7 Herbs and Natural Ingredients to Help Reduce Stress

Let’s be honest: we’ve all got too much stress in our lives.

Our fast-paced modern lifestyle makes it inevitable. No matter how hard we work, there’s always more to do. Every day feels like a race to a finish line that we just can’t ever cross.

Stress is an ever-present threat that is contributing to higher mortality rates, greater risk of chronic disease, and lower overall life satisfaction.

It’s imperative that we actively work to combat stress through any and all tools at our disposal—from improving our work environment to reducing unnecessary activities to increasing time for relaxation and recreation.

Science has discovered another tool for your use: botanicals, aka herbs and natural ingredients.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of seven plant-based, science-backed remedies that will help you combat and manage your stress[1,2,3]. Add them to your daily life to give yourself a fighting change against the biological and psychological toll stress can take on your body!

Ashwagandha

One of the worst things that stress can do to your body is increase the production of cortisol, which is commonly referred to as the “stress hormone” [4]. When cortisol levels rise, your body absorbs more sugar and increases the amount of glucose available in your bloodstream, which can cause your body to store more fat. Cortisol also slows down any functions that are considered “non-essential” in your “fight or flight response”. It suppresses your immune system, digestive system, reproductive system, and the growth processes that enable your body to repair internal damage. It also affects the hormones and neurochemicals that regulate your mood, elevating your fear and psychological stress response while lowering your “feel good” hormones.

Suffice it to say, cortisol is not a good thing. It’s necessary for short-term reaction to danger, but over the long term, it can have negative effects on your body.

Thankfully, Ashwagandha has the ability to lower cortisol [2], which in turn reduces the symptoms of stress. It also increases the release of GABA, serotonin, and glutamate, which can improve your sleep quality as well as elevates your mood. It’s even capable of reducing your perception of stress so you feel better just by taking it.

It’s got the most potent anti-stress effects of any of the herbs and natural ingredients on our list!

Passionflower

Passionflower has a mild sedative effect that can decrease anxiety, curb stress reactivity, and prevent insomnia. It can improve function of your hippocampus and balance neurochemicals (producing more GABA in the process) to reduce stress.

Another benefit to passionflower is its ability to improve your stress reactivity, or your “capacity or tendency to respond to a stressor” [5]. To put it simply, we all react differently to stress, some better than others. The psychological and physiological effects of stress range from person to person, and those who have better stress reactivity are essentially less affected by it.

Passionflower can help your body and mind to react better to stress, decreasing insomnia, anxiety, and decreasing the physical impact of stress.

Lavender

Lavender is a highly potent aromatherapy remedy thanks to its scent’s ability to reduce stress and induce relaxation. It can lower cortisol levels in your blood and can even lower your heart rate and blood pressure, thereby decreasing the perceived effect of stress.

Lavender aromatherapy can also curb anxiety and combat insomnia. Research has proven that it can improve sleep quality and increase your energy levels.

Lavender has been proven to increase the activity in your frontal lobe as well as delta-waves in your brain, both of which are associated with deeper sleep. It’s well-documented that deep sleep is critical for a healthy brain but also an enhanced stress response [6]. Deep sleep can actually rewire your brain and decrease anxiety (caused by stress as well as sleep loss).

Finally, the terpenes in lavender can calm your brain’s chemical receptors and reduce stress starting in your brain.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola is a potent adaptogen that can help your body adapt to the pressures and stressors of daily life, making it more effective at handling stress without suffering wear and tear. It’s proven effective at managing stress-related symptoms, can lower stress response, and even decrease fatigue. It can also decrease nitric oxide production in the body, which in turn can reduce the exhaustion you feel every day, while also increasing your endurance.

One fascinating study [7] found that rhodiola can help combat burnout. In the study, rhodiola combatted not only the physical effects of burnout—including exhaustion, fatigue, body aches, recurring headaches, and appetite changes [8]—but also the psychological effects. Within just 12 weeks, the patients noticed visible improvement in their burnout symptoms thanks to the natural effects of the rhodiola.

For those of us who are dealing with high levels of stress, burnout may feel like it’s right around the corner. Thanks to the adaptogenic properties of rhodiola, you will have an ally in combatting the problem and protecting your physical and mental wellbeing.

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Valerian Root

Valerian root is one of the oldest sleep remedies, thanks to the fact that it can help your body and mind to relax, even after a long, stressful day. It has also been proven to be highly effective at combatting stress and anxiety—especially the anxious feelings triggered by stressful situations—and can have a mild sedative effect. It may even be useful for treating depression and regulate neurochemical production.

Fair warning: further research is needed to provide more tangible evidence to fully understand the mechanisms of valerian root. However, as a remedy, it has been proven “potentially beneficial” to treat the issues mentioned above.

Chamomile

Chamomile is a mild sedative that can have a tranquilizing effect. It is often used as a sleep aid because it can help you to relax and mitigates the effects of stress on your mind and body. Chamomile contains a flavonoid called apigenin that binds with the benzodiazepine receptors in your brain and can have a calming effect on your central nervous system.

Research [9] has found that it can be useful for treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder, a psychological condition often caused or exacerbated by high levels of stress. Its natural antidepressant and anxiolytic properties make it a potentially potent remedy to mitigate the anxiety that results from your chronic stress.

Theanine

Theanine, also called L-theanine, is an amino acid found in black tea, green tea, and certain mushrooms. Research has shown that it can have a calming effect on your mind and body, reducing stress, improving sleep quality and latency, and preventing sleep disturbances. It can also combat stress-related ailments and improve cognitive function.

One meta-analysis [10] found that theanine can boost your mood, reduce anxiety-like symptoms, and enhance cognition. Among the more than 100 participants studied, there were visible improvements in anxiety and stress levels, nearly on par with anti-anxiety medications. The study concluded that theanine “can assist in reducing acute stress and anxiety in people experiencing stressful situations.”

One great thing about theanine is that can “blunt” the effects of caffeine. It prevents the caffeine in green and black tea from elevating your blood pressure and impairing your sleep quality, making these teas a much gentler energy boost than coffee. For those who are highly caffeine-sensitive, the theanine in tea makes it a safer alternative less likely to have a negative impact.

Wrapping Up

Stress can shorten your lifespan and reduce your quality of life, but only if you let it.

With these botanical remedies, you can take active measures to combat stress on a biological level, improving your health in both mind and body.

If you're looking for additional relaxation support, consider trying our premium sleep supplement, Restore Sleep. Along with the calming effects of L-Theanine, Restore Sleep is the only formula of its kind that combines seven potent forms of chelated magnesium, plus two additional nutrients designed to enhance relaxation, promote deep restorative sleep, and boost cognitive function. This unique blend helps optimize your body's natural relaxation response, giving you the restful sleep you need to manage stress and improve overall well-being.

Click here to learn more about Restore Sleep and how it can change your life for the better through providing your body with the best magnesium complex and thus improving your brain function, sleep quality and relaxation response.

Resources:
[1] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9737923/

[2] www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/herbs-for-anxiety

[3] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6836118/

[4] www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037

[5] link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_64

[6] www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191104124140.htm

[7] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5370380/

[8] www.webmd.com/mental-health/burnout-symptoms-signs

[9] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5650245/

[10] www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352385915003138

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