When it comes to bringing the body back to harmony, adaptogens are arguably the most crucial part of this goal. When combining them with other similar adaptogens and herbs, you can create a synergy of powerful plant medicine equipped to tackle almost any problem.
What are Adaptogens?
Adaptogens are substances that enhance the body's ability to resist stress by improving its state of nonspecific resistance. Essentially, these herbs aid our bodies in responding to and recovering from both short-term and long-term mental and physical stress. Stress influences the body's neurological, endocrine, and immune systems.
Without effective stress management, adverse physical and psychological side effects can occur, such as weight gain, generalized anxiety, immune dysfunction, and depression. In addition to mitigating the effects of stress, some adaptogens can also boost the immune system and promote overall well-being.
How Do Adaptogens Work?
Adaptogens work uniquely compared to other substances because they don't merely boost or suppress the functions of the body's various systems. Instead, they operate on a molecular level to balance the responses produced by the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands, which are crucial in managing our stress responses. When we experience stress, our bodies go through a process known as General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), which includes three stages:
Alarm Phase
The first sign of stress triggers an alarm, causing a temporary drop in blood pressure and body temperature as if the body is injured. This initial reaction is brief, followed by a counter-reaction in which the body releases chemicals like adrenaline to help respond appropriately. The sympathetic nervous system is then activated, managing the fight-or-flight response.
Resistance Phase
After the initial alarm phase, the body transitions into the resistance phase to cope with the stress. During this phase, cortisol is released to help sustain the body's response to the stressor and repair any potential damage. This phase can last an extended period, enabling the body to maintain its defensive stance against the stress.
Exhaustion Phase
In a typical acute stress situation, the body eventually enters exhaustion as the endocrine system becomes depleted. Ideally, the threat has been neutralized by this time, and the body can rest and recover. However, in cases of chronic stress, the regular depletion of the endocrine system’s resources leads to ongoing weakness and damage throughout the body. This condition, known as "maladaptive stress," can result in severe health issues such as ulcers, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Adaptogens are particularly useful in preventing maladaptive stress by helping the body maintain balance and resilience during prolonged stress. They support the body’s adaptive responses, ensuring it doesn't succumb to the harmful effects of chronic stress.
Benefits of Adaptogens
Unlike the typical stress response, which follows a bell curve of low→high→low, adaptogens help the body maintain a more stable state throughout the stress period. Instead of experiencing a wave of chemical responses, the body achieves homeostasis using adaptogens, making the wave of body processes much smoother.
How do adaptogens accomplish this? Each adaptogen "hacks" the body's stress response uniquely. They protect the body from heightened or prolonged stress responses by triggering the release of chemicals that counteract stress. For example, Ashwagandha, a well-known adaptogen, reduces cortisol production, lowering the overall stress response.
By maintaining homeostasis, adaptogens help individuals manage both short-term and long-term stress more effectively and help prevent the health problems associated with chronic stress. In short, adaptogens help the body adapt to stress and respond to stress better over the long term by helping balance stress hormones. Adaptogens also tend to have other benefits, like helping with cognition and energy.
Picking the Right Adaptogen for Pets
Medicinal Mushrooms
One of the most extraordinary family of adaptogens is Medicinal Mushrooms. There are countless species (more discovered every year, in fact) that can help our pets’ bodies adapt to stress and overcome disease, and that is why they are becoming so incredibly popular. From the stress relieving and respiratory benefits of Reishi to the cognitive and neurological repair offered by Lion’s Mane, these mushrooms should be a staple in every pet’s health care protocol for longevity.
Bacopa Monnieri
Bacopa monnieri, commonly known as Waterhyssop, is an ancient herb extensively used in Ayurvedic medicine. Renowned for its brain-boosting properties, it is also a potent antioxidant. Bacopa Monnieri combats oxidative stress in the brain, making it a valuable asset in the fight against neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Additionally, this herb has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, helping to reduce inflammation and pain. Bacopa Monnieri enhances cognitive function and alleviates stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol levels, contributing to overall mental well-being.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha, also known as Indian Ginseng, is a renowned adaptogenic herb used for thousands of years to address various neurological issues. It helps reduce anxiety and stress by regulating cortisol and other essential stress-related chemicals. Due to its unique stress-relieving properties, it also aids in improving sleep and managing mental health disorders.
Research has shown that ashwagandha may lower inflammatory markers in the body, such as C-reactive protein. Its wide-ranging benefits, safety, and tolerance make it one of the most popular adaptogens. Given these numerous benefits, our founder, Angela Ardolino, included ashwagandha in all MycoDog sustainable mushroom extract pet tinctures.
