All of us certainly deal with a number of things on a daily basis in life, and while those things can vary greatly from person to person, it’s safe to say that all of us would love to be able to reduce the amount of stress in our lives, while also helping improve focus and mental abilities at times.
There are a number of ways to go about doing those things — some medicinal, and some not. If you’re looking for a safer, more natural way to to quell the stress in your life, while also thinking more clearly, adaptogens could be exactly what you’re needing.
For those unaware, here’s a quick primer: Adaptogens are certain plants and herbs that can be taken as supplements, which then work within your body to not only reduce stress, but work towards achieving homeostasis. This is often by the way of stimulating or regulating production of certain hormones.
Adaptogens have a wide variety of uses, and researchers continue to conduct studies that provide more insight into their precise benefits and effects.
Below, we’ll go over the different ways adaptogens work to balance out your stress levels, and encourage better overall brain functioning as well.
Regulate Cortisol Levels
This is one of the most important ways in which many adaptogens work. Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands, which in turn regulate many areas of your health including your sleep cycle, responses to stress, and even your blood pressure.
There are a number of triggers that can throw off your cortisol levels, with the biggest one being external stress going on in your life, whether it’s from work, family, personal situations, etc.
Ashwagandha is perhaps the best of all adaptogens for stress, and regular consumption of it can keep your cortisol levels down to where they should be, helping you feel more calm, controlled, and clear headed.
Promote Brain Cell Regeneration
If you’re looking to have improved cognitive abilities, brain health is a great place to start.
Believe it or not, our brains are constantly losing and regenerating cells on an ongoing basis. The obvious goal here is to ensure that your body is able to keep up and not only stimulate new brain cell growth, but also keep existing ones healthy.
Adaptogens are known to promote brain cell growth and regeneration by triggering the proteins in the body responsible for doing so. Certain adaptogens such as ashwagandha are known for boosting the brain derived neurotrophic factor protein — an integral part of the process.
Alleviate Depression And Anxiety
The issues that stem from depression and anxiety can often be quite serious, even if you’re good at hiding it from most of the people you are around. Over time, these issues can affect your body and mind in severe ways, keeping you from being happy, while affecting relationships, how you work, and how you perform overall.
Adaptogens for anxiety can be counted on to inhibit stress pathways in the brain, which is a great complement to their cortisol-regulating properties as well. When combined, these two aspects can greatly reduce depression and anxiety in your life, especially when it’s mostly a chemical issue.
Balance Your Immune System
Our immune systems are at the front lines of our overall health. While not directly tied in to stress and brain function, anyone who’s ever been sick knows how it can definitely stress you out, and also affect your thinking and cognitive function at the time.
Ever tried complex problem-solving or trying to relax when having the flu? You get the idea.
Adaptogens have been shown to create a balance within your immune system, whether that means general support, or reducing problems such as inflammation. The end result is the ability to resist getting sick, or getting over sickness faster. Both are ideal.
Decrease Fatigue
The fight against fatigue is a daily struggle for all of us. You might shoot out of the gate with a burst of energy at the beginning of the day, but as it drags on, so do you. By the time the late afternoon hits, you’re struggling, and coffee isn’t helping.
The obvious solution to this is taking steps to reduce your fatigue, but this can be done in a lot of ways, most of which are easier said than done.
The best adaptogens for fatigue include rhodiola rosea, which can address fatigue on a number of levels. Taking rhodiola as a supplement can boost your brain function, while also staving off exhaustion and fatigue in general. It also has an effect on serotonin levels, which can provide you with a boost to your overall mood, which can reduce fatigue as well.
Boost Energy
Ah yes, the one thing we can all certainly appreciate for sure. Giving you energy levels a boost can help you power through a number of things, increasing your physical and mental performance, and helping you feel more optimal in general.
There are a number of adaptogens that can give you a notable energy boost, with two of them being ginseng and cordyceps. Take a supplements with these adaptogens, and you are sure to experience a measured boost to your energy, which will surely affect other areas of your body and mind positively too.
Conclusion
Adaptogens all center around the same types of benefits, but that’s what makes them so effective in the first place. Since adaptogens all work in different ways to promote homeostasis and optimal functioning overall, you can receive both reduction in stress and a surge in cognitive abilities when taking them.
Look for adaptogen supplements that contain ingredients such as ashwagandha, cordyceps, and rhodiola, and you’ll put yourself in a great position to experience these benefits for yourself, and see the difference it can make in how you feel on a daily basis.