Imagine you're in the middle of a hectic work week and you're feeling stressed, anxious and utterly exhausted. Your team is falling behind schedule because the supervisors changed the delivery criteria mid-stream—after receiving results from another “focus group”. The team’s Manchurian Candidate, Paul, is throwing yet another righteous tantrum because he doesn’t want to re-do his work. So, between the fights with the bosses and the underlings, everything is taking twice as long to complete and you slept at the office again last night, even though you promised your spouse those days were behind you. Oh, and it's now 8:56 AM and you’re in dire need of some deodorant and toothpaste. Welcome to Tuesday. You have four more days of this, um, bliss. You’re going to need a boost to make it through the week.
You could reach for a cup of coffee or an energy drink to get a quick boost, but you know those will just leave you feeling jittery and crashing by 3PM. If only there was a natural way to boos your energy. Then it hits you. The Lebron James of your team—the one who seems to know everything under the sun and always completes his work early—doesn’t drink coffee! Instead, he drinks these “fancy” beverages that contain adaptogens. So, you decide to give it a try. You walk over to Lebron James’ desk and ask him if he has a bottle to spare. As expected, he’s extremely enthused that someone is finally taking interest in his adaptogenic beverages. He reaches into the corner mini-fridge, pulls out a rose-colored bottle and hands it to you with a smile. You gulp it down. And…
Before you know it, it's 5PM and your entire team is laughing and smiling and you’re even high-fiving everyone. You can’t even remember what you were so worked up about at 9AM. You wonder if this is what "Lebron James" feels like everyday? You need more of that. So, you pull out your phone and google: What are adaptogens?
Adaptogens are a unique class of medicinal plants and mushrooms that have been used for centuries in Eastern medicine, particularly Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine. As a class of natural medicinal substances they have a wide range of health benefits.
What distinguishes adaptogens from other dietary ingredients is their ability to help the body adapt to stress, whether it’s physical, emotional, or environmental. They can help to improve mood, increase energy and stamina, reduce anxiety and promote better sleep. Unlike coffee or energy drinks, adaptogens are gentle on the system and won't leave you feeling wired, won’t bail out on you right around 3PM, or disrupt your sleep when its bedtime. This makes them extremely useful to humans, who are constantly exposed to stressors in today’s modern “always on” world.
Adaptogens ability to help the body maintain balance under stressful conditions makes them a unique class of ingredient worth exploring further.
So, even though all adaptogens are medicinal plants or mushrooms, not all medicinal plants or mushrooms are adaptogens. In order to qualify as an adaptogen, there is a well-understood criteria the plant or mushroom must meet.
Adaptogens must be:
Adaptogens work by helping to regulate the body’s response to external stressors. When we are overly stressed, our bodies release hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which prepare us for “fight or flight”. While this response is helpful in short-term situations, such chronic stress can lead to problems like anxiety, depression, and fatigue.
Adaptogens help to modulate this stress response, which in turn reduce the negative effects of chronic stress. They do this by affecting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is the body’s main regulatory system for the stress response. Adaptogens also help to improve the body’s antioxidant defenses, which protect cells against the damaging and life-shortening effects of stress.
Like Beck’s discography, the potential benefits of adaptogens are numerous and varied. Although the science still lags behind many of the claims attributed to adaptogenic use, there is a growing body of medical evidence to support many of these claims, especially as Western Medicine continues to embrace the exploration of traditional plant-based medicines.
This makes filtering traditional medicine health claims a bit like being the first person to rummage through the vinyl record crates at your 89-year-old neighbor’s garage sale. You are guaranteed to find some gems, but you’ll have to flip through a ton of bad Christmas albums to find them.
Some of the verified health benefits from regular adaptogenic use, include:
There are a few different ways to include adaptogens in your diet. One way is to take them as supplements, which are available in powder, capsule, or tincture form. You can also add adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms to soups, stews, and teas. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to get the benefits of adaptogens, try adding a scoop of an adaptogenic powder to your morning smoothie.
Another way to get the benefits of adaptogens is to eat them in food form. This can be done by adding adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms to your meals. Some good options include ashwagandha, reishi mushrooms, and cordyceps. You can also buy adaptogenic-infused foods like teas, coffee, and even chocolate online.
Adaptogens are generally considered safe for most people. However, if you have a medical condition or take medication, it’s always best to speak with your doctor before taking any new supplement, including adaptogens. This is because some adaptogens can interact with medications, and some people may be allergic to them.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also avoid taking adaptogens, as there is still not enough research to know if they are universally safe for these groups.
Side effects of adaptogens are rare but can include:
If you experience any side effects after taking adaptogens, stop taking them and speak with your doctor.
Adaptogens are available for purchase online and in many health food stores. When buying adaptogens, it’s important to do your research and purchase from a reputable source. This will ensure that you’re getting a high-quality product.
You can check out my favourites section, where I recommend several of the best adaptogenic products I’ve found online.
