Best Adaptogen for Stress and Easy Ashwagandha Latte Recipe

Ashwagandha is a well-known adaptogen used to balance the body’s response to stress. The world of adaptogens has seen an increasing rise in popularity over the past few years. Perhaps this is because of the fact that our society is more stressed than ever. We feel pulled in a million different directions. There’s always something to worry about. We are surrounded and bombarded by chemicals. And to make matters worse, our food and water sources are depleted of the nutrients that we so desperately need. It’s not surprising that so many people are stressed. In this post we discuss ashwagandha, a popular adaptogen with a host of incredible benefits. We also share our favorite ashwagandha recipe!

Why Should I Use Adaptogens?

There are many things that can be done to ease the stress load, and it mostly comes down to lifestyle. Fresh air, exercise, hydration, sleep, nourishing your body with healthy food, and streamlining commitments are all simple ways to address stress in your daily life. But sometimes we need more support, and that’s where adaptogens come in to play. Adaptogens work to bring balance to the body and help it adapt to stress. Ashwagandha is a popular adaptogen that, among other things, helps to modulate and lower cortisol, the body’s stress hormone.

What is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is a large, vigorous plant that grows annually in hot, sunny conditions. It doesn’t take long to grow from a baby plant to a large branching bush. Its fruit consists of tiny red berries covered by a paper-like wrapping. As the berries become ripe, the covering of the berries becomes thin and brown, and the berries can be harvested. Each berry has over a dozen seeds in it, which makes seed saving easy. Although the berries and even the leaves can be eaten and used, the root is the main medicinal part of the plant. It is best to harvest ashwagandha root in the fall or early winter after the plant has died back. This ensures that all of the energy and herbal properties have made it down to the roots.

What are Adaptogens?

Ashwagandha, though popular, is not the only adaptogen useful for aiding stress. Tulsi (also known as holy basil), eleuthero root, and rhodiola root are other adaptogens that work to bring balance to the body in ways such as modulating stress, calming the nerves, and improving mental function. Taken consistently, ashwagandha has been seen to aid in tonifying the nervous system, addressing stress related problems like anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue. It is also known to lower and modulate cortisol, the body’s stress hormone.

Ashwagandha for Improved Sleep

Ashwagandha is known for how it helps balance the body’s energy and sleep. As a tonic herb, it is not used as a quick fix but should be taken consistently to bring balance to the body instead of acting as a sedative or energy booster. Some people report sedative effects while others say that it keeps them awake if taken before bed. It is best to take ashwagandha during the day as it has been seen to provide steady energy and promote deeper, healthy sleep at night.

More Ashwagandha Benefits

Due to a compound called withanolides, ashwagandha has antioxidant, immune supporting, hypoglycemic and antitumor benefits and has been seen to protect both the heart and brain. It is also used for muscle strength, to enhance physical performance, and in cases of atrophy. Ashwagandha is useful for its neurological benefits including increased cognitive function, memory, and focus.

Proper Dosage

There are so many benefits to taking ashwagandha, but they are not always realized or experienced due to improper dosage. Ashwagandha is best taken consistently over an extended period of time and can be consumed at relatively high doses. There are various ways of taking ashwagandha whether it be in capsule form, as a tea, tincture, or powder. It is commonly taken as a powder in a cup of warm milk. When taking ashwagandha powder or capsules, we suggest taking 2,000 – 6,000 mg divided into three doses throughout the day. When taking a tincture, 2-4 ml up to three times a day is ideal. A tasty way to enjoy ashwagandha is through our delicious ashwagandha latte recipe below.

Ashwagandha Tincture

We love tinctures because of their long shelf life, portability, ease of use, potency, and bioavailability to the body. Our ashwagandha tincture is made with ashwagandha root. Due to the strong taste of tinctures, we suggest adding our ashwagandha tincture to a small amount of water, juice, or coffee to mask the taste. We like to add it to our cup of coffee and hardly know it’s there! Another favorite way to enjoy ashwagandha’s incredible benefits is through our Ashwagandha Latte Recipe!

Ashwagandha Latte Recipe

Ashwagandha — The Recipe for (de)Stress

While you may have heard about ashwagandha for stress, it is used for much more than that! As herbalists, we love to look at the body as a whole and address root problems, not just symptoms. By bringing balance to the body so it is not overly taxed in certain areas, your quality of life can improve, and your body can focus on staying healthy and happy.

~Hannah

For more on ashwagandha, visit The Herbal Academy’s Beginner’s Guide to Ashwagandha.

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