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Saffron - 3 Adaptogenic Herbs for Stress and Immunity - Amy Myers MD ®

3 Adaptogenic Herbs for Stress and Immunity

Science Based

Written by Amy Myers, MD

Let’s face it, life can be stressful. Between work, family, hobbies, and self-care, it can be hard to keep calm and carry on. Are you looking for healthier, more natural ways to deal with your stress? Using adaptogenic herbs can help! These plants help your body better adapt to stress. After all, stress is more than a feeling. It’s actually a chemical response to cortisol flowing through your body.

Chronic stress can lower your immune function. It can also lead to health problems such as leaky gut and autoimmunity. Diet and lifestyle can also compound the effects of stress. For example, you might drink a lot of caffeinated beverages. This puts your body in a state of constant stimulation. Too much caffeine can cause digestive issues, insomnia, high blood pressure, and anxiety. Managing stress is one of the pillars of The Myers Way®. One way to do this is with natural remedies.

There are many adaptogens for stress available today. In this article, I’m sharing three of my favorite adaptogens for stress and immune support. Let’s begin!

What Is an Adaptogen?

Before I get into my favorite adaptogens for stress, let’s first talk about what these herbs are. So, what is an adaptogen? Adaptogens are compounds found in certain plants and mushrooms that can help your body handle stress and anxiety. They help you manage feelings of perceived threat, whether physical, emotional, or mental. Some adaptogenic herbs can also help combat fatigue and enhance mental clarity1

People have used adaptogenic herbs for thousands of years. You can find records of their use in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic practices. The calming properties of adaptogens also help bring the body back to a state of homeostasis.

Functional medicine recognizes that true health involves whole-body wellness. This includes body, mind, and soul. By using adaptogenic herbs, you can naturally feel calmer and more collected during life’s stressful moments. 

How Do Adaptogens Work?

When it comes to adaptogens for stress, these compounds interact with the body in a few ways. The main way is by supporting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA is like a power grid. It has electrical messages traveling up and down it, sending signals all throughout. It regulates communication between your hypothalamus, your pituitary gland, and your adrenal glands. All of these are responsible for mood regulation. When this system is disrupted due to too much cortisol, the HPA can become dysregulated. Adaptogens help to bring the HPA back into balance.  

Another way adaptogens help your body cope with stress is through your hormones. When your body feels stressed, your brain sends out cortisol. Cortisol prepares your body for a “fight-or-flight” response. Acute stress can be beneficial. However, chronic stress can lead to lowered immune function. This creates systemic inflammation in the body. Left unchecked, inflammation can lead to chronic and autoimmune disease.

Now you know what adaptogens are and how they work. However, you might be wondering which adaptogens for stress are best. This can depend entirely on your preference and tolerance level. It also depends on how your body responds to certain herbs.

Let’s take a look at some of my favorite adaptogens for stress.

3 Adaptogenic Herbs for Stress and Immunity - Amy Myers MD®

What is Saffron?

The Saffron plant is a fragrant and vibrant red-colored spice that comes from the Crocus sativus flower. Believe it or not, saffron is actually a cousin to the common lily! Saffron supplements use the dried, crimson-red threads within the beautiful purple flower. This is then turned into the saffron spice you’re familiar with today.

Thought to originate from the Mediterranean, Asia, and the Middle East, saffron is used in many culinary dishes. It’s also used as an adaptogenic herb. In addition to its vibrant color, you may notice saffron to have a strong, distinct odor.

Saffron Extract Benefits

The deep red color of the saffron threads indicates they are rich in antioxidants. Some of the most notable antioxidants in saffron include crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal 2 Other antioxidant compounds include kaempferol and crocetin. Antioxidants help reduce free radical damage in the body. Studies link oxidative stress and free radical damage to inflammation and chronic disease.

In addition to these antioxidants, there are many other saffron extract benefits. For example, it may boost libido in some people. Saffron has helped people lose weight in a healthy way. Not only that, but some studies show it can help elevate your mood3 While men may benefit from saffron, the saffron benefits for females are especially worth noting. In fact, these calming and mood-balancing properties can be especially beneficial to women. This is because women are more prone to feelings of anxiety and low mood4

What is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is another one of my favorite adaptogenic herbs. This evergreen shrub with yellow flowers grows in dry regions of India. Additionally, you can also find it in the Middle East. It also grows in some parts of Africa. There are several different types of ashwagandha shrubs in the world. However, Withania somnifera is the variety most people use to create adaptogen supplements. Similarly to saffron, ashwagandha is a centuries-old solution to addressing different health concerns. Some of its most impressive uses are helping calm anxiety and stress.

