Healing Power of Adaptogens: What You Need to Know
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If you are keeping up with the news from the world of medicine, you will see that there are thousands of complicated studies and experiments trying to find a cure for tons of health conditions. However, what we often forget is that humans came from nature and that we are made to be one with that nature. A lot of what we need can be found in plants growing all around us. In fact, if you are drinking green tea for its antioxidant properties or taking Valerian root to relax, you are already experiencing the benefits of herbs.
Adaptogenic herbs are your best ally in dealing with chronic stress and fatigue because they are useful for regulating hormones, boosting the immune system and so much more. Do we have your attention now? Good, because now you are going to find out everything you ever need to know about adaptogens.
What are adaptogens?
The therapeutic use of plants goes way back to ancient civilizations, and different areas had specific herbs used for certain purposes. Nowadays, we have the benefit of the global village where we can learn and “take” things from other cultures without having to travel all the way to another end of the world to do that.
It is vital to know that not all herbs are adaptogens. Adaptogenic herbs influence many organs of an organism, increase the resistance to a broad spectrum of adverse physical, chemical, and biological factors, and help maintain hormone balance.
How can adaptogens improve one’s health?
Some of the ways adaptogenic plants can influence your health include silencing a stress-activated enzyme (JNK), protecting the mitochondria from stress-induced damage, supporting healthy weight, stimulating the production of proteins that help resist stress, enhancing longevity, regulating the immune and nervous system, and providing antidepressant benefits, to name a few.
How to take adaptogens?
Depending on the plant and the part of the plant with adaptogenic properties, these herbs can be consumed in a number of ways.
You can brew the adaptogen in a tea, use it as a spice for a meal, or take it in a capsulated supplement form.
While it is useful and recommended to introduce a healthy variety of these herbs into your diet, you might find that some capsules contain multiple adaptogens all acting with the same goal of solving a specific health problem you are facing. For example, a cortisol blocker packed with adaptogens such as Ashwagandha, Holy Basil, Magnolia Bark, and Golden Root, can be far more effective than using basil as a seasoning for your pasta.
When acquiring the adaptogens in their unprocessed form, you should make sure they are produced in a sustainable manner and without herbicides or pesticides that could affect their healing power with toxic chemicals.
The unique benefits of adaptogenic herbs
Different adaptogens have different ways of aiding your wellbeing, so you shouldn’t just randomly take them and hope they’ll help.
Here are a few commonly used adaptogens and their healing properties which will help you get a clearer picture:
- Ashwagandha is traditionally been for bad dreams, anxiety, mild OCD, nervous exhaustion, and insomnia. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory which makes it suitable for treating restless leg syndrome, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and even mild Tourette’s syndrome.
- Holy Basil herb or Tulsy is a mildly stimulating adaptogen. It has antibacterial, antidepressant, antiviral, antioxidant, expectorant, and carminative properties. In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, holy basil is believed to be rejuvenating and to have memory-boosting and energizing capabilities.
- Schizandra, the woody vine from China, has cardioprotective properties. It also helps enhance glutathione production and stimulates liver glycogen and protein synthesis, which makes it a powerful detoxifying nutrient.
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Other adaptogenic plants you should know about are Asian Ginseng root, Rhodiola root, Jiaogulan herb, Cordyceps, Eleuthero root, Wu Wei Zi berries, Dang Shen root, Licorice rhizome, and Reishi fungus.
In combination with a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, adaptogenic herbs can make a huge difference in your wellbeing. It is good to know that not all conditions require relying on prescription medications that can harm your stomach and other organs in the process of treating one problem. Of course, if you have any doubts about introducing adaptogens into your diet, feel free to discuss them with your physician.