Adaptogens Can Change Your Life. Here's How

Good morning!

How’s your week going? If it’s smooth sailing, great! If not, that’s fine too, stressful weeks happen. And stressing over stress? That’s just double trouble.

You could try extra sleep, a little mindfulness, a quick workout, or you could explore adaptogens. This week, we’re diving into what they are, why Soviet athletes used them, and how they can support your health today, no espionage skills required.

Key Takeaways

Adaptogens help your body adapt to stress. They work best alongside healthy habits like sleep, movement, and balanced nutrition.
Stress follows three phases: alarm, resistance, exhaustion. Adaptogens blunt the sharp effect of stress in these phases.
Minerals like magnesium (and emerging trace players like boron and lithium) are vital for keeping your stress response balanced and your energy steady.

CORE

A Brief History on Adaptogens

Adaptogens are plants that help your body handle stress more smoothly, but they weren’t always household names. The term was first coined in 1947 by Soviet scientist Nikolai Lazarev, who noticed certain plants seemed to increase resistance to stress. However, interest didn’t pick up immediately, research funding was limited, and adaptogens quietly sat on the shelf.

Then came the Cold War, a time when the United States and the Soviet Union fought for bragging rights over just about anything, including sports. Athletic supremacy was about national pride, and the Soviets wanted an edge that didn’t violate anti-doping rules.

Enter Dr. Israel Brekhman, a student of Lazarev, who explored adaptogens for their potential to boost endurance, focus, and resilience. The goal was simple, help athletes perform at their best without breaking any rules. And that’s how a curious blend of science, sports, and survival instincts turned these plants into stress-fighting powerhouses.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Your body has a built-in blueprint for stress called General Adaptation Syndrome, or GAS. It was initially discovered in the 1940s, when rats were subjected to different stressors (exercise, chemicals, noise, etc). They found that, irrespective of the stimuli, the responses of the rodents was the same. ¹ It could be broken down into three phases:²

Alarm Reaction Stage: A distress signal is sent to the hypothalamus, which releases glucocorticoids (stress hormones like cortisol). These trigger the release of the fight or flight response which is essentially a strong burst of energy.
Resistance Stage: At this stage, your body is working to calm the alarm triggered in the first phase. The parasympathetic nervous system steps in, helping return your body to a calmer state. This works best if the stressor has passed. If it hasn’t, your body keeps producing stress hormones, which starts to take a toll over time.
Exhaustion Stage: If the stressor lingers for too long, your body eventually runs out of resources to return to homeostasis (balance). The parasympathetic system has done what it can to stop the production of stress hormones, but because we are still exposed to the stressor it is to no avail.

This prolonged strain can lead to fatigue, decreased resilience, and in some cases contribute to chronic issues like low energy, anxiety, or mood disruptions.

But let’s be honest, that burst of energy would have been great if a lion was chasing you, but unfortunately, modern day problems like money troubles, trouble in school or losing a job don’t really rely on a burst of short energy to be resolved.

What Do Adaptogens Do?

Adaptogens like Ashwagandha help your body adapt to stress. And it does this by (possibly) being the single best non-drug compound at reducing the levels of cortisol in your body.

In other words, they reduce spikes in stress hormones. For example, studies show adults taking Ashwagandha for 8 weeks had measurable drops in cortisol. Those aren’t feelings, those are facts. And in a double blind test, they found that

morning serum cortisol levels decreased by 66% after taking ashwagandha. ³

They make the resistance stage easier, helping your body maintain balance.

During prolonged stress, they support energy production, enhance oxygen use, reduce free radical damage, and help immunity, keeping your system from feeling completely fried.

The only problem with taking adaptogens like ashwagandha long-term is that cortisol isn’t always a bad thing. Actually, it’s essential (not to be dramatic, but you would die without it).

Why Haven’t You Heard of Adaptogens?

Even with solid research, adaptogens remain under the radar in Western medicine. Most studies are published in Russian journals, and Western medicine tends to favor treatments with very specific paths of action.

Adaptogens, acting body-wide, don’t fit neatly into that model. Doctors also don’t typically study herbal pharmacology in depth, so many may simply stick with what they know.

If you recall our nutraceutical vs pharmaceutical edition (I highly recommend this read), we discussed how the western healthcare system is more focused on solving problems rather than preventing them. And unlike medications taken for immediate problems, adaptogens work best preventatively, which means consistent use is key.

The Magnesium-Stress Cycle

We’ve talked about how the stress response unfolds, how your body ramps up in the alarm phase, fights to adapt in the resistance phase, and eventually hits exhaustion when it runs out of resources. But what exactly are those “resources”? One of the most important is magnesium.

Magnesium is essential to almost every metabolic process in the body, and it’s especially critical during stress. When you’re under pressure, your body burns through magnesium faster, yet that same stress also makes it harder to absorb and retain. This creates a vicious cycle, stress depletes magnesium, and magnesium deficiency makes you more reactive to stress. Over time, that imbalance can leave you stuck in a loop of fatigue, anxiety, and poor recovery. You can see how this plays out in the “Magnesium + Stress Vicious Cycle” image above.

As a Dietitian, I always emphasize prevention over correction. The basics still matter most… eat well, sleep enough, move your body, and stay connected with others. Simple habits make a big difference. But to keep your system resilient, it also helps to support it with complete nutrition.

OmniBlue Original delivers your entire daily magnesium, plus over 70 other essential and trace minerals that give your body the resources to be healthy. For those wondering, OmniBlue’s magnesium is ionic, meaning it’s not attached to another compound. Other types, like oxide or citrate, must be broken down first, making them less efficient.

ENDNOTE

Final Thoughts

Obviously, stress can be managed in many, many different ways. From dietary changes like the ones discussed, to actual exercises like breathing, which directly affects your nervous system. Find what works for you, and you’ll see it’s incredibly useful for life’s inevitable ups and downs.

PS - Interested in how breathing can help you calm down? Read our Breathing edition.

Until next week!

Adrian Macdonald | Team Dietitian | The 8% Newsletter Author

Your cart is currently empty.