What Are Adaptogens? A Basic Guide to Explain These Herbal Remedies

People have used adaptogens as herbal medicine for hundreds of years. But the term “adaptogen” is relatively new. It was first defined in the 1950s by a Soviet scientist. He said an adaptogen was any plant-based compound that helps your body resist the effects of stress. He based this on interesting research that came out of World War II. Soviet pilots were given adaptogens to improve their endurance in extreme conditions — and they seemed to work. 

These days, many people are turning to adaptogens for relief from an environment of chronic stress. And more recent research has shed light on how these herbs and supplements might help with anything from anxiety to weight management. But we still have a lot to learn about how — or even if — they work.

What are adaptogens?

Adaptogens are substances that come from plants and may help your body adapt to external stress. Examples of external stress include: 

• Physical stress, from things like exercise or exertion

• Changes in your environment, like extreme heat

• Fatigue or sleep deprivation

• Infection or illness 

• Changes in nutrition or hydration

• Emotional or mental stress

In other words, adaptogens may help your body stay stable when something throws it off balance. Some scientists believe they may help you adapt to a new stressor and make it easier for your body to restore balance once the stress ends.

Most adaptogens are natural substances that have been extracted from plants. They can come from things like herbs, roots, and mushrooms. But some adaptogens are synthetic, meaning they’re made in a lab. In this article, we’ll discuss natural adaptogens. 

What do adaptogens do?

Researchers are still studying how adaptogens affect your body. The basic idea is that they work at the cell level. They may change how certain substances — like cortisol (the stress hormone) or blood glucose (sugar) — are metabolized in your body’s cells. But it isn’t clear how they do this. 

One possibility is that adaptogens interact with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to restore balance. The HPA axis is a system of communication between important hormones involved in the body’s stress response. Since the HPA axis is connected to many different organs, adaptogens may help with anything from metabolism to immune system function. 

Another possibility is that adaptogens can turn certain genes on or off when your body is under stress. According to one study, adaptogens may activate certain genes that prevent cells from getting damaged from stress.

What are the benefits of adaptogens?

Since adaptogens affect many parts of the body, they have a wide range of potential benefits. We’ll go through more specific examples in the next section. But in general, their potential benefits may include: 

• Lowering stress and anxiety

• Improving mood

• Improving sleep

• Preventing or reducing inflammation

• Lowering the risk of certain cancers

• Improving metabolism of blood sugar and cholesterol

• Enhancing exercise performance

• Improving attention and memory

It’s important to note that adaptogens aren’t meant to replace other medical treatments. Most experts see them as something that can potentially provide extra support when you’re under extra stress, like from illness or life changes.

A list of adaptogenic herbs, supplements, and foods

Adaptogens come in different forms. Many times, they come in the form of adaptogen supplements. Sometimes, they’re added to certain foods. For example, some adaptogens come as powders you can add to smoothies or as an ingredient in teas. You may also see adaptogens in the form of tinctures or concentrated herbal extracts.

Below are some research highlights for 10 common adaptogens. Most of the research studies on adaptogens have either been done in animals or very small groups of people. Larger and higher-quality studies are still needed to understand their potential benefits and uses.

This isn’t a complete list of all adaptogen supplements, herbs, and foods. Other plants and roots may also have adaptogenic benefits. These are just a highlight of the more common examples.

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Adaptogens for stress relief

Many people use adaptogens to help with stress relief. Chronic stress can have a big effect on your physical and mental health. And adaptogens may help protect your body against the harmful effects of stress.

Here’s how adaptogens may help your body deal with stress:

• Decreased depression and anxiety

• Improve attention and memory

• Reduce symptoms of mental fatigue

• Increase capacity for physical work

Adaptogens may also lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone) in your body. They may also protect your cells from the damaging effects of high cortisol and other stress-related molecules. But larger studies are needed to know exactly how they affect the physical and mental symptoms of stress. But there are a few studies with promising results. 

For example, one randomized controlled study (a high-quality study design) looked at how adaptogens affected physical and mental fatigue in over 200 elite athletes. Over the course of a month, the researchers found that adaptogens improved physical performance. The athletes also reported lower levels of stress and fatigue.

Another randomized controlled study looked at over 75 participants who experienced moderate to severe anxiety. Over the course of 12 weeks, participants treated with adaptogens reported significantly lower anxiety scores. They also saw improvements in fatigue, concentration, and overall quality of life.

Some of the most studied adaptogens for stress management are:

• Ashwagandha

• Korean ginseng 

• Eleuthero

• Schisandra 

• Rhodiola 

Are adaptogens safe?

Similar to other herbal medicines, there isn’t enough research to know if they’re safe — especially in the long term. And the FDA doesn’t regulate adaptogens, so the ingredients and dosages may be different than what is labeled.

In the next section, we’ll look at potential side effects and safety concerns for specific adaptogens. But there are a few common themes when it comes to adaptogens and safety.

Adaptogens may be unsafe for people who are:

• Pregnant or breastfeeding: There’s very little research on how adaptogens affect pregnancy. And there are some reports of miscarriage and birth defects with certain adaptogens.

• Children or infants: Similar to pregnancy, there’s very little research on adaptogen safety in kids. Some adaptogens have been associated with life-threatening toxicity in children.

Adaptogens may also be unsafe when combined with certain medications, such as:

• Immunosuppressants: Since adaptogens are reported to increase immune system function, they may be unsafe for people who take immunosuppressive medications. This includes people with autoimmune disease or those who’ve had an organ transplant.

• Diabetes medications: Adaptogens have the potential to lower blood sugar. When combined with diabetes medications, this could lead to dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

• Anticoagulants: Some adaptogens may interfere with your blood’s ability to clot. This can be particularly dangerous for people who already take blood thinners.

For people who don’t take medications or have chronic health conditions, the risk of any serious harm is lower. Most of the studies on adaptogens don’t highlight any major adverse effects or serious health risks when taken at normal dosages. Adaptogens also aren’t known to be intoxicating or addictive. 

But that doesn’t mean there are no health risks. Because research on adaptogens is still relatively limited, there may be risks or side effects that haven’t been discovered.

List of adaptogen side effects

According to most available research, adaptogens seem to be relatively safe when taken at normal doses. But side effects and health risks have been reported. Some adaptogens can also interact with medications in ways that may be harmful.

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Written by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

Reviewed by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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