Adaptogens for Stress: Are They Effective?
Everybody is stressed out these days. There’s a pandemic, a war in Europe, and a cost of living crisis that’s reaching unprecedented levels—it’s fair to say that we’re all living through some pretty hard times. Stress is a natural response to everything that’s going on in the world.
If you do not learn to deal with your stress healthily, then you could develop health problems, like depression, or worse, high blood pressure. Increased stress can be very bad for your health.
A lot of people are turning to adaptogens for stress. If you’ve heard of them before and want to know a little more about them, then this post will tell you everything that you need to know.
What Are Adaptogens?
An adaptogen is a herb or mushroom that’s believed to have health benefits, particularly a reduction in stress. The most popular adaptogenic products are mushrooms, which isn’t surprising since there’s a huge push in popular media for people to begin taking mushrooms (mainly of the psychedelic variety) to treat their mental health issues. The kinds of mushrooms used in the adaptogenic treatment are not psychedelic mushrooms though, which is important to note. Herbs, roots, and some seeds are also taken as adaptogens.
Conducting Research
If you are planning on taking any kind of adaptogen, then it is very important that you do as much research as you possibly can. Different adaptogens have different effects, meaning that you need to know what the adaptogen that you are buying does. Some are very effective for the treatment of stress, while others are effective for pain relief. You need to know what you are buying. Thankfully, there is a wide availability of information online, which you can use to make sure that you make sensible buying decisions.
Allergy Tests
Another thing that’s worth considering is allergies—do you have any? If you do have allergies or are very susceptible to certain allergens, then you need to make sure that you test yourself at your physician’s surgery before taking an adaptogen. Your physician may want you to perform a prick test, which involves pricking the skin and administering a small amount of the adaptogen that you want to use, to see if an allergic reaction forms. If an allergic reaction does become manifest, which it will in the form of a rash, then your doctor will recommend that you don’t go ahead with the adaptogenic treatment.
Consulting Physician
It is very important that you also consult your physician before you take any kind of adaptogen. The reason for this is that they can sometimes clash with pharmaceutical treatment. If you are on any kind of medication or treatment plan, your physician will need to be notified, so that they can make any alternative arrangements, recommendations, or advise that you don’t take the adaptogen. Your physician should always be plugged into what’s going on with your health, especially when it comes to the consumption of alternative medicines and adaptogens.
Are They Effective?
Yes, adaptogens are very effective for the treatment of stress, as well as a number of other health conditions. Different adaptogens have different effects. If you plan on taking them for stress, then you need to speak to the retailer that’s selling them and ask them which ones are the most effective for the treatment of stress. An alternative to reaching out to them is to conduct extensive research online, find the name of an adaptogen that’s useful for stress, and then find a retailer that’s selling that exact product in its purest form.
Buying Bulk
When you are buying adaptogens, it’s always good to try and purchase in bulk. By buying adaptogens in bulk, you will be able to ensure that you have lots of your chosen adaptogen and that you don’t have to go out and constantly buy more. Since you will likely have to order your adaptogen online, buying in bulk means that you have a lot of it, meaning that you don’t need to constantly buy more and more. As soon as you do begin running out, you can buy another bulk container. It’s usually a lot cheaper to buy adaptogens in bulk anyway.
Reliable Vendor
When you are buying adaptogens, you need to make sure that you are buying them from a reliable supplier. There are many companies and websites online purporting to be reliable and genuine, but that use adulterants and unnecessary additives in their products. You need to make sure that your adaptogens are in their purest form so that you can benefit from them. Always read a vendor’s reviews before you do business with them. Reading a website’s reviews will give you an idea of whether or not they are trusted and valued by their customers. It will also help you to understand what the quality of their products is like.
Stress Relief
Answering this post’s main question: yes, adaptogens can be used for the treatment of stress. However, before you begin using adaptogens for stress, you need to try and identify what’s causing you to feel stressed out. A lot of people are stressed out yet have absolutely no reason why they are. It’s perfectly normal to be stressed out, especially now with everything that’s going on in the world, however, if you can’t identify what’s causing it, then it will never get better, even if you take adaptogens.
A therapist will be able to work with you to identify what’s causing your stress. On a final note, it is also important to mention that some adaptogens can cause side effects. This is normal. If you do experience any side effects with any of the adaptogens that you are taking, then discontinue use if they become uncomfortable. If the side effects manifest as an allergic reaction, then take an antihistamine, or contact an ambulance if the reaction’s severe. An allergic reaction hasn’t got anything to do with the adaptogen itself, but instead the way your body is responding to it.
Adaptogens are very effective for the treatment of stress, although you need to make sure that you find the one that’s right for you (and that’s the most effective). The best way to do this is to do online research, read vendor reviews, and potentially even speak to your physician.
