What are Adaptogens?

Adaptogens are herbs, roots and other plant substances (like mushrooms) that help our bodies manage stress and restore balance after a stressful situation. People take adaptogens as herbal supplements in capsule form, drink them in teas or in a powder added to soups, smoothies and other foods.

List of the most Well Known Adaptogens:

• Korean Ginseng: Panax ginseng, ginseng, also known as Asian ginseng, Chinese ginseng, Japanese gingseng or Korean ginseng, is a species of plant whose root is the original source of ginseng. It is a perennial plant that grows in the mountains of East Asia. Ginseng has been used for improving overall health. It has also been used to strengthen the immune system and help fight off stress and disease.
• Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub that grows in Asia and Africa. It is commonly used for stress. Ashwagandha contains chemicals that might help calm the brain, reduce swelling, lower blood pressure, and alter the immune system. Ashwagandha also improves muscle recovery-growth, reduces anxiety-stress, and supports brain health.
• Rhodiola Rosea: Rhodiola is promoted to increase energy, stamina, strength, and mental capacity, improve athletic performance, resist the effects of stress, and help manage depression, anxiety, and other symptoms.
• Eleuthero: Eleuthero contains many chemicals that affect the brain, immune system, and certain hormones. People use eleuthero for genital herpes, diabetes, athletic performance, memory and thinking skills, the common cold, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.
• Holy Basil: Ocimum tenuiflorum, commonly known as Holy Basil, is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian tropics. Holy basil has been shown to boost your body's health in a variety of ways. It can help protect against infection, lower your blood sugar, lower your cholesterol, ease joint pain, and protect your stomach.
• Schisandra: Schisandra chinensis, whose fruit is called magnolia berry or five-flavor-fruit, is a vine plant native to forests of Northern China, the Russian Far East and Korea. Wild varieties are also found in Japan. Schisandra has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine to treat liver conditions, stomach disorders, and as a tonic to improve vitality.
• Cordyceps: Cordyceps is a genus of parasitic fungi that grows on the larvae of insects. When these fungi attack their host, they replace its tissue and sprout long, slender stems that grow outside the host’s body. The remains of the insect and fungi have been hand-collected, dried and used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries to treat fatigue, sickness, kidney disease and low sex drive.
• Liquorice: Liquorice or licorice is the common name of Glycyrrhiza glabra, a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring can be extracted. The liquorice plant is an herbaceous perennial legume native to Western Asia, North Africa, and Southern Europe. Today, licorice root is promoted as a dietary supplement for conditions such as digestive problems, menopausal symptoms, cough, and bacterial and viral infections. Licorice gargles or lozenges have been used to try to prevent or reduce the sore throat that sometimes occurs after surgery.
• Astragalus Propinquus: Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) is a type of flowering plant. The root has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). People commonly use astragalus for hay fever, diabetes, kidney disease, and many other conditions.
• American Ginseng: American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is an herb that grows mainly in North America. It's an endangered species in some states due to high demand. As an adaptogen American Ginseng helps the body's resistance to physical, environmental, and emotional stressors. American ginseng also contains chemicals called ginsenosides, which seem to affect insulin levels and lower blood sugar.
• Turmeric: Turmeric is a flowering plant, Curcuma longa, of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between 20 and 30 °C and high annual rainfall to thrive. The active ingredient in turmeric is a natural compound (polyphenol) called curcumin, which has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Supplementation of turmeric may be risky as to much can cause kidney stones and theiris also the fact that it is a hard nutrient to digest. Adding the spice to your daily diet may be a more afforable way to get it benefits into your daily life.
• Jiaogulan: Jiaogulan belongs to the genus Gynostemma, in the family Cucurbitaceae, which includes cucumbers, gourds, and melons. Its fruit is a small purple inedible gourd. It is a climbing vine, attaching itself to supports using tendrils. The serrated leaflets commonly grow in groups of five (as in G. pentaphyllum) although some species can have groups of three or seven leaflets. The plant is dioecious, meaning each plant exists either as male or female. Therefore, if seeds are desired, both a male and female plant must be grown. The plant is used in folk medicine, typically as an herbal tea, but may be used as an alcohol extract or in dietary supplements. Some limited research has assessed the potential for jiaogulan to affect such disorders as cardiovascular diseases, hyperlipidemia, or type 2 diabetes.
• Goji Berry: Goji Berries are tiny red fruits packed with antioxidants and powerful medicinal properties. They’re not only great for adding a pop of color to your plate but also delicious and full of flavor. These berries are often sold powdered or dried. Plus, they’re added to many supplements and juice blends for flavor and their antioxidant properties.
• Velvet Bean: Mucuna Pruriens is a tropical legume native to Africa and tropical Asia and widely naturalized and cultivated. Its English common names include monkey tamarind, velvet bean, Bengal velvet bean, Florida velvet bean, Mauritius velvet bean, Yokohama velvet bean, cowage, cowitch, lacuna bean, and Lyon bean. The seeds of these beans are high in levodopa and its derivatives. Levodopa is the precursor to dopamine. It crosses the blood-brain barrier to increase dopamine neurotransmission. Therefore, consuming velvet beans may increase your dopamine level.
• Brazilian Ginseng: Hebanthe erianthos, known as suma or Brazilian ginseng, is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae. The specific epithet is also spelt "eriantha", although the basionym is Iresine erianthos. The root of this rambling ground vine found in South America is used traditionally as a medicine and tonic. Suma root is touted to protect against many chronic diseases, including cancer. It's also praised for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, aphrodisiac, and fertility-enhancing properties in woman as it is a estrogen producing herb.
• Ganoderma Lucidum: Ganoderma lucidum, an oriental fungus, has a long history of use for promoting health and longevity in China, Japan, and other Asian countries. It is a large, dark mushroom with a glossy exterior and a woody texture. Ganoderma lucidum is an edible medicinal mushroom known as “Lingzhi” in China and “Reishi or Manetake” in Japan. It is a highly prized vitality-enhancing herb for > 2000 years.
• Cordyceps Militaris: Traditional Chinese medicine recommends the use of Cordyceps spp. for treating several human disorders such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, disorders of the liver and kidney, cancers, diabetes, infectious and parasitic diseases and sexual dysfunctions. Both Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris seem to increase testosterone levels, according to several animal studies. Cordyceps supplementation directly enhances the levels of serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone and improves sperm count and motility in tested animals. Human trails have not been done.
• Matrimony Vine: Matrimony vine – so named because once you have it growing, “you're married to it” – is a sprawling, thorny bush that grows in Butte where most other plants cannot. Matrimony Vine (Lycium barbarum) is a shrub native to China, with present-day range across Asia and southeast Europe. It is one of two species of boxthorn in the family Solanaceae from which the goji berry or wolfberry is harvested, the other being Lycium chinense.
• Basil:

