How to Use Adaptogens to Manage Stress and Hormonal Imbalances

The world today is wild - if you’re not stressed out right now, please send me your secrets. Naturally, managing stress and maintaining hormonal balance can feel like a never-ending challenge (especially with all of the misinformation online and the pressure for a perfect hormone profile). Many people turn to natural remedies to support their bodies, and adaptogens have emerged as a popular solution. But what exactly are adaptogens??

Adaptogens are substances—usually herbs, roots, or mushrooms—thought to help the body adapt to stress via the endocrine or hormone system. They’ve been used in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic healing practices, and modern science is starting to investigate the possible benefits including reducing the negative effects of chronic stress.

Now the stress response has some complexity to it, but we can simplify things for this post. When you're under stress, your body releases compounds including cortisol, a hormone that plays a role in your "fight or flight" response. In small doses, cortisol is helpful—but when stress becomes chronic, cortisol can remain elevated, which poses a challenge when it comes to heart health, blood sugar stability, muscle mass, and energy levels. Adaptogens are thought to regulate the production of cortisol and how your body responds to stress, and we know that high cortisol levels can interfere with the production of other important hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

Adaptogens of interest when it comes to chronic stress include ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil, maca and schisandra. It’s important to talk to your physician, pharmacist or nurse practitioner prior to starting these supplements to ensure they don’t interact with your existing medications and supplements, and your well-being can be monitored. Adaptogens may not be safe for pregnancy or lactation.

One of the most studied adaptogens, ashwagandha has demonstrated benefits in reducing cortisol levels, improving sleep, and supporting thyroid and reproductive health. Some newer data shows ashwagandha may also be helpful in managing hot flushes through perimenopause, but this has to be taken in context of other more common factors such as caffeine and alcohol intake, anxiety and smoking.

Rhodiola rosea is thought to combat fatigue and improve focus, especially in the context of burn out. It’s important to know that factors such as sleep quality, decompression and having a supportive home and workplace environment are also critical for these health benefits.

Holy basil, also called Tulsi, has some anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety effects and may support stable blood sugars. We know that blood sugar balance is important for ovulation and testosterone regulation, and we can consider this in the context of regular eating, including protein and fibre and making modifications to added sugar intake when able.

Maca is a Peruvian root thought to boost energy, libido, and fertility. It’s often promoted for perimenopause symptoms but we are still studying this - we also have to consider that undereating, overexercising, being in an unsupportive relationship and working a job that underpays you can also negatively impact energy, sexual desire and fertility.

Scisandra is thought to support liver detoxification and boost endurance, which would make it useful for both stress and hormone health. However, schisandra is not safe to use in pregnancy and is contraindicated for high blood pressure and epilepsy.

If you’ve reviewed the risks and benefits with your provider, and have decided to try adaptogens, here are some things to keep in mind:

Start slowly: Begin with a low dose and gradually increase only as needed. A higher dose does't always mean better.

Be consistent: It can take several weeks to notice effects, often in the range of 4 to 6 weeks.

Cycle usage: Some people benefit from taking breaks, such as 5 days on and 2 days off, to avoid becoming tolerant to the supplement and allowing their own endocrine system to adjust.

Listen to your body: Pay attention to how you feel- negative symptoms like diarrhea, fatigue, abdominal pain or others don’t always mean a product is working. You are allowed to discontinue a product if it makes you unwell.

Consult a professional: Especially if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medications!

Adaptogens aren’t a quick fix, but they might be one of many tools in your wellness toolkit. Don’t forget to look at the big picture and support whole body health!