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Stress is defined in medicine as any cause (physical, chemical, or psychological) capable of exerting a prolonged harmful stimulus on the body, and provoking a reaction that manifests as nervous tension, irritability, and anxiety. In short, it is a psychophysical response to various types of tasks that the body perceives as excessive: if the stressor persists over time, it is called chronic stress, which is wearing and harmful to the body, as it can lead to a weakening of the immune defenses and therefore to more serious disorders and pathologies.
In some cases, stress can be considered beneficial: for example, before an exam or an important meeting, one could experience nervousness, dry mouth, and a tight stomach, which, although unpleasant, promote greater alertness and vitality in the body. Endocrinologist Hans Selye spoke of "eustress," a positive cognitive response to stress that induces vigor and concentration in the body. However, when stress factors persist, it is instead called "distress," a state in which the body is unable to adapt to stressors, triggering a deleterious and maladaptive response manifested in various ways, such as hyperactivity, anxiety, fear, sleep disturbances, memory problems, palpitations, etc.
Nature provides us with a series of plants and herbs useful against stress, capable of increasing the body's resistance to non-specific stressors and environmental factors either chemically or biologically, and/or counteracting the consequences resulting from these states of stress and tension.
Among the anti-stress plants, we can distinguish two specific categories of herbs: adaptogens and relaxing plants. Often, people tend to seek and resort to "relaxing plants" to calm stress states, without knowing the effects of these herbs: there are indeed plants like adaptogens that help the body improve its response to stress factors, making the body more alert and toned, capable of "adapting" to stressful situations, acting preventively and bringing the body to an optimal condition, allowing to avoid the damage caused by chemical, environmental, biological, physical, and psychological factors that cause stress, such as sleep loss, anxiety, fatigue, depression. Adaptogens are therefore an excellent preventive aid against stress, improving our adaptability and preventing adrenal fatigue. An excellent adaptogenic plant is Brahmi, from which, in powder form, it is possible to prepare a delicious herbal tea to alleviate stress.
There are then relaxing herbs and plants, which in turn are divided into sedative herbs and nervine herbs, capable of relaxing the body and modulating anxiety, nervousness, tension, acting on the nervous system. Often nervine plants are confused with sedative ones, but in reality although both are relaxing, sedative plants induce sleep, therefore if you are looking for relaxing plants to sleep, taking a nervine herb would help to relax, but it would not have effects on sleep. On the contrary, if you are looking for a relaxing plant to modulate the effects of stress and tension in view of a busy day, taking a sedative herb would be harmful, as it would induce drowsiness, lowering cognitive functions. Understanding the effects of different anti-stress plants is crucial to help the body counteract the different consequences and implications of stress: let's see specifically what the differences are between relaxing plants and adaptogens and how to use them to best support the body in stressful conditions. Adaptogenic herbs: Adaptogenic plants are defined, according to Dr. Nikolai Lazarev, as plants "capable of increasing the nonspecific resistance of an organism, allowing to balance stress signals and adapt to exceptional effort." They are therefore substances with anti-stress effects, capable of increasing the body's resistance, improving its response, counterbalancing the dangerous effects of prolonged stress, which can lead to more serious disorders and issues, improving psychophysical well-being and leading the body towards an optimal situation, modulating tension and anxiety. The concept of adaptogenesis was born with the studies of Hans Salye on stress physiology: the doctor discovered how different external factors such as cold, noise, chemical agents, induced in the body the same "non-specific" physiological response, translated into stomach and colon ulceration, increased adrenal mass, and so on, which he defined as "stress," a sort of defensive response to the increased demand placed on the body, aimed at maintaining homeostasis, that is, a state of balance in the body. Prolonged stress, however, can lead to serious psychological and physical repercussions, especially if the extent of the stressful situation exceeds the body's response capabilities, which will not be able to cope with stress and will enter a phase of damage, which can manifest as headaches, nervousness, irritability, insomnia, etc. Adaptogenic plants therefore intervene in the regulation of adaptation to stress, without interfering with cognitive functions, but rather, often increasing them. Their mechanism of action is not inhibitory, but a "soft" stimulation of the immune system and therefore an activation of a protective action against stress. Adaptogenic plants and herbs induce a mild stress factor that allows to reduce the reactivity of defense systems, allowing the body to "adapt" better and more easily withstand stressful situations and their harmful effects. Adaptogenic plants are therefore considered anti-stress plants not because they inhibit stress, but because they help the body to withstand it and increase its resistance to certain stressful factors by reducing the response to them and the sensitivity of the body. Unlike relaxing plants, they are not sedative or tranquilizing, on the contrary, they are often euphoric and improve cognitive functions, therefore they are ideal for facing the day at full psychophysical capacity.
