The 5 plants that could soothe away your stress
Called adaptogens, they’re the hot new health craze. You snack on them, pop them as pills – or whizz them up in a smoothie!
Hands up if you feel stressed, exhausted and lacking in energy. Chances are that’s most of us: stress is the modern epidemic making us feel lacklustre, lowering our libidos — and making us fat.
One alarming recent survey revealed that stressed women office workers ate their way through 2,240 extra calories a week in snacks.
The latest solution to stress? adaptogens — an unwieldy name for a group of plants that are so- called because they help the body adapt to stress and give it an energy boost.
There are around 20 plants that qualify as adaptogens, a term coined in 1947 by a Russian pharmacologist who was investigating the stress-busting and energy-enhancing herbs that traditional Chinese and Indian ayurvedic doctors had been using for centuries.
They were once the preserve of hardcore medical herbalists, but are now big news on the wellness scene and becoming more mainstream by the day.
adaptogens such as rhodiola, maca and ashwagandha are popping up as key ingredients in everything from skincare to teabags, smoothie powders and supplements.
as you might expect, they’ve been popular in Los angeles for a while: actress and wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow reportedly buys hers from trendy Moon Juice, where they make kooky-sounding adaptogenic ‘dusts’ to add to your morning smoothie.
some cafes in London now offer adaptogenic lattes, or you can sip adaptogenic tonics with names such as Perseverance ( containing ashwagandha) or Patience (containing schisandra) at the newly launched, yummy mummyfriendly Yeotown Kitchen café in London’s Marylebone.
Celebrity fitness trainer Rhian stephenson offers adaptogenic smoothies containing maca at her hip fitness studio chain Psycle London, which counts Victoria Beckham and Liv Tyler among its clients. ‘There’s a real buzz around adaptogens, but they’re not hippy dippy ingredients,’ says Rhian, who’s also a nutritionist and naturopathic doctor.
‘ They are quite heavily researched, with studies showing how and why they work to reduce stress hormones in your body.’
ACCORdInG
to GP and nutritionist dr sarah Brewer, they work by helping the body modify its stress response.
she says: ‘ When you’re under stress your adrenal glands are pumping out the hormone cortisol, which makes your heart race, constricts blood vessels and generally prepares your body to fight or flee the threat — which might once have been a sabretoothed tiger, but now is more likely to be chronic stress sitting at your computer.
‘When the threat was a tiger, the exercise involved in fleeing or fighting would reset your body back to normal, but with modern stress you don’t burn off or use up the chemicals it produces.
‘That’s where adaptogens come in — they have a balancing effect and seem to help reset that stress response.’
each adaptogen has a slightly different effect in addition to relieving stress, she says.
Rhodiola gives you more energy as it helps the cells use oxygen more efficiently — a study of doctors on night duty found it improved their ability to stay alert and think straight.
Maca root and reishi mushroom lower blood pressure; in fact, in some studies reishi has been shown to have a greater effect than medication.
‘a lot of these adaptogens can sound quite kooky and strange until you look at the evidence — and there’s excellent evidence for many of them, although most doctors don’t know about it,’ says dr Brewer.
To qualify as an adaptogen the plant has to be non-toxic, so they are generally safe to take, although some shouldn’t be used in pregnancy. ‘But if you are taking other medication you should always check with your doctor or pharmacist first,’ adds dr Brewer.
nutritional therapist henrietta norton uses adaptogens in 60 per cent of her award-winning Wild nutrition vitamin and mineral supplements. her favourite is the Indian herb, ashwagandha.
‘ Research has shown it can reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol by an average of 27.9 per cent, and causes a lowering of depression and anxiety scores of more than 70 per cent over eight weeks,’ she says.
‘It would be difficult to find any other nutrient to have that dramatic an effect.’
Read on to find out what else you should try . . .
