Herbal Remedies for Adrenal Fatigue

For people who suffer from adrenal fatigue, relief can often be difficult to find. Find out which herbal remedies are proven to work for this condition, and when you should consider taking them.


Millions of people around the globe suffer from symptoms of adrenal fatigue. If you are one of them,the good news is that there are steps you can take to address some of the most fundamental components of your fatigue.

But first, you need to understandthe importance of diet, exercise, and stress relief for adrenal fatigue recovery. You can read more about these topics here:

Adrenal Fatigue Diet

How Food Allergies and Sensitivities Can Cause Adrenal Fatigue

Lifesytle Changes For Adrenal Fatigue Recovery

In this article, though, we'll focus on other natural remedies available fortreating your syndrome and nursing your adrenals back to health: herbs! So, let’s take a look at the syndrome you’re trying to address:

What is Adrenal Fatigue?

Before you can effectively fight any battle, you have to know your enemy. In this case, that enemy is a debilitating form of exhaustion commonly referred to as adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is a condition where the body’s stress response remains on full alert over such a lengthy period of time that the adrenals eventually collapse. After churning out higher than normal volumes of cortisol and other hormones to fight a prolonged or recurrent battle against life’s stressors, the adrenals eventually give up, cortisol levels plummet, and fatigue takes over.

Adrenal Fatigue Causes

Adrenal fatigue is caused primarily by that aforementioned drop in the level of cortisol. It is important to recognize, however, that this cortisol decrease seldom happens in a vacuum. It is more commonly the result of an overload of the adrenal glands by the accumulation of outside stresses over time, and the gradual weakening of the body’s ability to respond to those stressors.

And while the adrenals are obviously at the center of the problem, the stress response that leads to those damaged glands also encompasses the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, as well as many other bodily systems. Adrenal dysregulation is the end result of systemic failures throughout the body.

Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms

Adrenal fatigue presents as a state of almost complete exhaustion, broken up throughout the day by periodic spikes in the energy level that are followed by even more severe crashes. Some of the more common symptoms that accompany this exhaustion are:

  • There seems to be no other explanation for the fatigue. You can even feel exhausted after an ordinary night’s rest.
  • Rising in the early morning is a major undertaking
  • After an illness, you find recovery more difficult than normal
  • You have unexplained cravings for salt and sugar
  • Stress seems to affect you more than it used to
  • You feel emotionally swamped and worn out
  • Your libido is gone
  • Rather than feeling more lethargic as sundown approaches, you find your energy levels rising. This can even lead to a higher level of energy as bedtime approaches.


Why Would Herbal Remedies Matter?

There are a variety of reasons why herbal remedies have grown in popularity in recent years. One is the rising distrust in certain types of medicinal products. Another is the new awareness of the fact that most of our effective medicines are based on synthetic versions of natural substances anyway. In many instances, those herbal remedies are often reported to be just as if not more effective than their pharmaceutical counterparts.

Finally, there is also the recognition that many adrenal patients have little support from the medical community, leaving them virtually on their own when it comes to seeking effective treatments. And, since they cannot prescribe other medications for themselves, herbal solutions are often the best option available.

The Dangers of Using Pharmaceuticals For Adrenal Function

One of the chief dangers associated with medications used to treat fatigue is, of course, that they often just fail to work. The problem with adrenal fatigue – or almost any type of exhaustion, really – is that fatigue is rarely the result of just one body system shutting down. With something like adrenal fatigue, where multiple hormones fall out of balance and end up overloading the brain, adrenals, and other systems, the problem is clear: there is no single medication that could resolve all those issues.

Here’s why: pharmaceutical solutions typically involve the attempted regulation of a single dysfunctional pathway in the body. Most drugs simply cannot focus on multiple pathways in the way that natural nutrients can. So, while the drug you take may, for example, help to strengthen the production of one dangerously low hormone, it often does so at the expense of the others. In the end, even if the medicine is successful, it still leaves the systems in a state of dysregulation since only one of the underlying issues gets addressed.

Nor can that problem be resolved by simply taking an array of medications designed to each target one specific pathway. For obvious reasons, the drug interactions can end up being as dangerous as the dysregulation, and can cause a host of unintended side effects.

The Benefits of Herbal Solutions

For uncounted millennia, humans have been relying on plants and herbs for medicinal purposes. Even animals in the wild appear to know which plants produce which effects in their bodies. It seems that the old belief that everything in nature is there for a reason just might be true after all. Ancient healers have understood the importance of these natural remedies, and different cultures around the world have preserved much of this knowledge over time.

The reason many of these herbal remedies are more effective than the synthetic medicines made to mimic their properties is clear: the synthesizing process has yet to replicate the multi-tiered impact available from these herbs. So, while a typical pharmaceutical product can address only one dysfunctional pathway, the unique biological makeup of the original herb can often tackle multiple pathways at the same time, treating multiple systems at once.

Which Herbal Remedies Work?

So, which of the many herbal remedies available on the market actually work for treating adrenal fatigue? There are too many to list here, but some of the most effective deserve mention.

Ginkgo biloba

This herb is most commonly known for its effectiveness in improving circulation and protecting nerves, but it also has some serious stress-reducing capabilities as well. In fact, it can lower cortisol levels during stressful times, which can help to minimize the type of damage that persistently high cortisol levels wreak on the adrenal glands.

Licorice

No, not the candy! In its root extract form, licorice is beneficial for the adrenal cortex, and has been used for many centuries to address fatigue issues as well as helping with ulcers and kidney problems. Small doses are best, as larger amounts can lead to complications with blood pressure.

Ashwagandha Root

This herb can aid in relieving the type of sleep disruptions that stress can often cause. That can lead to better rest and a greater opportunity for relieving the stress associated with sleeplessness.

Rhodiola

This adaptogenic herb is capable of aiding in stress management, and has been demonstrated to be effective in addressing fatigue as well. Its ability to regulate cortisol and other aspects of the stress response is central to its success in providing these critical benefits.



Korean Ginseng

This ginseng root is another great stress-fighter, and has long been used to counter various forms of exhaustion. The Chinese have relied on it for thousands of years, and it serves as the backbone of their traditional medicine approach to dealing with low energy and for enhancing life expectancy. New research in the West indicates that it may also be beneficial for insulin regulation, which can be a major concern for adrenal fatigue sufferers as well.

Astragalus

This is another Chinese offering that is a pure tonic for aiding the adrenal glands. Its components all contribute to influencing blood glucose, blood pressure, inflammation, and fluid levels throughout the body. In other words, it provides exactly the kind of support that any weakened adrenals need if they are to have the time to properly recover.

Herbal Expectations

Before you rush off, buy a bunch of herbs, and then expect to start feeling better in a few days, take a breath and think about how long it took you to reach the state of exhaustion you’re now experiencing. Adrenal fatigue is the result of a lengthy process that can take months or even years to manifest. Even the best herbal regimen will require at least a few months before the benefits become noticeable.

With that said, it is important to do a little research to determine which herbs you need to counter which symptoms. The goal is to provide your body and especially your adrenals with the support needed to promote healing. These are not a substitute for real healing; instead they are a supplement that the body can rely on, so that stress can be diverted away from the adrenal glands during the healing process.

Adrenal fatigue doesn’t have to be the end of your world. Nor does it have to be something that can only be properly treated when and if you are fortunate enough to find a physician willing to recognize it for what it is. By understanding your condition and relying on sound diet, healthy lifestyle choices, and the right herbal remedies, you can find relief from your adrenal fatigue.




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