Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System (2010) | Hacker News Reader

Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System (2010)

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

34 pointsalexjray20 comments

This is from the "Swedish Herbal Institute". Two higher quality systematic reviews paint a slightly different picture:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S094471131...

https://bmccomplementalternmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10...

TBH I think that it's wishful thinking at the moment to believe that any supplement will help to deal with stress. (I've suffered from extreme burnout, and have been researching burnout and chronic fatigue syndrome for the past 18 years).

I've experimented a bit recently with a few adaptogens, namely maca root and ashwagandha. Not technically an adaptogen but something I've also recently experimented with is theanine. I admittedly didn't realize until just now that the term was one used by scientists.

Maca, which I've seen described as tasting like the remnants of a cigarette ashtray (my guess is that this is accurate), seems to give me additional stamina in workouts, as well as sexual benefits. Theanine seems to be beneficial for anxiety although the effect is mild. Ashwagandha I've not yet found how to use effectively. It's supposed to be useful for anxiety as well, but when I've taken it at night as a replacement for Xanax I've not found it helpful. The paper linked by the OP suggests that adaptogens have a stimulative effect so perhaps that's what I'm experiencing.

With all that said, has anyone come across a good herbal substitute to benzodiazepines for anxiety? I'm taking Xanax more often than I would like and do not want to go back on SSRIs.

Kava kava root. It’s the only thing I’ve found that helps. I can feel it turning how my mind processes social situations completely 180.

I'd be interested in trying kava were there not so many people addicted to it and trying to quit. (The same is of course true for benzos, hence why I'm looking for an alternative.)

I’d love alternatives to kava too

Kava kava is wicked harsh on the Liver! Be careful!

Do you take it before a social situation? Could you give us a quick write up?

It made me actually get something out of interacting with strangers for the first time. Only bummer was it conflicted with an antioxidant I took and sent me to the ER (astazanthin)

I take kratom (the leaf of a Southeast Asian tree which contains an atypical partial opioid agonist) for a variety of things, including anxiety, and it’s extremely effective for me, but I don’t recommend it lightly because it’s still a “buyer beware” market. (I.e., probably don’t buy it at a smoke shop, seek out reputable brands and sellers, talk to other users, do your own research, &c.) Understanding of the drug itself is improving, and it seems to be fairly safe, but it is moderately addictive (especially if you take large amounts regularly) and you would be taking a risk by combining it with an MAOI or other drugs that can depress breathing like benzos, alcohol, or opiates—even though kratom itself doesn’t have the same effect on breathing as traditional opiates.

For less heavyweight solutions to anxiety and sleeplessness, I like catnip tea (nepetalactone) which is very mild, and kava (kavalactone) which is a bit stronger, and I guess feels similar to a weak benzo—both of these are mild GABAergics. Valerian is also pretty good, but sadly I’m allergic.

CBD — the non-psychoactive cannibinoid sourced from hemp but legal almost everywhere. CBD does an awesome job of decreasing my anxiety and making me laser focused (at small doses, 5-10mg) and help me get a great night sleep (at higher doses, 20-30mg)

There are tons of different brands but my favorites are below:

Charlotte’s Web — https://www.cwhemp.com/

BioCBD+ — https://www.biocbdplus.com/

Here’s a good blog post on the benefits of CBD — https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/supplements-article...

Turnera Diffusa aka Damiana https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnera_diffusa Has been traditionally used as a calming anti-anxiety aid for centuries in many cultures. More recently western medical science has been looking to the plant and it's close relatives for a benzodiazepine substitute. Here is one study https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037887411... I read a similar study conducted by German health institution, but can't seem to !g the link right now.

I've used Damiana for many years. I smoke it like pot, make tea out of the leaves, make ethanol extracts (tincture in gin or vodka) and have even vaporized the herb. It is a very very effective anti-anxiety aid. And it is equally effective at arousal of sexual desires, and increase in sexual pleasure. Damiana is very safe too. I think it impossible to overdose on the herb.

Give it a try! I get mine from Mountain Rose Herbs https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/damiana-leaf/prof... by mail order. Superb quality! It goes very well in tea with another historic Adaptogenic herb, Ocimum tenuiflorum or Holy Basil, aka Tulsi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocimum_tenuiflorum Again, available from Mountain Rose Herbs: https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/holy-basil-rama-1...

Ive read that ashwagandhas benefits are 20% immediate, and 80% chronic. So you don't really see the effects of ashwagandhas until a week or two when your cortisol levels drop.

Nobody mentioning alcohol yet? It works on the same GABA receptors as Xanax.

It's certainly not without its problems, so I will stop short of recommending it, but its health effects have been much more thoroughly studied than any of the other options listed here, and there's no uncertainty about the quantity of active ingredient you're getting.

I’ve experimented with adaptogens for about a decade now, and they have become my favorite supplement type in terms or positive noticeable benefits to my life.

I’m mobile now or I’d look up studies to post, but I’d recommend checking out pubmed on some of the more common adaptogens. I specifically am a fan of ashwagandha (the KSM-66 standardized extract), Rhodiola (again, standardized) and finally Holy Basil. But there are quite a bit more that fall into the category, some being more for mental benefits and others more physical. For example the mushroom Cordyceps is generally thought of as an adaptogen that has exercise endurance boosting effects, while ashwagandha is usually thought of more for stress management and brain boosting effects.

I’m usually not a fan of “all-in-one” type products, but I’ve been taking this adaptogen complex for months with noticeable effects. https://www.amazon.com/ADAPTOTRAX-Superior-Adaptogen-Supplem...

Edit (on desktop now). Just a dusting of some cool studies:

Cordyceps militaris Improves Tolerance to High-Intensity Exercise... - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27408987

Ashwaganhda decreases cortisol and anxiety - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3573577/

Ashwagandha increases muscle strength and recovery - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4658772/

Rhodiola has lots of great stuff about it, but this "systematic review" claims that none of the results really meet scientific standards, so it all might be bogus: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3541197/

Siberian Ginseng is pretty interesting too

I can definitely recommend rhodiola rosea, the main topic of this paper. The effects are pretty noticeable as sort of a general non-inebriating calmness & shift towards more positive emotions. It doesn't seem to have any negative side effects or addictive potential.

And to add another useless anecdote, I always feel slightly odd in a bad way whenever I take rhodiola.

How do you normally consume Rhodiola?

FWIW, I highly recommend the book

"Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina and Stress Relief" by David Winston, Steven Maimes.

Thanks for the suggestion! I found a copy here: http://www.powells.com/searchresults?keyword=Adaptogens%3a+H... Look forward to reading it.

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