SMOOTHIE TO BOOST YOUR SEX LIFE
WHAT IS IT: naomi’s Kitchen I am energised adaptogenic powder, (£30 for 300g, contains 30 servings,
naomis.kitchen and selfridges). among other things it contains six adaptogens: ashwagandha, rhodiola, panax ginseng, maca, muira puama, and suma root. HOW DO YOU TAKE IT: add one heaped tablespoon to juices, smoothies or simply water and shake vigorously. Consume up to two doses a day. WHAT DOES IT PROMISE: To strengthen the adrenal glands and immune system, and provide an energy boost. The highest concentrations of adaptogens are ashwagandha with 1.2g per serving and maca with 0.8g.
DR BREWER SAYS: ‘This includes key adaptogens plus antioxidant sources such as cacao and matcha. This is one I would want to try myself. It includes muira puama, which my own published research suggests may improve libido.’
SPRAY TO SOOTHE YOUR SKIN
WHAT IS IT: Sjal Mineral Kalla Energy Tonic (£47 for 150ml, spacenk. com). Contains rhodiola, Siberian ginseng, maral root.
HOW DO YOU TAKE IT: Spray on to the face after cleansing in the morning and evening, or use as a mist any time.
WHAT DOES IT PROMISE: To combat skin stress caused by the weather and to energise the skin; it also claims to work at a deeper cellular level to boost the skin’s metabolism.
DR BREWER SAYS: ‘While there is some evidence that rhodiola extracts can penetrate through the skin, I doubt you would absorb much from a quick watery spritz. It’s expensive, too. I’d prefer to invest my money in an oral supplement.’
SNACK AWAY YOUR STRESS
WHAT IS IT: Dried jujube (£1.99 for 40g, abakusfoods. com). Jujube are chewy red fruits, also called Chinese dates, which have been used for thousands of years to reduce anxiety and insomnia.
HOW DO YOU TAKE IT: Eat as a snack or add to breakfast porridge or smoothies.
WHAT DOES IT PROMISE: To lift mood, calm the mind, improve sleep and boost immunity.
DR BREWER SAYS: ‘Jujube are energising, taste great and are a good source of antioxidant polyphenols and soluble fibre. Clinical trials suggest jujube may improve cholesterol levels, sleep and reduce constipation.
‘As a snack, they’re better than a bag of crisps, but you would have to eat them every day for a sustained benefit.’
TREAT ANXIETY WITH TEA
WHAT IS IT: Three Tulsi tea by Pukka (£2.49 for 20 sachets, Ocado, pukkaherbs.com). Each teabag contains 1.8g of tulsi (holy basil), 0.8g of purple tulsi, 0.8g of green tulsi and 0.2g of lemon tulsi leaf. HOW DO YOU TAKE IT: Mix with boiling water and steep for up to 15 minutes.
WHAT DOES IT PROMISE: Purple tulsi enhances mental clarity in times of stress and green tulsi helps stress-related irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
DR BREWER SAYS: ‘Holy basil, or tulsi, is a powerful medicinal herb used to improve glucose control, lower blood pressure and relieve anxiety.
‘ Clinical trials show it can boost the percentage and activity of cells which fight infection. Tulsi is traditionally taken as an infusion, or tea, and this blend is a cost effective way to try it.’
PEP UP WITH A HERBAL PILL
WHAT IS IT: Vitano Rhodiola tablets, Schwabe Pharma (£9.90 for 30, schwabepharma.co.uk). Each tablet contains 200mg of rhodiola rosea extract.
HOW DO YOU TAKE IT: Take one tablet twice a day, 30 minutes before food. WHAT DOES IT PROMISE: To relieve symptoms of stress, fatigue and mild anxiety.
DR BREWER’S VIEW: ‘Rhodiola is one of the most effective adaptogens for relieving stress and anxiety, and is also energising. I take it myself to prevent burnout during busy times.
‘I like the fact that this herbal medicine is regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to ensure pharmaceutical quality.’