Adaptogens 101: What You Need To Know

What Classifies As An Adaptogen?

Following the initial definition of an adaptogen, a plant or herb must be non-toxic to the human body to be considered one, not have one specific function but many, and have a normalizing effect on the physiology of the body. From a herbal medicine perspective, a natural substance is considered to help the body adapt to stress and strive to have a normalizing effect on the body’s natural processes, with one of the well-known examples being ginseng. However, in a 2008 study conducted by the European Medicines Agency concluded there needs to be additional clinical and preclinical research into adaptogens and how they affect the body, therefore the concept of ‘adaptogens’ is not recognized by European medical professionals.

Next, let’s discover what the categories are for these different adaptogens.