Do you ever feel stressed and exhausted? Like you just can’t keep up with the demands of work, relationships, and life in general? You’re not alone, my friend. We all need some help chilling out in this fast-paced world. Behold adaptogens. These magical little plants can help restore balance and equip our minds and bodies to handle stress.
Read on for the full fizzy scoop on these cheerful tonic elixirs. We’ll explore what adaptogen drinks are, the top ingredients, potential risks, and my personal favorites for relaxing and sleep.
What are Adaptogens?
First things first – What are adaptogens anyway? Great question my friend! Adaptogens are non-toxic plants and mushrooms that help your body “adapt” to stress. How thoughtful of Mother Nature to equip us with her very own anti-anxiety meds, am I right?
These ancient natural remedies have been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine. Modern research also supports their stress-protective powers. Adaptogens work by regulating the production of cortisol and supporting adrenal function.
This “stress hormone” cortisol is vital for energy, immunity, and more. But too much leads to burnout, brain fog, and exhaustion. But don’t worry, ‘cos adaptogens are here to the rescue!
They give your overworked adrenals a break so you can bounce back from stress and thrive. Now let’s explore the all-star ingredients that make up these trendy elixirs!
All-Star Adaptogen Ingredients
Adaptogen drinks contain a wide range of revitalizing plants, from classic herbs to funky fungi. Let’s meet the key players that turn up the most in these formulations. We’ve got a veritable plant-powered party up in here!
- Ashwagandha: Ayurvedic herb that reduces stress, boosts energy, enhances cognition, lowers blood sugar, and decreases inflammation.
- Reishi Mushroom: Chinese medicinal mushroom that enhances immune function, reduces fatigue, and improves sleep and mood.
- Rhodiola rosea: Root used in Siberia and Russia that sharpens concentration, enhances cognition, and lifts mood.
- Astragalus Root: A Chinese herb that regulates blood sugar, provides energy, stimulates metabolism, and reduces inflammation.
- Schisandra Berry: Berry fortifies stress resilience, focus, and endurance and reduces anxiety.
- He Shou Wu Root: A Chinese herb that calms cortisol, protects brain cells, enhances memory, sustains energy, and slows aging.
There are SO many more adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms popping up in these formulae too – from tried-and-true classics like ginseng, licorice root, and holy basil to up-and-coming all-stars like Chaga mushroom. The options are endless when sourcing from nature’s stress-soothing cornucopia!
Potential Risks Of Adaptogen Drinks
While generally quite safe when used appropriately, adaptogens do come with some considerations. As with adding anything new to your routine, start low and go slow to assess tolerance. Some people experience mild digestive upset, drowsiness, headaches, or increased anxiety when first using adaptogens.
Root extracts in particular (ashwagandha, Rhodiola, etc) may interact with medications for diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune disorders, and more due to their effect on levels of immune cells and glucose metabolism.
Certain adaptogenic mushrooms like reishi and chaga also impact blood clotting and should be avoided pre-surgery. Stimulatory herbs like ginseng and eleuthero (Siberian ginseng) may interfere with sleep when taken too late in the day.
As with all supplements, check with your doctor about potential interactions or contraindications based on your health status and medications. When in doubt, leave it out! There are still plenty of options to explore.
The moral is this…while adaptogens generally boast an impressive safety profile compared to pharmaceuticals designed to address the very same issues, self-education is key to finding the right fit.
Adaptogen Drinks for Sleep
Now for the seriously delicious scoop on adaptogen drinks! Let’s explore 4 scrumptious options for relaxation, sleep support, energy enhancement, and more.
I’ll share the key ingredients, flavors, and functional benefits of my top “destress-in-a-can” picks. Just don’t blame me if you get hooked on these magical mood potions.
✅ Moon Juice Dream Dust
A cult favorite amongst the clean beauty glitterati. Moon Juice delivers potent plant power in a whimsical (but spendy) style.
Their Dream Dust adaptogen drink contains an organic berry-cocoa flavor blend featuring a calming combo of Jujube seed powder, Chamomile flower extract, Schisandra polygala root extract, Ashwagandha root, and Leaf extract, and Stevia leaf extract to enhance relaxation as well. Consider me a convert to the Moon Juice matrix after just one sweetly sedative can!
✅ Wandering Bear Cold Brew Coffee
Designed as “coffee with benefits” this luscious cafe-style cold brew blends fair trade coffee with the health merits of Chaga and lion’s mane mushrooms plus MCT oil. Expect no sugar crash from the subtle monk fruit sweetness, just sustained energy, focus, and mental clarity thanks to this powerhouse plant-fungal fusion. Rise and grind — then chill and thrive!
✅ Curious Elixirs
Curious Elixirs focuses on non-alcoholic aperitifs using traditional bitters along with fortifying roots and barks to create flavorful elixirs that support healthy digestion.
Their products feature unique flavor combinations using herbs and spices like turmeric, ginger, dandelion root, burdock root, orange peel, and more mixed into lightly carbonated beverages. They aim to provide a sophisticated adaptogenic nonalcoholic drinks alternative to traditional aperitifs before dining.
✅ Peak Cocktails
Peak Cocktails specializes in mood and function-specific mocktails and beverages. They incorporate adaptogenic mushrooms like lion’s mane, cordyceps, and reishi along with herbs like ashwagandha and Rhodiola rosea into lightly effervescent drinks.
Their products are designed to energize, reduce stress, improve focus, and more. Their goal is to offer mood-targeted non-alcoholic beverages using traditional mixology with functional mushrooms and Ayurvedic herbs.
Conclusion
Well there you have it, my fizzy friends! We’ve explored the who’s who of stress-smashing adaptogens along with risks and research pointers for your safety. From tranquility nocturnal to energizing elixirs, you now know the play-by-play ingredients and offerings of the top adaptogen drinks out there today.
So what’s your pleasure? I like to sip Moon Juice Dream Dust or Rowdy Mermaid Adaptogenic Tea as part of my wind-down ritual before bed. But there’s truly an adaptogen drink for almost every need and flavor palette preference under the sun!
Drink to health, wealth, wisdom, and well-being one happy sip at a time. Just remember to sip slowly – we’re all works in progress when it comes to keeping calm under pressure in this bonkers world we live in! Here’s to healing, self-care, and secret plant magic making life a little sweeter. Cheers to that!
So pull up a bar stool…or fuzzy blanket on the couch! Tell me, which adaptogenic tonic tempts your tastebuds the most? What’s your stress stitch and lifestyle like these days?
References
- Panossian A.G., Wikman G. Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System and the Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Their Stress—Protective Activity. Pharmaceuticals. 2010;3:188–224. doi: 10.3390/ph3010188.
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/3/1/188 - Panossian A. Understanding adaptogenic activity: Specificity of the pharmacological action of adaptogens and other phytochemicals. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 2017;1401:49–64. doi: 10.1111/nyas.13399.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28640972/
