I didn’t all the time have a groggy, low-energy personality. I used to carry down multiple jobs, run regular half-marathons and rave until the club lights got here on. My problems began with sleep deprivation, missing full nights’ sleep for 3 years after having my daughter. Even after I (and she or he) began sleeping normally, my energy didn’t return. I read Maisie Hill’s insightful book about health and the menstrual cycle, Period Power, then diagnosed myself with adrenal fatigue – a condition brought on by prolonged periods of stress, leaving you continually exhausted no matter rest.

Adrenal fatigue shouldn’t be recognised in Western medicine – it’s “not an official medical diagnosis” based on Dr Federica Amati PhD, an AfN accredited nutritionist and public health scientist I spoke to – but its symptoms describe my life to a T. My most important concerns are fatigue, the flexibility to sleep perpetually (given the prospect) and a general feeling of overwhelm. It’s doubting my ability to get stuff done, then proving myself right. Multiple blood tests revealed no medical explanation for my constant exhaustion. Nonetheless, via my work as a journalist, I got to check out some cool alternative treatments, including the viral superfood of the moment, adaptogens.

Adaptogens are “a category of herbs that, very simply, help our bodies and minds adapt to emphasize”, based on Dr Heather Robinson, ND Naturopathic Doctor of the London Clinic of Nutrition. She explains that every herb interacts barely in another way with our systems, with different effects. “Some work on changing what cortisol, our primary ‘stress hormone’ released from our adrenals, does,” she says. “It’s obligatory to operate and feel energised and motivated, but like every little thing, needs to be in balance” Licorice root, for instance, “increases how long cortisol stays within the blood,” while ashwagandha “has a more cortisol lowering effect.” 

Other adaptogens work on modifying neurotransmitter activity, sometimes via the brain and sometimes the nervous system itself. “Some adaptogens fight inflammation which has a really close relationship with cortisol. Turmeric is often called a potent anti-inflammatory, but it surely’s also technically an adaptogen.” Functional mushrooms, meanwhile, like Cordyceps and Reishi, support the immune system by supporting white blood cell production.

Due to wellness culture and TikTok, where #ashwagandha has almost 400 million views, adaptogens are trending heavily at once – but they’ve been utilized in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for hundreds of years. Although not all trending natural remedies are really useful and even acknowledged by western medicine, adaptogens do have a base in evidence. A 2010 study found that “a lot of clinical trials show that adaptogens exert an anti-fatigue effect that increases mental work capability against a background of stress and fatigue, particularly in tolerance to mental exhaustion and enhanced attention.”

Dr Amati, who can also be chief scientist for Never Go Alone alongside her work as a postdoctoral medical scientist and nutritionist, says in some cases she advises clients to include adaptogens like ashwagandha and functional mushrooms due to the “exciting preliminary data for improved health outcomes” in recent studies. “They’ve  powerful natural compounds which may help reduce oxidative stress and so have a big effect at cellular level to mitigate the negative effects of stress.”  

Since meeting herbalist Natasha Richardson just a few months ago, I’ve been drinking ashwagandha in my morning cuppa, a ritual that truly makes me need to get off the bed to have it. Rested Resilience from Forage Botanicals, Richardson’s herbal treatment brand, also incorporates oat tops and hawthorn to manage blood pressure and is available in the shape of a chai latte powder which I mix with hot oat milk and add to rooibos. It’s hard to explain the subtle improvements from drinking it – it takes the sting off the doom and dread I feel on waking, leading to a more balanced mood. (Precisely the effect I used to be hoping for while dosing myself with drops of CBD oil through essentially the most stressful parts of lockdown, with zero noticeable results). 

Ashwagandha originates from the foundation of a shrub native to India and the Middle East and has long been utilized in Ayurvedic medicine for anxiety and depression. It really works, based on Dr Robinson, by “modifying neurotransmitter activity.” Neurotransmitters are little chemical messengers that regulate things like serotonin, dopamine and GABA which affect mood. “They play a task in how we feel, our sense of reward, motivation, memory and anxiety,” she explains. Ashwagandha also lowers cortisol, the ‘stress’ hormone.

The following adaptogen on the list was mushroom tea (non-psychedelic) which I attempted on the launch of a recent brand of mushroom-influenced skincare, Herbar. After dinner, I felt energised enough to walk a part of the best way home, then lay awake, fascinated with things in bed. Within the morning I woke pre-alarm and got straight up, without scrolling and pretending the day wasn’t happening. I wanted to start out work as soon as possible so got my laptop and began smashing out my to-do list. Around midday the next day, my focus faded and I went back to my normal spaced-out self.

Having quit caffeine during my sleepless period with the intention to nap or have an early night, I sometimes struggle to pay attention. Reintroducing caffeine made me anxious, so I now go without it. I like my deep sleeps, but miss caffeine’s power to mentally get me within the zone so I used to be overjoyed to find mushroom tea adds mental sharpness. The energy boost doesn’t end in the identical crash, or wired, anxious feeling I get from coffee and tea. “It really works on the brain and nervous system itself,” Dr Robinson explains. “Lion’s mane contributes to the discharge of Nerve Growth Factor, helping with memory, attention and even recovery from physical stressors like concussions.” It’s no wonder online reviews have shown its popularity with the ADHD community to finish their tasks. 

One other key difference between caffeine and adaptogens is that adaptogens help your body construct resilience over time so that you won’t turn into depending on them. “The goal with herbal medicine is to support re-establishing the body’s harmony and homeostasis,” says Dr Robinson. “Because of this the herb(s) are performing some heavy lifting initially, but over time is supporting your body’s ability to do this by itself.” She recommends taking supplements for at least six weeks, or more usefully, three months then assessing results, although cautions that everybody’s needs are vastly different.

When you’re wondering about sampling these herbs, Dr Robinson says dosing makes an enormous difference. “There are a whole lot of wonderful powders and elixirs available on the market, should you’re searching for slightly additional support,” she says. Nonetheless, “should you’re in need of more powerful herbs since you’re really struggling to address stress, fatigue, brain fog, the powders and elixirs may not cut it because the dose is just too low.” If that’s the case, lifestyle changes in addition to a visit to an expert may very well be so as.

Dr Amati also stresses the importance of your weight-reduction plan and lifestyle as a complete, fairly than counting on adaptogens as a “magic bullet”, explaining that exhaustion, stress and fewer nutritious diets are sometimes connected. “I do come across clients that suffer from the impacts of stress and low energy, as so lots of us struggle to balance busy work, family and social lives,” she says. “Food is commonly neglected first, when it’s the fuel that all of us need for good mental and physical health.” 

She recommends “adding more helpful foods with whole plant products resembling Indi supplements and phyto nectars to extend the range of plants and useful plant chemicals in our diets”, in addition to remembering that “good sleep, moving outdoors each day, connecting with family and friends and maintaining a great level of hygiene throughout our busy days” all contribute to feeling healthier and stronger.

Bear in mind should you’re on any medications (contraceptive pill included), that there could also be interactions between herbs and the efficacy of your medication. Double check with a practitioner that it’s protected for you.