  Basil also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also known as sweet basil or Genovese basil. Basil is native to tropical regions from Central Africa to Southeast Asia. In temperate climates basil is treated as an annual plant, however, basil can be grown as a short-lived perennial or biennial in warmer horticultural zones with tropical or Mediterranean climates.

  There are many varieties of basil including sweet basil, Thai basil, Lemon basil and African blue basil. Basil is a gas-relieving herb that may be helpful in calming an upset stomach. Carminatives (also called aromatic digestive tonics or aromatic bitters) may be used to relieve symptoms of indigestion, particularly when there is excessive gas.

• Longjack:

  Eurycoma longifolia, also known as tongkat ali, akar ali, pasak bumi, or longjack, is a flowering plant in the family Simaroubaceae with a wide range of uses and potential health benefits. It is native mainly to Malaysia and Indonesia, but also found in Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

  Tongkat ali is an herbal remedy that has been a part of traditional Southeast Asian medicine for centuries. It’s often used to treat a variety of ailments, including fevers, erectile dysfunction, and bacterial infections. Studies suggest that tongkat ali may boost male fertility, relieve stress, and improve body composition.

How much should be taken? Are there side effects?

Alway follow manufactures instruction.

Recent Studies

Adaptogenics though many have been in use for hundreds or even thousands of year they are just now being studied under a scientific lens.

Adaptogens Products

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