Adaptogens 101: The Incredible Health Benefits, Explained

Dealing with more stress than usual? You're not alone. Chronic stress can take a toll on your sleep, your mood and your long-term health, so it's no surprise more people are looking for ways to manage it.

That's where adaptogens come in. You've probably seen the word on everything from lattes to gummies. So what are adaptogens, what can they actually do, and what does the research say? Let's get into it.

What are adaptogens?

Adaptogens are herbs and mushrooms that are thought to help your body handle stress. The term describes substances that increase the body's "nonspecific resistance" to physical, chemical and biological stressors and help bring it back to balance (homeostasis).¹

Many have a long history in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine. Today they're taken as capsules, powders, teas, tinctures or added to smoothies, since some are too bitter to eat as food.

A quick reality check: much of the research on how adaptogens work comes from animal and cell studies.¹ Human research is growing, but for most adaptogens it's still limited.

Common adaptogens and what the research says

• Ashwagandha: the best-studied adaptogen for stress. A review of nine randomized trials found it lowered perceived stress, anxiety scores and cortisol compared with placebo.²
• Rhodiola rosea: traditionally used for fatigue. Some trials found it helped physical and mental fatigue, but the results are mixed and many studies had design flaws.³
• Holy basil (tulsi): traditionally used for relaxation and stress.
• Maca: a root traditionally used for energy and mood.
• Siberian ginseng and astragalus: traditionally used for fatigue and resilience.
• Bacopa monnieri: traditionally used for memory and focus.
• Licorice root: traditionally used for energy and endurance, but it comes with real cautions (see below).

For the traditional herbs on this list, the human evidence is still early, so treat the claims you see online with healthy skepticism.

Adaptogenic mushrooms

As you explore adaptogens, you'll also run into adaptogenic mushrooms. A few highlights:

• Cordyceps: in one trial, it improved tolerance to high-intensity exercise after three weeks of use.⁴
• Lion's mane: in a small trial in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, it improved cognitive scores while people were taking it.⁵
• Reishi: often used for stress, sleep and immune support. A Cochrane review found it may modestly boost some immune markers in people with cancer alongside standard treatment, but the evidence was low quality and not enough to use it as a treatment.⁶
• Chaga, shiitake and turkey tail: popular for antioxidant and immune support, with most research so far in the lab.

How adaptogens may help with stress

When you're stressed, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol. That raises your heart rate and blood pressure and kicks off the fight-or-flight response. In the short term, that's useful. When it sticks around, it's not.

Stress can come from all sorts of places:

• Biological factors, like illness or injury
• Environmental factors, like extreme heat or cold
• Physical stress, like ongoing lack of sleep
• Day-to-day stress, like sitting in heavy traffic
• Life events, like losing a job or going through a divorce

Adaptogens won't change what's happening in your life. The idea is that they may help your body respond to stress more smoothly. The ashwagandha trials above, which measured lower cortisol and stress scores, are the clearest example in people so far.²

Side effects and safety

For most healthy adults, many adaptogens are well tolerated, but "natural" doesn't mean risk-free.

• Ashwagandha may be safe for short periods (up to about three months), but long-term safety isn't established. Avoid it if you're pregnant, breastfeeding or about to have surgery, and know it may interact with some medications.⁷
• Licorice root at high doses can make your body hold on to salt and water and lose potassium, which can raise blood pressure. People with high blood pressure or heart disease, and pregnant people, should avoid it.⁸
• Interactions: herbal supplements can interact with prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and other supplements.

Talk to your doctor before trying an adaptogen for the first time, especially if you take medication or have a health condition.

The bottom line

Adaptogens are herbs and mushrooms that may help your body handle stress. Ashwagandha has the strongest human evidence so far, others are promising but still early, and none of them replace sleep, movement, good food and real downtime.

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