); which will later help with things such as weight loss, boosting the immune system, balancing a person's mood, increasing mental focus and physical endurance.
For an herb to be considered an adaptogen, it must be non-toxic and completely safe. Adaptogens are amazing as they are all-natural substances that can benefit the human body in many different ways. Helping with stress, reducing pain levels, helping to overcome eating disorders, overcoming sleep problems, and ditching addictions are all positive effects of adaptogens.
They have been used for decades and as time goes on, more research has been done to prove that these are wonderful herbs that can help the human body tremendously. Adding adaptogens into the daily diet can help with all the things listed above and even more. Consuming these adaptogens isn't hard, as they are found in many different herbs.
These herbs can change your lifestyle by simply adding them to your diet:
1. Bacopa
Bacopa is an Ayurvedic herb that helps support brain health. It helps improve things such as focus, memory, and better thinking.
It positively impacts opioid addiction as it decreases the dependence for the opioids, which later will help out the liver tremendously. Its active compounds support gamma-aminobutyric acid which limits the amount of stress in the brain and would overall improve the way the mind thinks and reacts.
If pregnant, adding this herb wouldn't be a bad idea since it can aid in protecting the baby against hypoglycemia (high blood sugar), which can result in brain damage later down the road for the baby. As well as helping with controlling blood sugar, it also helps control blood pressure. It naturally increases nitric oxide in the body, which helps vascular muscle functioning.
Its leaves can be used to make oil or teas and that is actually the simplest way to consume this particular herb. Make sure when consuming to never go above and beyond with this, as it could reverse the good affects, turning them into negative ones.
2. Gotu Kola
Gotu Kola is a bitter and sweet plant. It helps digestion, increases the chances of getting pregnant, and can even help grow hair and nails longer. It's a calming adaptogen that supports the nervous system and helps with memory. It can accelerate the wound healing process (by enhancing the connective tissue, resulting in less scar tissue) and can be used to cleanse the skin.
Like all other herbs, use caution when adding this to your daily diet. If taken in high doses, it can result in extreme headaches and migraines. It also can increase the risk of having a miscarriage and/or stillbirth as it lowers the amount of blood flow going into the pelvic region.
3. Asian Ginseng
Asian Ginseng or also known as Panax Ginseng is a root that supports mental clarity, physical endurance, and even can help the heart and immune system. It's known as one of the top ten sellers this decade in the United States. It can help reduce the risk of getting a cold and/or flu. Asian Ginseng is also known for its antioxidant properties which help the body get rid of radicals (they damage DNA). It can reduce your chance of getting heart disease and diabetes.
It helps significantly in physical endurance and reduces fatigue after working out. This herb also has been taken to boost sexual performance in men and woman. It increases the amount of sperm in the body, resulting in a higher chance of getting pregnant while trying to conceive.
But like most adaptogens, please use the correct dosage, as overusing this herb can cause anxiety, increased blood pressure, irritability and insomnia. It should not be given to children.
4. Milk Thistle
Milk Thistle is known for its active ingredient, silymarin, as it supports/helps control metabolism and liver health. It also helps manage the hormones that come with stress. This is known as a “liver healer” as it removes the toxins from the body when the liver isn't doing a decent job.
Taking this herb daily can help the liver strive and improve the amount of toxins that are leaving the body. It provides heart benefits as well by lowering cholesterol levels, helping blood flow through the body more efficiently.
It's been known to help those who have diabetes as it lowers blood sugar and improves cholesterol levels. Milk Thistle can be consumed in tea or capsule form. Woman who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not consume this.
5. Holy Basil
Holy Basil (mint family) is a popular herb as it helps manage stress along with all of the others listed. It has eugenol and caryophyllene which are aromatic compounds. These compounds are very pleasant to smell and are commonly used in essential oils.
Its antioxidant properties help with managing the heart health and normal lipids. Holy basil can help get rid of stress as well. Pairing holy basil with milk thistle can be a very potent liver supporter, as it is high in ursolic acid.
6. Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha (which translates to smell of horse) is also known as Indian Ginseng. It’s known for how well it makes you feel and handle stress. It also helps with energy and keeping the mind strong. It can help eliminate anxiety, insomnia, OCD, and even bad dreams.
