A Beginner's Guide to Adaptogens (and Where Mushrooms Fit In)

Adaptogens are one of those wellness words that gets used a lot without much explanation. If you've seen the term on a tea box, a powder, or a mushroom tincture and wondered what it actually means, here's the honest, non hyped version.

What an adaptogen actually is

An adaptogen is broadly defined as a natural substance that helps the body adapt to stress, whether that's physical, mental, or environmental, without pushing it in one specific direction. Rather then stimulating you (like caffeine) or sedating you (like a sleep aid), the idea is that adaptogens help bring an overstressed system back toward balance, in whichever direction it needs to go.

Where mushrooms fit in

Several medicinal mushrooms are classed as adaptogens, Reishi being the most well known example. Others, like Cordyceps, blur the line a bit, since they're also associated with more direct effects like energy support. This is part of why the mushroom world can feel confusing at first, not every mushroom is an adaptogen, and not every adaptogen is a mushroom (ashwagandha and rhodiola are common non mushroom examples).

A word of caution on the term

"Adaptogen" isn't a strictly regulated term, and it gets applied loosely across the wellness industry sometimes. That doesn't mean it's meaningless, there is a genuine, if still developing, body of research behind several adaptogenic mushrooms and herbs, but it's worth treating bold claims with a healthy amount of scepticism, ours included.

Where to start

If you're new to adaptogens generally, Reishi is the most researched mushroom entry point. If you'd rather start with a wider net, our ENRICHD 7 Mushroom Blend includes several adaptogenic and non adaptogenic mushrooms together, which is a reasonable way to explore the category without committing to just one.