Adaptogens Aayu Clinics
Everybody feels stressed from time to time, but chronic stress has become more prevalent than ever in the 21st century. Higher demands and longer hours in the workplace, familial/relationship issues, and economic tensions have left society feeling isolated. Drugs are often the only answer from medical doctors when mental and physical symptoms arise from stress. However, there are a multitude of natural alternatives and complements to medication such as nutrition, lifestyle counseling, and botanical medicine. It is important to work on the root cause of the issue and determine what is causing the stress and work with the body naturally to decrease negative side effects.
Stress affects multiple organs and systems in the body. High levels of stress can induce digestive issue symptoms, headaches, sleeplessness, sadness, anger, or irritability and are prone to more frequent and severe viral infections. Furthermore, high levels of cortisol have been shown to suppress thyroid hormone, contributing to hypothyroidism.
Functional medicine tests are a great way to assess your stress levels and guide your healthcare team to a individualized treatment plan. One such test is the Adrenocortex Stress Profile, which measures your cortisol throughout the day. Cortisol is typically high in the morning and lowest at night but with chronic stress, we tend to see a flipped curve leaving individuals feeling groggy in the morning and wired at night. With these results your healthcare team will tailor a completely individualized treatment plan that is right for you.
As part of your comprehensive healthcare team, your Naturopathic Doctor will perform a comprehensive consultation with you and will likely suggest adaptogens – a class of stress mitigating herbs – to serve a key role in helping reduce the body’s over exaggerated response to environmental and emotional stressors. Adaptogens have been shown to regulate and balance the hypothalamic-pituitary-axis, the pathway responsible for cortisol production. Some adaptogens include Rhodiola, Ashwaghanda, and Siberian Ginseng.
Keep in mind, some adaptogenic herbs are not for everyone and is imperative that you seek a qualified professional. Schedule an appointment with our Naturopathic Doctor to assess your body’s level of cortisol, help manage your stress levels, and see if adaptogens are right for you!