Adding ashwagandha to your daily diet can improve thyroid functioning, a male’s fertility, and even help if you have autoimmune conditions that affect joints and muscles (rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, PMR, etc). It decreases cortisol, c-reactive protein levels, stress and anxiety.
7. Rosemary
Rosemary contains two important compounds (caffeic and rosmarinic acid) which helps with liver, digestive, and heart health. People all around the world have been using rosemary as a stress-reliever for centuries. It has a wonderful taste and smell.
It has a memory booster and it increases intelligence, focus, and strength. It strengthens the immune system and is known as a stomach soother. Rosemary is a natural pain reliever, breath freshener, and can clear the mind. It stimulates the blood flow which will help the body run better.
Rosemary can be sprinkled in with any type of food. It can also be found in oil form and even capsule form. Bathing with rosemary has often been found to help the body relax and it makes the skin softer.
8. Siberian Ginseng
Ginseng Eleuthero (Siberian Ginseng) is a natural solution for boosting the energy in the body. The benefits from this herb have been studied and researched more than any other herb on the Earth. It helps the body adapt/cope with stress, helps keep energy running through the body all day, and can strengthen memory.
It improves mental clarity, alertness, better focus and memory, it improves the immune system and how it responds to things. Ginseng can encourage better sleeping habits, increase libido, and reduces irritation in the body.
It reduces the amount of outbreaks in people who are affected with Herpes. It can be used to boost the brain and its way of thinking. Consuming this can be done very easily as it is in oils, capsules, and can even be eaten right off the tree/root.
9. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a powerful plant that flushes many toxins out of the body. It has aloctin and acemannan (compounds) that support adrenal and immune health.
Aloe Vera has many minerals and vitamins, which helps in all areas, leaving less stress on the body. This is why aloe Vera is a strong adaptogen. Vitamin A helps with organ function, reproduction, and your immune system. It contains folic acid, choline, and B12 which help keep up the nervous system.
Aloe Vera has minerals like copper, selenium, chromium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and zinc. It supports your cardiovascular health and digestion, helps keep normal cholesterol levels, and even boosts the immune system (resulting in the body staying healthier without getting sick).
It can be used as a moisturizer, wound healer, and antiseptic. It's also antibacterial. This plant/herb can be easily grown at home, as it reproduces and grows very quickly. Getting this into the body can include rubbing it on the skin, taking it in pill form, or even drinking it in a homemade juice.
10. Astragalus
Astragalus is a popular herb used in China.They have been using it to help with fighting stress.
While it encourages good health, it is known for the compound TAT2 which helps slow down the aging process, supports detoxification, and gives out plenty of nutrients for the kidneys. It shields the body from damaging responses (hormonal) to stress by helping out the adrenal glands. It has been used to treat conditions like allergies, anemia, fibromayalgia, kidney disease, diabetes, high blood sugar, and CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome).
This herb produces anti-cancer properties, helps with detoxification, and even helps with increasing sperm count for males. It stimulates the immune system, helps with stroke recovery, helps get rid of nasal congestion, and sheds excess salt and water from the body (diuretic).
11. Moringa
Moringa Oleifera is known for its nutrition as it has more than any other leaf/herb on the planet. Moringa gives energy, good sleeping habits, stable blood sugar and blood pressure, good digestion, and even helps acne. It helps with many illnesses such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, arthritis, insomnia, liver failure, anemia, fatigue, stress, and immune system support.
This herb can often be found in oil form, as it does wonders for the skin. It can help cuts, scars, burns, eczema, diaper rash, and vaginal dryness. It is also known for the amount of energy it provides and it isn't caffeine based so the energy stays while getting no crash when wearing off.
12. Schisandra
Schisandra is a tart berry, known as a “superberry” because of the multiple benefits the body can accumulate from it.
It increases energy, fights off fatigue, and can even hold back the aging process (keeping the skin clear and wrinkle free). This berry fights off stress by reducing the amount of stress hormones in the blood stream. Schisandra can treat things like asthma, PMS, diarrhea, high cholesterol, sleeping problems, thirst, memory loss, and physical exhaustion.
