What are Adaptogens?
Adaptogens are a group of herbs that help to protect you, physically, mentally and emotionally, from the negative impacts of stress. In other words, they help your body to adapt to stress.
The term adaptogen was coined by Russian scientists in the mid 1900’s when they were researching ginseng, to refer to a plant that can help to increase bodily resistance to environmental stress. In general, for a herb to be considered an adaptogen, it must fulfill the following 3 criteria:
Non-toxic
Increase non-specific defenses in the body (i.e. help to increase the body’s ability to resist the negative effects of various chemical, physical, environmental or mental/emotional stressors).
Have a normalizing effect on physiology
In Ayurveda, many adaptogenic herbs are known as Rasayanas, which means plants that have a rejuvenating capacity, and in Traditional Chinese Medicine, they are often referred to as Qi Tonics. In Western medicine, adaptogens are touted for their effects on the HPA-axis (hypothalamas-pituitary-axis).
As with all plant medicine: individualization is best
Not all adaptogens the same. As with all plant medicine, each adaptogenic herb has a particular energetic profile (ie, some are more heating, some are more cooling; some more relaxing, some more stimulating) and each one has additional medicinal effects outside of its adaptogenic properties. For example, bacopa has neuroprotective effects and reishi has immunomodulatory properties.
There are many plants and fungi that fall into the category of adaptogens, including astragalus, gotu kola, eleuthero, schisandra and chaga mushroom. They all have their own unique “personalities” and it’s always ideal to work with a practitioner versed in herbal medicine to determine which adaptogen(s) (if any!) are most indicated for you as an individual.
To help illustrate some of the differences, below is a brief overview of some of the unique properties of 3 different adaptogens: ashwagandha, rhodiola and tulsi.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a cooling, calming adaptogen. It’s well suited for stressed out individuals with anxiety and poor sleep (think: “wired and tired”). It can be helpful for people who tend to emotionally eat from stress and people who feel like they are almost buzzing/vibrating with stress throughout the day. It also has anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective (joint protective) effects so can help with pain. It helps to improve vitality and resilience.
Rhodiola
Rhodiola is straight up Viking medicine (no, for real, Vikings would use it during long voyages or to prepare for battle). It’s really helpful for people who are burned out, depressed and are experiencing brain fog. I often use it as part of my approach in cases of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. It’s very stimulating compared to ashwagandha, and may be too stimulating for some people. It does interact with some pharmaceuticals, so be sure to work with a practitioner versed in both herbal and pharmaceuticals before taking this if you’re taking pharmaceutical medications.
Tulsi
Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, is considered a sacred herb and is very revered in India. Tulsi translates to “the incomparable one,” and for good reason. It has so many effects in the body including antioxidant, immunomodulatory, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, hepatic-protective effects. It is beneficial for people with metabolic syndrome; research shows beneficial effects on insulin and cholesterol levels after 12 weeks of drinking tulsi tea. It is also very protective against environmental exposures (I always take tulsi tea with me when I travel, and was especially grateful for tulsi during my last trip to India during which the air pollution was particularly bad).
I hope that the above 3 examples give you an idea of the diversity in adaptogenic herbs (and that’s just 3 out of SO MANY!). It’s ideal to work with a practitioner well versed in herbal medicine to determine which might be best for you. If you want to learn more, and hear me talk even more about adaptogens, check out my conversation with Ashley Koff, RD, below:
What’s Better & Not: Adaptogens 101: Conversation with Ashley Koff, RD