Sun Aug 10 / Ashwini Achutharaman, RD Intern & Dr. Abrar Al-Shaer, PhD, RD

What Are Adaptogens? 4 Herbs to Bring You Natural Stress Relief

Learn how adaptogenic herbs like Reishi, Ashwagandha, Maca, and Shatavari can help balance your stress response based on your unique constitution type.

hormone health stress relief adaptogens
Reishi mushroom supplement used for natural stress relief and immune support

What Are Adaptogens? 4 Herbs to Bring You Natural Stress Relief

In today’s world, it seems like you have to juggle everything. Between work, relationships, and daily responsibilities, your brain is constantly on. “Go, go, go!” you tell yourself until one day you collapse on your bed, stressed. You need a helping hand that can naturally restore you and guide your body to adapt to face the stress. Adaptogens are nature’s helping hand that are designed to do exactly that.

What Is My Stress Type?

Before you learn about adaptogens, let’s take a minute to briefly discuss constitutions. According to Eastern medicine, each of us falls under a certain set of constitutions and temperaments that can help explain our regular personalities as well as our emotional responses. Understanding your constitution can help you decide which adaptogen will work best for you.

Infographic showing the four constitutional temperaments — hot + dry, hot + damp, cold + dry, and cold + damp — each associated with personality traits and stress responses.

Your stress type matters. Understanding your temperament—whether hot and dry or cold and damp—can guide you in choosing the right adaptogen for stress relief and balance.

  • Hot + Dry: High-achieving, outspoken, goal-driven. Like a desert—structured and intense.
  • Hot + Damp: Social butterfly, organized chaos, spontaneous. Like a rainforest—vibrant and colorful.
  • Cold + Dry: Perfectionist, detail-oriented, planner. Like the arctic—precise and stable.
  • Cold + Damp: Reserved, nonconfrontational, empathetic. Like the ocean—calm and fluid.

Adaptogens for Stress

An adaptogen is an herb or plant that aids your body’s stress response. There are over 70 adaptogens, each one treating stress in a slightly different way. Stress presents itself in many forms, so it makes sense that different herbs serve different constitutions. Although adaptogens are a powerful way to help your natural stress response, they should be viewed as an addition to a strong foundation of diet, exercise, and sleep.

Reishi: The Protector

Reishi mushroom — Host Defense brand

Stress can be unpredictable, but there are times you can foresee mental or physical strain—like during exams or busy life seasons. Often, you might fall sick around these times. That’s because of the close connection between stress and your immune system.
Reishi mushrooms are protectors that help decrease the effects of stress on your immune system. They replenish your immune cell defenses, helping you fight off infections and balance overactive immune responses.

Reishi is warming and ideal for cold constitutions. It supports people who internalize stress, especially those struggling with insomnia or frequent illness.

Recommended Brand: Host Defense (by mycologist Paul Stamets)
Dosage: 3 capsules (500–1000 mg) three times a day.

Ashwagandha: The Moderator

Ashwagandha supplement — Nature’s Way brand

Does everything feel like a problem lately? Ashwagandha can help moderate your body’s stress response. It boosts cellular energy production, helping you feel more capable and resilient. Think of it as turning on a heater in a cold room—it warms your stress response until balance is restored.

Ashwagandha helps reduce muscle soreness, improve sleep, and support thyroid function, making it great for those who feel “worn down.”

Ashwagandha is drying, making it ideal for damp constitutions—those who feel heavy or sluggish when stressed.

Recommended Brand: Nature’s Way
Dosage: 400–500 mg capsules, standardized to 3.5% withanolides.

Maca: The Comforter

Maca supplement — NOW Foods brand

When stress creeps up, Maca feels like a comforting hug from the inside. This naturally sweet root (with a caramel-like flavor) warms and moistens the body, helping you feel stable and supported.

Maca is especially beneficial for women in menopause or anyone feeling drained or emotionally cold. It restores warmth, nourishment, and joy.

Maca is warming and moistening, making it perfect for cold + dry constitutions.

Recommended Brand: NOW Foods
Dosage: Two pregelatinized capsules twice daily.

Shatavari: The Stabilizer

Shatavari supplement — Organic India brand

When life pulls you away from your calm center, Shatavari brings you back. Known as the “queen of herbs,” it restores balance during emotional exhaustion, grief, or recovery.

Shatavari provides grounding energy and supports digestion and moisture balance. It’s warming and rejuvenating for cold and dry types, helping calm anxiety and nourish depleted energy.

Recommended Brand: Organic India
Dosage: Two capsules, three times daily.

Where Can I Get the Best Adaptogen Supplements?

Quality matters when buying supplements. Unlike medications, supplements aren’t tightly regulated—so choose wisely. We recommend Fullscript, a trusted portal that offers verified, high-quality supplements.

If you’re based in the U.S., use our Fullscript link for 20% off all supplements. If you’re outside the U.S., try iHerb, which carries many of the same brands.

Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplements, especially if you have existing conditions or take medications.

References

  1. Hoffman, D. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science, Principles, and Practices of Herbal Medicine. Healing Arts Press.
  2. Winston, D. (2019). Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief. Healing Arts Press.
  3. Hathaway, M. & Arévalo, W. (2023). How Do Fungi Communicate? MIT Technology Review.
  4. Aviva Romm, HMW Course.