What are Adaptogens? 3 Important Facts You Need to Know

The world is changing, and it's happening fast. That's why it's so important to take care of ourselves by using adaptogens that can help us cope with stress, anxiety or depression. 🌱👨‍💻

The first is an unusually easy approach to deal with stress. I came across it when I was on the verge of having anxiety attacks. It’s to take a couple of seconds each day by taking natural adaptogens. But first, you need to know what an adaptogen is.

Adaptogens—the active ingredients in certain plants and mushrooms—may help your body cope with stress, anxiety, and fatigue. These adaptogenic actions are delivered by three qualities that plants must have to be an adaptogen: non-toxicity when taken in normal doses, the ability to support homeostasis (or balance), and allowing your body to return to normal after a stressful event.

Some popular adaptogens include ashwagandha, which has been shown to reduce cortisol, your stress hormone by up to 30%. But, a word of caution, this can lower blood pressure. Avoid it if you're on blood pressure medication.

Next, is l-theanine, an amino acid found in black tea that's known to reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality and focus; and rhodiola rosea, a plant whose berries have been used for centuries by Russian cosmonauts on missions into space.

These herbs can help you adapt to stress by improving memory function, reducing fatigue and alleviating feelings of depression or anxiety—all key factors that help keep high achievers sharp when they're under pressure.