It can help the mind think more clearly by focusing on the body's endurance, concentration, and coordination. It's also known as a “liver protective” as it protects the liver from different types of toxins/poisons and helps promote liver cell growth. It can be added to the daily diet by simply drinking a smoothie, taking it in capsule form, or even eating the dried fruit alone.
13. Rhodiola Rosea
Rhodiola Rosea is fast growing in high altitude places like Asia and Europe. This root is used as a remedy for decreased memory, poor attention span, and fatigue.
It also gives the body more energy and can prevent the damaging effects of oxygen deprivation. It's known for how it gets rid of altitude sickness. The Sherpas used this herb to help them work on Mt. Everest, keeping them full of energy and ensuring they didn’t get sick.
It is effective for treating things such as depression, erectile dysfunction, ADHD, and neurasthenia. Rhodiola can help cognitive functioning in people who experience a lower amount offatigue. It is also known to increase the lifespan up to 20 percent. It can be taken in supplement form.
14. Bilberry
Bilberry or vaccinium myrtillus is a berry closely related to the blueberry. As the blueberry has many benefits, so does this one. It can help with UTIs (urinary tract infections) and positively affects the reproductive, endocrine, and respiratory systems.
This fruit, along with many others, is sky high in antioxidants, helping the whole body out. It can significantly help improve eyesight and other conditions with the eyes such as cataracts and retina problems.
It contains chemicals called tannis that help with body irritation (such as diarrhea, throat, and mouth inflammation). Bilberry can lower blood sugar as well as cholesterol levels. Taking this daily can help improve the well being of your body. Over-consumption of this berry is not safe and needs to be monitored.
15. Reishi Mushroom
Reishi Mushroom is a hard mushroom that grows in China, Korea, and Japan. It helps prevent a plaque buildup in the blood stream and can help keep the kidney and liver healthy while improving immune system functioning.
They have also been found to reduce tumors and help illnesses such as liver disease, flu, AIDS/HIV, and anxiety. These have been known to decrease tumors and the growing process, helping the body to fight cancer. They help restore hormones (endocrine system) in the body that are unbalanced, leaving the body stress and anxiety free. When hormones in the body aren't balanced, many different problems can occur like weight gain, night sweats, depression, and more.
So consuming this mushroom is a wonderful idea if you have any hormonal issues/problems. These can be cooked, fixed with a meal, taken by capsule, or even soaked in a hot tea.
16. Shilajit
Shilajit is a brownish black resin that comes out of the Himalayan Mountains on hot, summer days. It can't be used in its natural state because it is not completely purified. It can strengthen the body as it can reduce pain (inflammation of joints and muscles) and help with anxiety and stress.
It's very potent as it increases blood circulation, and enhances the pancreas, thyroid gland, and kidneys. This is thought to be a sexual enhancer as it increase male sperm count and keeps sex hormones under control. In India, it's believed there are no diseases that can't be controlled by Shilajit. It can treat a cough, respiratory conditions, and asthma.
It's a strong immune system enhancer and it can be used to help with the aging process. It helps treat high blood pressure, improves memory and thinking, treats anxiety/depression, even helps increase the body's natural metabolism.
It has also been known to treat eating disorders (anemia, bulimia, anorexia, etc) and increase natural hormone production. It removes toxins out of the body, helping your body function at its best. Shilajit can be consumed via capsules.
Adaptogens Final Words
Adding anything new into the diet is always something that should be discussed with a doctor. All of the herbs listed above are adaptogens and can help the human body deal with stress, environmental changes, sickness, or any other chronic illnesses.
Allowing these herbs into the daily diet can change everything and may even allow you to get better sleep, be pain-free, and live stress-free. It's very important to make sure the body is ready and capable of handling these herbs as they can have some negative effects as well.
Consuming just the right amount is very crucial, as having too much or too little could harm the human body. Adaptogens have been used since the world first began, as an all-natural supplement to improving the human body any way possible.
As humans, our bodies are all different and handle things differently. Just make sure to do some research before purchasing any type of supplement online as many of them are diluted and are not all-natural.
Many companies sell herbs that aren't all natural like they are supposed to be which will defeat the whole purpose of consuming them. Try looking at a local garden/farming house that grows them with little or no chemicals.
