What Are Adaptogen Drinks and How Can They Help You?
As adaptogen herbs become more and more popular, there are increasing numbers of adaptogen drinks or drink additives on the market that include these super-balancing natural ingredients. Adaptogens are plants that, when ingested, help to balance the body’s functions so it can heal itself efficiently.
Adaptogen drinks include one or more adaptogens as ingredients. People often use adaptogens to help reduce stress and anxiety, increase stamina and energy, as well as aid in digestion and healthy sleep patterns. The list of benefits from the many different kinds of adaptogen drinks is long and sometimes surprising. Each adaptogen has different properties that aid the body in different ways.
Stress Relief
Some adaptogen drinks are formulated specifically to help relieve mental and physical stress. These drinks commonly include adaptogens like mulungu and passion flower. They both have mild tranquilizer qualities. They are often used to calm the nervous system and aid in healthy sleep.
Catuaba and Marapuama are two common ingredients in adaptogen drinks that help to promote lower anxiety. Passion fruit, which many people are surprised is an adaptogen, is used to reduce stress and anxiety. It is said to have a calming effect when ingested.
Increased Energy
Adaptogens are most commonly used to increase energy. Many energy drinks that boast “natural energy” are actually adaptogen drinks.
The most popular ingredient in energy adaptogen drinks is guaraná. It is known to increase energy with the added side effect of burning fat more efficiently.
Suma root is also known for its energizing qualities. Adaptogen drinks often include it as an ingredient because it is said to increase energy. Suma root has many benefits on top of increased energy including balancing blood sugar, strengthening muscles, relieving chronic pain, preventing premature aging and strengthening the immune system. Many athletes use adaptogen drinks that include suma root as part of their overall plan to increase muscle resiliency.
Mental Alertness
Using adaptogen drinks to increase mental alertness is common, especially in athletes. Some adaptogens can help with mental sharpness, memory, and even cognitive ability. Older adults also use adaptogen drinks to maintain mental alertness as they age.
Catuaba and marapuama are not just used for stress relief, but also to help improve poor memory. They are useful ingredients in adaptogen drinks as they bring many beneficial qualities. They are also helpful in increasing libido while treating insomnia and exhaustion.
Suma root is also useful for promoting mental alertness. It aids in improving mental activity and mental acuity. Sometimes called Brazilian ginseng, this Amazon adaptogen is considered beneficial as a tonic for overall well-being. Suma root is the perfect ingredient in any adaptogen drink.
Antioxidant Powers
Many adaptogens that are included in popular adaptogen drinks have incredible antioxidant benefits. These are commonly known as super-fruits. They have high levels of multiple vitamins and minerals that boost the nutrition of adaptogen drinks.
Passion fruit, cupuaçú, camu camu, cajá, and sour sop are all adaptogens that are also considered to be super-fruits because of the high levels of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found within them. They are all popular ingredients in adaptogen drinks, not only for their incredible health benefits but also for their delicious taste.
Passion fruit is extremely high in vitamin A and is a good source of fiber. Cupuaçú contains high levels of antioxidants in the pulp as well as the seeds. Camu camu is one of the most potent natural sources of vitamin C. It contains 30 to 50 times more vitamin C than an orange. These delicious adaptogen drink ingredients boost the overall healthfulness of the drinks.
Cajá fruit contains high levels of calcium, iron, phosphorus and vitamins A, B and C. It also has high levels of carotenoid and beta-cryptoxanthin. Sour sop, a common fruit in the Caribbean, contains high amounts of vitamin C, B, calcium, phosphorus and iron. All of these super-fruit adaptogens are common ingredients in adaptogen drinks and bring added health benefits as well as their natural sweetness to the recipes.
Adaptogen drinks are so common in the marketplace that there are often imposters that contain little or no actual adaptogens. Ingredient lists should be consulted carefully before purchasing adaptogen drinks if the purpose of consuming them is as a health tonic.
Adding adaptogen drinks to a healthy diet can really help to improve many natural functions of the body. Adaptogens work by helping the body to achieve a balance that allows the body to heal itself. However, they are consumed, adaptogens should be researched and understood before consumption.