If you have spent much time on Instagram or TikTok lately, or have a child who does, you have probably heard about adaptogens. Added to cold brew coffee and other drinks, supplements and other products, adaptogens are often billed as “de-stressing” agents. Many companies highlight this by adding the word “chill” to their products.
So, is an adaptogen some kind of new substance? Actually, they are about as old school as you can get. Some of the most commonly used adaptogens are the evergreen shrub ashwagandha (winter cherry), the herb ginseng, the flowering plant rhodiola, the aromatic perennial known as holy basil, and several mushrooms, including lion’s mane, chaga, cordyceps and reishi.
“Adaptogens are what they sound like — they help the body adapt to stressors,” said Anna Abel, MS, RDN, a recent graduate of UAB’s Dietitian Education Program who specializes in nutrition for chronic disease and oncology. “Most of these compounds have been used for centuries, especially in traditional Chinese medicine,” she said. “I think there is something to be said for that. There also have been a number of clinical trials demonstrating efficacy.” One of the latest is a study published in April 2024 in the journal Nutrients. Nearly 100 chronically stressed adults in a randomized eight-week study demonstrated significantly reduced stress levels when taking ashwagandha extract at doses between 125 mg and 500 mg/day.
Preclinical studies, including a May 2024 study led by UAB biologist Trygve Tollefsbol, Ph.D., have demonstrated that adaptogens can have cancer-fighting effects. In Tollefsbol’s study, a combination of ashwagandha and broccoli sprouts significantly reduced tumor incidence and tumor growth in a mouse model of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive form of the disease, by upregulating tumor-suppressor genes and proteins linked to cell death.
Abel explains the effects of adaptogens to her clients like this: “Think about your body’s stress response as a bell curve — it goes along, peaks and then drops,” she says. “That whole response is really taxing to the body. Adaptogens help flatten that curve; it is a more mellowed upward movement and therefore no crash.”
Adaptogens are considered to be supplements and are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Before taking adaptogens, or any supplement, it is important to speak with your health care provider so they can provide specific recommendations for the type and brand. And “always ask your doctor if there will be any interaction with medications you are taking,” Abel said. This includes certain medications for depression, high blood pressure, diabetes and insomnia.
