Hello, and welcome to the Nutrition Diva podcast.

I'm your host, Monica Reinagel.

And today's topic was requested by Willow.

This is Willow.

I would love to know more about adaptogens.

Are they real?

I mean, we've been under a lot of stress in the last year.

So anything that can help to reduce stress sounds wonderful.

So I'd love to know more about this mythical sounding thing called an adaptogen.

I know a lot of us feel like we've been under more stress in the last year than ever before.

But even prior to the pandemic, a majority of adults surveyed by the American Psychological Association

believed that their levels of day-to-day stress were unhealthy.

And you know what, adaptogens are nothing new either.

Although the term adaptogen is relatively new, many of the herbs now considered to be adaptogens

have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine and ayurveda.

These include things like ashwagandha, jinseng, rhodiola, and schizandra chinensis.

In these ancient medical systems, these herbs were typically thought of as tonics,

or all purpose remedies that are good for whatever ails you.

Beginning in the 20th century, natural and alternative medicine practitioners

latched on to these herbs as an antidote to the seemingly unprecedented levels of stress

that accompany modern life.

The term adaptogen was coined around 1940,

...