From the moment we are roughly aware of the world around us as children, stress appears. The calendar swells with approaching deadlines and schoolwork, then comes work, family obligations, or such mundane things as an unexpected breakdown of the washing machine. Small and large decision-making situations and tasks in life, or just plain tiredness, can all generate stress in our lives. And if we don’t find a solution to treat it, the problem can be bigger than we think… how can herbs help us in these situations? Our article will reveal!
“Adaptogenic herbs” doesn’t sound so good in Hungarian, but in English it immediately highlights what it’s all about: the word adapt, meaning to adapt, is not in the name by chance. These herbs are able to accustom our bodies to everyday stress situations, thus treating these annoying little things without any major negative effects.
Official research proves that adaptogenic herbs can eliminate fatigue, boost our brain power, and reduce depression and anxiety ! 1
To understand how much of a problem stress can cause, we need to understand how our bodies function in such situations. Stress is an automatic reaction from our bodies that consists of three stages:
– First comes the emergency reaction, we feel our heart start to beat faster, more blood goes to the muscles and brain.
– Then comes the resistance phase, when our body tries to resolve the situation on its own, but if the stressful situation persists for a long time, it will drag on, which can cause high blood pressure and sleep disturbances.
– And when the energy reserves in our body run out, the third stage comes, exhaustion. At this point, the body simply gives up the fight because it has nothing left to defend itself with, and various, more serious diseases come.
Adaptogens are natural antidotes to these, helping us to never reach the second stage.
Here are 8 adaptogenic herbs that can help you overcome stress.
1. Ginseng
What is it good for? It boosts energy, increases physical and mental performance, can reduce fatigue, and supports the immune system.
2. Fragrant rosehip (Rhodiola rosea)
What is it good for? It relieves physical and mental fatigue.
3. Turmeric
What is it good for? It can be beneficial for brain function, as well as digestive complaints and arthritis – thus improving general well-being.
4. Goji Berry
What is it good for? It increases physical and mental performance, calms, helps with sleep, and improves well-being.
5. Grape seed
What is it good for? It helps reduce tension, makes the body more resistant to emotional stress, and also helps improve mental performance.
6. Aloe vera
What is it good for? It helps fight fatigue and increases resistance to psychological stress.
7. Ashwagandha
What is it good for? It helps with sleep, maintaining emotional and mental stability, and improving general well-being.
8. Maca root
What is it good for? It increases physical and mental performance and enhances sexual desire.
There are three very simple rules for consuming adaptogens:
1. Find an adaptogen that suits you and can be easily incorporated into your daily routine!
2. Always change and try new adaptogens every six months so that your body can make the most of their beneficial properties!
3. Don’t take more of them than you need!
Fortunately, there are many different adaptogenic herbs, so we can completely customize which one suits us best, and even when and what we take. For example, ginseng can be good in the morning , as it revs up our body, while St. John’s wort is recommended in the evening, as it is calming and can also help with sleep.
What’s important to note is that we should start cautiously, with small doses, or seek the opinion of a specialist, and experiment to see what works best for us.