By John Hand –
Stress is an unfortunate and seemingly growing part of almost everyone’s life. Whether it is caused by running late for work, falling behind on bills or just getting pulled in too many directions, the body cues a three-stage response to stress that includes: alarm, resistance and exhaustion. Thankfully, more people are finding relief by chilling out with booming adaptogens, natural compounds that help the body manage stress and maintain balance.
In the face of this stress epidemic, many people are increasingly turning to adaptogens for relief. The science supporting the effectiveness of adaptogens is admittedly limited, but the adaptogen market nonetheless has boomed into a multi-billion dollar, albeit unregulated, industry that’s generated a wide variety of products. Do these offerings help? It remains unclear, but with minimal side effects, adaptogens may be a low-risk way to combat stress.
Adaptogens trace their origins back at least 80 years. During World War II, the Soviet Union was searching for a way to sharpen the minds of its soldiers. Soviet scientists thought they found the solution to their problem with plant-based products they called adaptogens. Almost 50 years later in 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first labeled adaptogens as: “A new kind of metabolic regulator that has been proved to help in environmental adaptation and to prevent external harms.” Since then, the FDA hasn’t done much more to regulate their use, but there are still some rules in place.
For a plant, herb or mushroom to be an adaptogen, it must do three things. This includes working to relieve the body of stress, returning the body to a homeostasis state and being non-toxic. Beyond this, not all adaptogens are the same. They don’t even offer similar alleged outcomes.
Ashwagandha, for example, is said to reduce anxiety and depression. Ginseng, in turn, combats fatigue, while reishi claims to boost the immune system. Schisandra is purported to improve concentration. Tulsi, for its part, is supposed to increase focus.
Perhaps equally surprising is that it is unknown how many chemicals each adaptogen holds because the whole plant is used in making the adaptogen. Two plants of the same adaptogen, for example, could hold different amounts of chemicals based on factors in the growing phase like climate, the soil and fertilizer. This ultimately means it is difficult if not impossible to determine how much adaptogen to take or even how many adaptogens an individual is taking at any one time.
Proponents of adaptogens cite their ability to control cortisol levels for their beneficial effects. The body releases the cortisol hormone in response to stress to provide an energy boost needed to deal with a stressful situation. The downside is that frequent and high levels of cortisol can lead to inflammation and pain.
Adaptogens are believed to help manage cortisol levels, therefore reducing stress. A meta-analysis of adaptogen studies also revealed that adaptogens may also treat chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment and boost immune systems.
The catch in all this is that it remains unclear why adaptogens relieve stress, which some claim calls into question their effectiveness. Most studies conducted on adaptogens have been done in labs on animals. Only a few adaptogens focus on humans. Beyond this, a lot of information about adaptogens comes from dated Soviet studies done during the 1940s, which many scientists now consider unreliable. One recent study did show that adaptogens could be used as a cure for long-term COVID-19. Yet even this research was challenged because it was sponsored by a company that sells adaptogens. In addition, the study’s placebo test group reported similar beneficial feelings as the adaptogen test group in the same period.
Whether effective or not, people are buying into the adaptogen market. In 2024, the global market for these products was almost $12 billion. By the end of the decade, this market is expected to grow by almost 50 percent to more than $17 billion. This rapid and largely unregulated growth unfortunately could clear the way for a flood of unreliable products.
“[Supplement companies] can just say it works,” Dr. Rashmi Mullar, a UCLA assistant professor, warned in an interview with Vox. “They can sell it or they can spend a bunch of money to study it and potentially find that it has no benefit. There’s too much risk.”
There, however, may be merit for adaptogens such as ashwagandha and ginseng given their history as traditional medicines in ancient Asian and Indian cultures. In addition, unless someone is pregnant, the risks associated with adaptogens are minimal. This may make it worth a try for those willing to spend money on an adaptogen capsule, powder or tea.
