5 Adaptogens For Women

There are foods and herbs that have adaptogenic properties in the body and that are especially beneficial for women, since we know that men and women react differently to different stressors.

Adaptogens are substances that could improve the body’s resistance to certain situations of physical and emotional stress. As their name says, they help our body adapt better to the different factors or situations to which we are exposed every day and can alter our health.

According to researcher Israel Brekhman, a plant must meet four requirements to be considered an adaptogen:

1. That it is harmless or harmless to the person.
2. That it has an effect on the person.
3. That increases the resistance of the person to different physical, chemical or biological stressors.
4. That acts as a stabilizer.

The 5 adaptogens that best help you against stress

Adaptogens, in addition to helping us adapt to stress factors, are also invigorating, immunostimulating (improve defenses) and increase the general feeling of well-being.

1. Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic and rejuvenating tonic, especially according to Ayurvedic medicine. This root increases resistance to environmental stressors, is very good at relieving pain, has antioxidant effects, reduces inflammation, stimulates thyroid function, helps regulate stress as it modulates cortisol levels and also stimulates function. respiratory and immunological.

In a double-blind study (one of the best to check results) carried out by the neuropsychiatry department of Asha Hospital in Hyderabad, India, they evaluated chronically stressed people who took ashwagandha and found that they had significant reductions in anxiety, serum cortisol, protein C reactive (indicator of inflammation), pulse rate and blood pressure, compared to the placebo group.

2. Siberian ginseng

Siberian ginseng, also known as Eleutherococcus, has been used for centuries in countries such as China and Russia as an adaptogen, increasing the ability to adapt to harsh physical conditions and improving mental performance.

This adaptogen lowers testosterone levels. It also helps lower cortisol levels, as well as improve heart rate that speeds up in response to a particular stressor. It is excellent for reducing stress levels.

The premenstrual syndrome and menopause are two stressors that all women are exposed and this can cause fatigue. Ginseng can help us counteract it.

Estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and the thyroid interact with neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, which all benefit from ginseng consumption. This reduces chronic fatigue and improves mental and physical performance.

3. Maca

Maca is another root that is normally consumed in powder form and can be added to smoothies or natural juices for different health effects. One of its most common uses is as an energy tonic, since maca helps increase energy and decrease fatigue.

Other beneficial effects of maca on health have been related to the endocrine and reproductive systems, since it can be used to treat infertility and to improve hormonal balance and its adaptation in the different cycles of women, such as menopause. It also helps improve sleep quality and mood.

Different investigations have discovered that the therapeutic effects of maca are due to the plant sterols it contains and that stimulate the hypothalamus, the pituitary, adrenal and ovarian glands, and therefore also affect the thyroid and pineal gland (which regulate the production of hormones and other substances involved in many physiological processes in the body).

4. Rhodiola

Rhodiola (Rodhiola rosea), also known as Golden Root and Arctic Root, has been classified as an adaptogen due to its ability to stimulate the nervous system, decrease depression, increase performance, improve sleep, and eliminate fatigue.

Helps the body adapt to stress by altering the levels and activity of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Rhodiola has a very positive effect on stress, as it helps to achieve a state of relaxation and reduce anxiety in stressful periods.

This adaptogen can also increase fertility and some scientific studies have suggested that it can improve thyroid function.

5. Reishi mushroom

The reishi mushroom is used in some countries (in China, for example) as a form of natural medicine and adaptogen, since it helps the proper functioning of the immune system, improves mood, acts as an antihistamine (so it is good in allergy season) and is anti-inflammatory.

This fungus can be of help in people who suffer from cancer since it reduces the fatigue caused by the disease and improves its recovery in some patients, as a study carried out by the University of Medicine of Puerto Rico showed, which verified its effects in breast cancer, one of the most common cancers in women.

Most of these adaptogens can be found in powder to add to our food or in capsules to be used as supplementation.

Remember that herbs and plants used as medicines do work and should be used with caution and without abuse, because even if they are natural, too much could cause toxicity or damage health. It is always good to consult a specialist when you want to use a new supplement.