Benefits of Ashwagandha 

Some plants use the flowers for their medicinal properties. For ashwagandha, extracts from the roots and leaves are dried and turned into a powder. This is where ashwagandha supplements come from. The benefits of ashwagandha are vast! In addition to their calming properties, they may also help balance hormones. If you are an athlete, ashwagandha may help enhance performance. Research also suggests it may help improve concentration and memory5

What is Rhodiola?

Yet another among the list of incredible adaptogenic herbs is Rhodiola rosea. This beautiful flowering plant belongs to the Crassulaceae family. Also known as “arctic root” or “golden root”, Rhodiola grows well in colder regions. Think of places such as Europe, North America, and Asia. Traditionally, countries such as Russia and Norway used it to increase energy levels, calm anxiety, and elevate low mood.

Rhodiola Benefits

As I previously mentioned, Rhodiola is a wonderful adaptogenic herb. It helps balance physical, chemical, or environmental stress in the body. Rhodiola root contains over 140 active compounds, including rosavin and salidroside. Research shows these compounds help promote healthy inflammatory responses in the body. They also work to slow down aging, as well as fight off many common cancers we see today6

How does Rhodiola work as an adaptogen for stress? It primarily works by balancing your cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone your brain releases to the rest of your body.  Your body connects in more ways than one. This means cortisol affects digestion, heart rate, and more. Keeping levels balanced helps reduce your risk of developing conditions such as leaky gut and other chronic diseases. One study suggests it can even improve symptoms of burnout. Burnout can happen to anyone during long periods of chronic stress7

How To Increase Adaptogen Intake

Finding healthy ways to wind down is more important than ever. Eating well, exercising, and meditation is a great start. Adding adaptogenic herbs to your meals can also help your body better adapt to stress. However, the easiest way to do this is with adaptogen supplements. Look for supplements specifically formulated to support healthy stress responses in the body.

Sure, you might find a saffron supplement or an ashwagandha supplement, but taking several herbs can be time consuming. What if there was a way to reap all the benefits of these adaptogenic herbs in one, easy-to-take supplement? Well, there is! ZenAdapt™ uses these and other micronutrients to encourage a balanced mind-body stress response.

In addition to saffron, ashwagandha, and rhodiola, I wanted to include beneficial fatty acids such as Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA). PEA helps to soothe overstimulated nerves and promote a calmer, more collected response to stress.  I also formulated ZenAdapt™ with Venetron® extract to facilitate calming neurotransmitter production.

This gentle formula helps you face the stress of everyday life naturally and effectively. Simply take two capsules with water in the morning to help you start your day. For those particularly tough days, you can take two more capsules with dinner. ZenAdapt™ is also great for those who like to stay caffeinated throughout the day.

Final Word on 3 Adaptogenic Herbs for Stress and Immunity

It can be a challenge trying to keep up with all that life throws your way. The demands of daily life can quickly lead to chronic stress, which can wreak havoc on your health. For this reason, finding ways to manage stress in a healthy and natural way is key to enjoying optimal health.

People have used adaptogenic herbs for centuries to combat feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress. By working with your central nervous system, adaptogens help calm down overstimulated neurotransmitters. They also work by regulating cortisol production in the body. Maintaining healthy cortisol levels in the body reduces the harmful effects of stress.

Saffron, ashwagandha, and Rhodiola are superstars when it comes to natural stress relief. Not only can they help your body adapt to stressful situations, but some of these herbs can also promote healthy focus, energy, and weight loss! Part of The Myers Way® lifestyle means learning to manage stress in a healthy way. ZenAdapt™ is the perfect combination of adaptogens for stress. With PEA and Venetron added to the mix, you can say goodbye to stress and hello to a happier, healthier you!

Article Sources

  1. Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System and the Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Their Stress—Protective Activity. Alexander Panossian and Georg Wikman. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2010.
  2. The effects of Crocus sativus (saffron) and its constituents on nervous system: A review. Mohammad Reza Khazdair, Mohammad Hossein Boskabady, et al.. Avicenna J Phytomed. 2015.
  3. Aqueous Extract of Saffron (Crocus sativus) Increases Brain Dopamine and Glutamate Concentrations in Rats. Hosseinali Ettehadi , Seyedeh Nargesolsadat Mojabi, et al.. Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science. 2013.
  4. Why is depression more prevalent in women?. Paul R. Albert, PhD.. J Psychiatry Neurosci.. 2015.
  5. Health Benefits of Ashwagandha, Based on Research. Jillian Kubala, MS. Healthline. 2023.
  6. Rhodiola rosea L.: an herb with anti-stress, anti-aging, and immunostimulating properties for cancer chemoprevention. Yonghong Li, Victor Pham, et al.. Curr Pharmacol Rep. 2017.
  7. Multicenter, open-label, exploratory clinical trial with Rhodiola rosea extract in patients suffering from burnout symptoms. Siegfried Kasper and Angelika Dienel. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017.