Stress busting herbs: the power of adaptogens

Let’s face it: life in Hong Kong for most people is stressful. The fast pace of living, working and playing can take its toll. Living far from the everyday support of family and friends; significant travel demands and work pressures all contribute to our sense of stress.

Air pollution adds a physical layer too, causing free radical damage to our bodies; noise pollution causes sleep disturbances affecting our cardiovascular health and driving up blood pressure. It’s no wonder we’re stressed.

The good news is: herbs can help support a healthy stress response, soothing our nervous system and helping heal our body and mind.

There are thousands of herbs from a wide range of ancient traditions that have supported healing for centuries and are commonly used in western naturopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic medicine from India; and homeopathy.

But, there’s a certain special group of medicinal herbs called adaptogens. These botanicals increase our ability to adapt to, and ease stress from tough environmental or workload related situations.

So, which adaptogens should you focus on if you want to reduce your stress levels?

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

Ashwagandha is used in Ayurvedic medicine and western naturopathy. Some call Ashwaganda the ‘Indian Ginseng’ as it has tonic properties.

One of the most common standardised forms is called Sensoril – and it’s been widely studied for its benefits to mental health and sleep.

Research shows that those with chronic stress saw a reduction in fatigue, stress and / or low mood by 72% within 2 months of taking Sensoril. A study also showed that 70% of the participants experienced better sleep – which is essential for improving mental wellbeing, energy and concentration.

The researchers concluded “Ashwagandha root extract safely and effectively improves an individual’s resistance towards stress and thereby improves self-assessed quality of life.”

Ashwagandha also supports better memory and concentration.

Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus or “Eleuthero” for short)

Russian experiments show that Siberian ginseng can protect against many physical stressors including heat, cold, blood loss and illness.

One study shows that taking a Siberian Ginseng supplement for eight weeks enhances endurance capacity, elevates cardiovascular function and supports metabolic health.

Taking Siberian ginseng has also been found to boost endurance for people working across a wide range of professions from pilots to proof-readers. The proof-readers demonstrated the ability to work more quickly and make fewer mistakes.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola rosea is commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and also in Scandinavia and Russia where it is used to relieve the effects of living in cold, harsh weather.

In a human study of 128 patients aged 17-55, Rhodiola alleviated fatigue, irritability, distractibility and weakness in 64 percent of the cases.

In a study of students, physicians and scientists, Rhodiola was given for 2-3 weeks several days before intense intellectual work like final exams. The extract improved the amount and quality of work and prevented decreased performance due to fatigue.

Another study showed that medical students who took a Rhodiola extract for 20 days had significant reduction in mental fatigue and improvement in general well-being, final exam grades and physical fitness.

Rhodiola helps the body adapt to stress by regulating levels of mood related neurotransmitters found in the brain, supporting the nervous system. It appears Rhodiola inhibits the breakdown of neurotransmitters, while facilitating neurotransmitter transportation within the brain.

Holy basil

Also known as tulsi, research shows that holy basil is able to relieve stress and low mood – at a comparable rate to anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications.

It helps protect people from multiple origins of stress – including chemical, physical and emotional.

One study demonstrated that holy basil helped people feel more sociable.⁷

Animal studies showed that holy basil may be protective against noise pollution, as it helped lower stress in loud places.

As well as boosting mood health, tulsi also helps boost cognitive health, improving mental agility, memory and attention.

Schisandra

Research shows that schisandra protects against stress-inducing environments from extreme heat and cold, to swimming under load and heavy metal exposure. It’s able to increase physical and mental function, increasing endurance in all aspects. 

Magnolia

Magnolia is considered by some to be an adaptogen, but technically, it’s more of a nervine. Nervines are similar to adaptogens, but rather than adapting your body’s response to stress, they nurture your nervous system in order to achieve a state of relaxation.

Magnolia helps defend against oxidative stress, a contributing factor for mental health conditions. Studies have shown it’s effective in relieving stress and improving your mood.

This botanical is also supportive for better sleep, helping reduce the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, as well as increasing the quality of deep sleep (REM). This is thanks to magnolia’s ability to boost superhero neurotransmitter for relaxation, GABA.

Lavender

You likely already know about lavender’s soothing powers. Able to relieve stress and low mood, lavender is more than just a regular essential oil – it’s also considered to be a nervine.

A study concluded that lavender plays an important role for neurotransmitter function, reducing anxiety. Lavender also stimulates the GABA pathway, a calming neurotransmitter that supports better relaxation and sleep.

In Summary

Adaptogens can help support a healthy stress response and better sleep: two key pillars for better mental health.

You can find herbal formulas featuring our top adaptogens in our online shop. Our practitioners recommend Sereni-Pro, a potent formula which we have found helps nearly everybody sleep better at night, feel more relaxed with more energy and ability to concentrate during the day.

For herbal recommendations specific to your needs, you can ask our Integral Health Advisor for a free 15 minute consultation, or meet with one of our naturopaths.

References
Panossian, A.; Wikman, G.; Wagner, H, Plant adaptogens. III. Earlier and more recent aspects and concepts on their mode of action, 1999.
Kuo J, Chen KW, Cheng IS, et al., The effect of eight weeks of supplementation with Eleutherococcus senticosus on endurance capacity and metabolism in human. Chin J Physiol, 2010
Glatthaar-Saalmuller B, Sacher F, Esperester A. Antiviral activity of an extract derived from roots of Eleutherococcus senticosus. Antiviral Res, 2001.
Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of Ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Ind Jnl Psych Med, 2012.
Darbinyan V, Kteyan A, Panossian A, Gabrielian E, Wikman G, Wagner H. Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue–a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty. Phytomedicine, 2000.
Chioca LR, et al., Anxiolytic-like effect of lavender essential oil inhalation in mice, J Ethnopharmacol, 2013.
D Bhattacharyya et al, A clinical study on the management of generalised anxiety disorder with Vaca (Acorus calamus), 2011.
Negar J, Marc M C, The Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Tulsi in Humans: A Systematic Review of the Literature, 2017
Alexander G P, Wikman G, Pharmacology of Schisandra chinensis Bail, 2008