Adaptogens are such a common term for naturopaths and herbalists that we forget not everyone knows what they are or how they can help. So, what exactly is an adaptogen? And why do we love them so much?

Interestingly, the term adaptogen didn’t begin in herbal medicine at all. It was first introduced in the 1940’s by a Russian scientist describing a collection of medical substances which appeared to promote resilience to stress. He defined them as being able to “non-specifically increase resistance to adverse influences”.¹

Following this development and through to the 1980’s, Russia drove a targeted research campaign into the discovery of plant adaptogens, publishing over 1000 papers. Much of this work focused the herb Eleutherococcus senticosus with the goal being to develop drugs to maintain mental and physical capacity in situations of intense or prolonged stress.²

Over time, the word adaptogen gradually became more closely associated with herbal medicine and now is uniquely a herbal medicine action defined as substances that increase the body’s resistance to a wide range of physical, chemical and biological stressors while helping protect against the effects of those stressors.³

Rather than forcing your body in one direction, adaptogenic herbs work with you. Their role is to help support balance, resilience and recovery when life becomes demanding. While we can’t always eliminate stressors from our lives, adaptogens can help us respond more effectively.⁴

Of course, not every adaptogen is right for every person. Each herb has its own unique actions, traditional history and clinical considerations.⁵ That’s where we come in.

If you’re curious about adaptogens and wondering whether they’re right for you, we’d love to introduce them. During a consultation, we can explore your individual health picture and determine whether an adaptogenic herb has a place in your treatment plan.

We have a feeling you’ll come to appreciate these remarkable herbs just as much as we do.

1. Brekhman II, Dardymov IV. New substances of plant origin which increase non-specific resistance. Annu Rev Pharmacol 1969;9(1):419–30.
2. Panossian A, Wikman G. Effects of adaptogens on the central nervous system and the molecular mechanisms associated with their stress—protective activity. Pharmaceuticals 2010;3(1):188 224.
3. Panossian A. Understanding adaptogenic activity: specificity of the pharmacological action of adaptogens and other phytochemicals. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2017;1401(1):49–64.
4. Gerontakos S, Casteleijn D, Shikov A, Wardle J. A critical review to identify the domains used to measure the effect and outcome of adaptogenic herbal medicines. The Yale journal of biology and medicine. 2020 Jun 29;93(2):327.
5. Gerontakos S, Casteleijn D, Wardle J. Clinician perspectives and understanding of the adaptogenic concept: A focus group study with Naturopaths and Western Herbalists. Integrative medicine research. 2021 Mar 1;10(1):100433.