Will an adaptogen a day keep the doctor away this winter?

Last year it was CBD, but this season the latest wellness buzzword is adaptogens – claiming to cure everything from anxiety to the common cold. Olivia Petter goes on her own ‘journey’ to see what difference they can make to her life

Herbal remedy: these substances have been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries (Alamy)

Another day, another trendy new kid on the woo woo block coming to spare us from stress, anxiety, and hormonal imbalances. At least, that’s the impression I’m getting from adaptogens that have been finding their way into powders, beauty products, cocktail recipes, and even celebrity-backed beverage brands recently.

Mainly derived from plants and herbs, adaptogens are vegan compounds that have been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. “Adaptogens have many functions but are most known for their role in helping the body resist stressors of all kinds, whether physical, chemical, or biological,” explains registered nutritional therapist Jen Walpole.

Often using herbs and roots, such as ashwagandha, holy basil and Rhodiola rosea, which improve the health of the adrenal system, they work by modulating the body’s stress response. Walpole explains this can in turn result in benefits to mood, sleep and immunity. “Some mushrooms are also considered adaptogenic, such as reishi and Cordyceps,” she says. The mushrooms work because they possess immunomodulatory qualities that regulate and balance the body’s natural immunity functions.