The term adaptogen was first used back in 1947 to give a name to a group of plants that help the body resist stressors. However, many adaptogens have been used in traditional medicine for centuries.
What are adaptogens?
As their name suggests they adapt to what your body needs, if your body needs more energy, they get active and if you need to wind down they help you do so.
Adaptogens work a bit like an intervention. When we face a stressor, our bodies go through a 3-stage response called GAS- general adaptation syndrome. The stages are:
- Alarm
- Resistance
- And exhaustion.
An adaptogen helps our body stay in the resistance stage, helping us continue through whatever stress we're dealing with.
With continued use the idea is that adaptogens restore the body’s natural immune function and ability to adapt to different stressors, restoring wellness and vitality.
How adaptogens help
By regulating our response to stress, adaptogens can help us:
- Reduce cortisol levels
- Increase energy
- Improve blood sugar levels
- Balance hormones
- Reduce inflammation
- Prevent chronic stress
- Support immunity
Whilst more scientific research is needed into the effects of different adaptogens, initial research is promising. To find out more about two different uses for adaptogens click below.
Adaptogens to aid immunity
Adaptogens to aid stress
The below table shows a few typical adaptogens with their most common uses.
|
Turmeric |
Can boost brain function and reduces depression |
| Tulsi/Holy basil |
Helps reduce physical and mental stress, stress-related anxiety, and depression |
| Goji berry |
Can boosts energy, physical and mental performance, calmness and can help improve sleep. |
| Ashwagandha |
Helps Reduces stress and anxiety |
| Reishi |
Helps to boost immunity |
| Rhodiola |
Helps mediate fight-or-flight stress responses to lower anxiety, fatigue, and depression |
| Maca |
Primarily associated with energy and fertility |
| Liquorice |
Helps increase energy and endurance and help boost the immune system |
| Astragalus root |
Helps reduce stress and ageing by protecting the telomeres (structures linked with agin, located at the end of each chromosome) |
| Nettle |
An adaptogen herb that supports the adrenal glands and give added energy |
| Matcha tea |
Helps support healthy glucose responses and combats the body’s inflammatory responses. |
Superfood juices with adaptogens
Many of our juices contain adaptogens. For example our Elixir Vitality juice contains Goji berries. Our blended greens juice contains nettle juice. And our apple ginger and turmeric juice contains turmeric.
For an easy way to add adaptogens to your diet order your superfood juices today.