Astragalus
Astragalus is a traditional Chinese herb known for its adaptogenic properties that enhance the body's resilience to stress. It strengthens the immune system by boosting white blood cell production and activity, offers antioxidant protection to reduce cellular damage, and supports adrenal gland function to balance cortisol levels. With its anti-inflammatory effects, astragalus alleviates stress-related inflammation, improving conditions like joint pain and digestive issues.
It also is a potent aid for chronic stress, as many of our pets may face without us ever knowing. It also enhances energy and stamina, supports cardiovascular health by improving circulation and protecting the heart, and promotes longevity through its anti-aging properties and DNA repair capabilities. These combined benefits help the body achieve and maintain homeostasis, making astragalus a powerful adaptogen for overall health and stress management.
Rhodiola
Rhodiola, also known as golden or arctic root, is an herb renowned for combating anxiety, fatigue, and depression. It enhances the body's resistance to stress, helping to alleviate symptoms of burnout caused by chronic stress. For individuals dealing with depression, Rhodiola helps balance neurotransmitters in the brain, offering antidepressant-like effects without pharmaceutical medication.
Additionally, Rhodiola can improve cognitive functions, particularly in learning and memory, making it a valuable supplement for overall brain health.
Synergy & Combining Adaptogens
We know that all these adaptogenic plants have their own benefits, but did you know that combining them with one another can make them work even better? That’s why so many stress support supplements for people are a combination of several of these adaptogens.
Research and long-standing plant medicine traditions have shown that when used together, these adaptogens work synergistically, meaning they actually have better results when combined. Our products use several combinations:
Breathe & Vitality: Medicinal Mushrooms, Ashwagandha & Astragalus
This combination can be seen in our MycoDog tinctures Breathe and Vitality, and for good reason. Combining these two adaptogens with medicinal mushrooms creates synergy, like in our hemp extract tinctures. Ashwagandha is full of stress relieving, immunomodulating, and body-balancing properties, while astragalus helps calm stress, tonify the heart, and has anti-viral effects to strengthen the immune system.
Medicinal Mushrooms, Astragalus, and Ashwagandha, are all ancient Chinese medicines that have been proven over centuries to bring harmony to the body, especially in times of stress or disease. This is why they are so crucial in our two immune-supporting mushroom blends, Vitality and Breathe.
Clarity: Medicinal Mushrooms Ashwagandha & Bacopa Monieri
For the ultimate in cognitive support and nervous system balance, look no further than the combination of mushrooms, ashwagandha, and Bacopa Monnieri. Lion’s Mane, the neuroprotective, nerve cell rebuilding mushroom, meets its perfect match with Bacopa Monnieri, which also may enhance neuronal communication by stimulating the growth of dendrites (branches extending from neurons), as well as increasing brain levels of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter crucial for memory and cognition.
Combining these two cognitive-enhancing plants with Ashwagandha creates a perfect synergy for pets with cognitive decline or dementia-like symptoms. While Lion’s Mane and Bacopa focus on cognition and proper rest cycles, ashwagandha tackles the stress experienced by many pets suffering from dementia due to increased confusion and lack of feel-good chemicals.
Digest: Medicinal Mushrooms, Astragalus, Ashwagandha & Rhodiola
Finally, our new favorite combination of adaptogens and mushrooms! This combination is exceptionally balancing, inflammation-fighting, stress relieving, and digestion-supporting all in one.
By combining medicinal mushrooms like Shiitake (prebiotic fiber), Chaga (protects gastric lining/mucosa), Lion’s Mane (combats digestive inflammation and harmful bacteria), Turkey Tail (balances bacteria in the gut) and Red Belted Conk (reduces inflammation of the GI tract) with astragalus (anti-nausea/anti-diarrheal), ashwagandha and Rhodiola, the benefits are endless.
This combination is meant primarily to support digestion, but like all of our products, it does way more than what it says on the bottle. Since the gut is the key to overall health from every standpoint (immune system, neurological health, and inflammatory regulation), this blend has every benefit you could ever need.
Combining Medicinal Mushrooms & Hemp for Pets
Combining medicinal mushrooms and hemp provides a powerful holistic, synergistic approach to supporting your pet’s health—especially their immune system.
Hemp interacts with the endocannabinoid system, helping regulate immune responses, reduce inflammation, and promote overall balance within the body. While medicinal mushrooms contain bioactive compounds such as beta-glucans, known to boost immune function, fight infections, and inhibit tumor growth. Together, these natural plant and fungi ingredients enhance each other’s benefits, creating a powerful combination that supports immunity, stress management, and overall cellular health.
Final Thoughts
Adaptogens have almost limitless benefits for humans and pets. Using them in combination with other herbs like medicinal mushrooms and hemp, creates a synergy like no other. They pack countless health and longevity benefits into one tincture, making it effortless to support your dog’s entire body on almost every level.
