What is an adaptogen and how can it help me?

What is an adaptogen and how can it help me?

By Shannon, Posted in Herbal Remedies

Sprinting through stressful life has become a norm these days.

Stressful meetings, deadlines, breakups, meltdown, COVID, lockdowns, and whatnot…

These are the times for when nature came up with the idea of producing herbs and mushrooms with adaptogenic properties.

The notion of adaptogen appeared on the face of the earth in the year 1947. It was coined as a term to label a substance that is capable of opposing stress. The stress-protective effect of adaptogens is markedly induced by the regulation of homeostasis and stabilization of normal body functions. Adaptogens are marketed as teas, tinctures, powders that you can season over your food or pack into the capsule.

In this post, we are going to highlight the 3 most powerful and trusted adaptogens with booming additional perks.


Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a nurturing Ayurvedic adaptogen that aids the body in managing stressful conditions, thus providing resilience against disorders related to blood sugar levels, thyroid levels, cortisol levels, and ascorbic acid levels.

The anti-stress effect of Ashwagandha root is known to help with the treatment and prevention of stress-induced diseases, including gastric ulcer, arthritis, diabetes, carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, premature aging, and tumor formation.


Tulsi (Holy Basil)

The whole plant of holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflourm) acts as an adaptogen and governs the management of stress and anxiety. It helps the body adapt to stress and brings balance in its physical and mental state.

Holy basil reduces stress, exhaustion, forgetfulness, fatigue, sleep disorders, and sexual dysfunctions in both men and women. It also changes the course of stress induced diseases, especially diabetes and high cholesterol.


Reishi Mushroom

Mushroom is the oldest art of nature. With fierce spirits, they complete the picture of a rainy day and receive the dew drops from heaven. Being high on mushroom magic is a next-level ecstasy.

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is one of those edible mushrooms that you can munch on whenever you want unless you are allergic to it. It soothes the nervous system and imparts relaxation and peace to our minds. It presets our brain to find the root cause of the disorder and takes it down in one go.

Reishi mushroom regulates the functioning of the adrenal gland, which is responsible for the secretion of cortisol hormone (modulates the body’s response to stress). This way, reishi protects us against multiple stressors, such as cold exposure, nerve damage, memory loss, hypertension, oxygen depletion, stress-induced anxiety, and exercise-induced muscle cell destruction.