The Sunlight Experiment

Herbal Actions

Adaptogen

Helps the body resist and adapt to stress

Helps the body resist and adapt to physical, mental and emotional stress, nudging an over- or under-active stress response back toward balance. Used for fatigue, burnout, poor stamina and stress-related illness; the more stimulating ones can disturb sleep taken late in the day.

How it works

Adaptogen is not one mechanism but several overlapping ones. Each of these is its own herbal action — follow a link for the herbs strongest in that mechanism.

Adrenal Tonic Supports and restores adrenal function.

Key constituents

The compound classes most often behind a adaptogen action.

  • Ginsenosides
  • Withanolides
  • Eleutherosides
  • Triterpenoid saponins

Indications

What typically calls for a adaptogen herb.

  • Chronic stress, burnout and nervous exhaustion
  • Fatigue and poor stamina
  • Low resilience to physical or mental strain
  • Convalescence and slow recovery
  • Stress-related sleep and mood disturbance
⚠ Cautions

The more stimulating adaptogens (ginseng, rhodiola) can disturb sleep taken late in the day, and may over-stimulate anxious or hypertensive people. Introduce gradually and reduce if wired or restless.

Energetics

Temperature
Warming to neutral
Tradition
Restoratives that tonify the whole system; overlap with the Qi and Kidney tonics of Chinese medicine.

Indications:

  • Eucommia alsinoides

  • Rhaponticum carthamoides

  • Aralia pyrethrum

  • Licorice

  • Rhodiola rosea

  • Bacopa monieri

  • Bryonia alba

  • damiana

  • Notoginseng

  • Guarana

  • Dioscorea

  • Ocimum sanctum

  • Terminalia cordifolia

  • Stercula plantanifolia

  • Centella asiatica

  • Asparagus racemosus

  • Piper longum

  • Schisandra

  • Withania

  • American ginseng

  • Codonopsis

  • Gynostemma?

  • maca

  • Asian ginseng

  • Muira puama

  • Eleutherococcus

  • rhodiola

  • Schisandra

  • polyrhachis

Herbs with a adaptogen action (24)

Key herbs

Herbs for which adaptogen is a headline action.

Ashwagandha

Withania somnifera

AdaptogenSedativeTonicAnti-inflammatory

Asian Ginseng

Panax ginseng

AdaptogenImmunomodulatorCardiotonicStimulant

Codonopsis

Codonopsis pilosula

AdaptogenAntihypertensiveNootropicHypolipidemic

Devils club

Oplopanax horridus

AntidiabeticAdaptogenAnti-inflammatoryExpectorant

Eleuthero Root

Eleutherococcus senticosus

AdaptogenStimulantImmunomodulatorTonic

Holy Basil

Ocimum tenuiflorum

AdaptogenNervineAnxiolyticAnti-inflammatory

Maca

Lepidium meyenii

AdaptogenAntidiabeticAntioxidantAphrodisiac
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Ashwagandha

Withania somnifera

AdaptogenSedativeTonicAnti-inflammatory

Asian Ginseng

Panax ginseng

AdaptogenImmunomodulatorCardiotonicStimulant

Astragalus

Astragalus membranaceus

AdaptogenAntioxidantAntiviralCardiotonic

Bacopa

Bacopa monnieri

NootropicNervineSedativeAnticonvulsant

Black Ant

Polyrhachis spp.

AdaptogenNutritiveImmunomodulatorNootropic

Cat's Claw

Uncaria tomentosa

ImmunomodulatorAnti-inflammatoryAntioxidantAdaptogen

Codonopsis

Codonopsis pilosula

AdaptogenAntihypertensiveNootropicHypolipidemic

Devils club

Oplopanax horridus

AntidiabeticAdaptogenAnti-inflammatoryExpectorant

Eleuthero Root

Eleutherococcus senticosus

AdaptogenStimulantImmunomodulatorTonic

Gynostemma

Gynostemma pentaphyllum

AntidiabeticAdaptogenVasodilatorAntihypertensive

Holy Basil

Ocimum tenuiflorum

AdaptogenNervineAnxiolyticAnti-inflammatory

Kid Ginseng

Pseudostellaria heterophylla

TonicAdaptogenNutritiveDemulcent

Maca

Lepidium meyenii

AdaptogenAntidiabeticAntioxidantAphrodisiac

Muira Puama

Ptychopetalum olacoides

AdaptogenAntidepressantStimulantAphrodisiac

Rehmannia

Rehmannia glutinosa

AntiallergicAntihemorrhagicAnti-inflammatoryAntipyretic

Reishi

Ganoderma lucidum

AdaptogenImmunomodulatorAnalgesicAntispasmodic

Rhodiola

Rhodiola rosea

AdaptogenNootropicStimulantAntidepressant

Schisandra

Schisandra chinensis

HepatoprotectiveAntioxidantAdaptogenNervine

Shatavari

Asparagus racemosus

AdaptogenFemale-tonicDemulcentTonic

Suma

Pfaffia paniculata

AdaptogenAnticancerAntidiabeticChemoprotective