Adaptogens - the Edible Plants that Kill Stress

A recent article this month on the leading UK newspaper Daily Mail's website cited a survey that found female office workers who were stressed ate 2,240 additional calories a week just in snacks. Not only can excessive stress make us gain, it can have a serious adverse effect on our mental well-being, sleeping patterns and physical health.

The solution to this growing issue could be found within nature in the form of 'adaptogens', a phrase used to encompass around 20 species of plants that are particularly good at helping the body 'adapt' to stress and therefore alleviate the symptoms that come with it. These plants, including rhodolia, maca root, jujube and maral root, are incorporated into teabags, skincare products and some coffee shops are even serving adaptogen lattes. sang the praises of these plants.

Dr Sarah Brewer, GP and nutritionist said, 'When you're under stress your adrenal glands are pumping out the hormone cortisol, which makes your heart race, constricts blood vessels and generally prepares your body to fight or flee the threat - which might once have been a sabre-toothed tiger, but now is more likely to be chronic stress sitting at your computer. When the threat was a tiger, the exercise involved in fleeing or fighting would reset your body back to normal, but with modern stress you don’t burn off or use up the chemicals it produces.That’s where adaptogens come in — they have a balancing effect and seem to help reset that stress response.' Put simply, these magic plants enable our bodies to change the way they respond to stress.

Plants can soothe our stress in many way, even when we aren't eating them! Just having a touch of greenery in your eye-line can improve your work output significantly.

Find out more about our amazing plants and take advantage of our hire and maintenance services, call us on 0800 587 46 72 or click here to get in touch and arrange a FREE onsite consultation.