Relaxing plants are another category of anti-stress plants and herbs that, unlike adaptogenic plants, act on the nervous system with a calming, relaxing, and tranquilizing effect. They are divided into nervine plants and sedative plants, with different effects, although these two categories of herbs are often mixed to create relaxing herbal teas, such as the Relaxing Herbal Tea by Terza Luna.
It is very important to understand the difference between the anti-stress effects of different relaxing herbs, as nervine plants have a calming effect on the nervous system and induce a state of relaxation, often acting on muscle relaxation or the cardiac system, while sedative plants, such as valerian or St. John's Wort from which an excellent herbal tea can be made, act on the central nervous system and promote sleep, helping us to sleep.
Understanding this often subtle and confusing difference is important for choosing the right type of relaxing herb to take for the specific problem: for example, if you are in a state of stress that manifests somatically and emotionally with anxiety, muscle tension, a tight stomach, or dry throat, as can happen before a university exam or an important work meeting, you should prefer a nervine plant, suitable for consumption during the day, as a sedative would induce sleep, lowering the attention threshold.
On the contrary, sedative relaxing plants are perfect to use before going to sleep, to promote sleep and counteract disturbances: insomnia, nighttime awakenings, anxiety, and worries caused by stress that prevent falling asleep or having a peaceful sleep. An excellent relaxing plant is St. John's Wort, of which Terza Luna sells excellent organic flowers ideal for a relaxing herbal tea.
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Plants and herbs against stress can be taken in different ways. As already mentioned, it is important to choose the type of plant suitable for your stress condition, as it is often mistakenly chosen "relaxing" plants that are not able to trigger the reaction that our body needs.
For example, to face stressful days and to help our body better cope with stress, nervousness, and anxiety, it is recommended to take adaptogenic plants, which improve the psycho-physical condition, performance, concentration, and mood.
If stress has already triggered somatic and emotional response mechanisms, such as pain, tension, anxiety, you can instead opt for relaxing plants, paying attention to the distinction between nervine and sedative plants: sedative plants are useful for relaxation and calming the nervous system, but they induce sleep, an undesired consequence for those seeking a relaxing effect but also need to maintain high performance and attention. In these cases, for example, nervine plants are recommended for muscle relaxation, to calm palpitations.
But how to use them? Some anti-stress and relaxing plants have a calming power even if kept at home, such as indoor plants: lavender and valerian, in fact, infuse a sense of peace and tranquility in the environment, as well as scenting and purifying the air.
The most common way to take relaxing herbs is in the form of mother tincture or herbal tea: the mother tincture is an extremely concentrated alcoholic extract of the plant's active ingredient, which can be taken by dispersing a few drops in a glass of water, while herbal teas are prepared by infusion, and are excellent for giving the body a feeling of relaxation and comfort.
Adaptogenic plants, on the other hand, can be taken as real supplements, dispersed in water, or used in cooking. They are excellent if taken continuously, as they help the body defend itself from stress by intervening in the so-called “alarm phase”, in which the body prepares to respond to stress, reducing sensitivity to it and improving performance.
With relaxing plants, you can also prepare hot baths or foot baths, or even facial and respiratory steam baths. Simply prepare an herbal tea, or disperse a few drops of essential oil in the bath water, which will spread with the vapors and help relax muscle tension and nervousness. A relaxing bath with sedative herbs is recommended before going to sleep, as a relaxing bath before starting the day could make the body too drowsy.
Essential oils extracted from relaxing plants are a valid way to induce relaxation: to be used with a diffuser, or topically as massage oils, or, in the case of sedative plants, rubbed on the temples or wrists before going to sleep, they prove to be excellent allies against insomnia. Discover all the relaxing essential oils in our dedicated article.
Now that we have discovered the differences between the categories of plants against stress, let's see together which ones are the most effective.
Linden is one of the most powerful relaxing herbs, with multiple therapeutic properties. It is associated with both nerve and sedative powers, making it an ideal herb for both muscle relaxation and sleep induction. Dried linden leaves can be used to prepare a relaxing herbal tea: at Terza Luna you can find dried linden flowers and bracts. To prepare it as a herbal tea, steep a teaspoon of linden leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes, strain, and sweeten with honey or agave syrup. Linden is able to calm nervous excitations and has a relaxing effect. Not surprisingly, at Terza Luna we include it in our Relaxing Herbal Tea blend.
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Valerian is a sedative relaxing plant, useful for inducing sleep and combating insomnia and anxiety that prevents falling asleep. The active principles of valerian, valerianic acid and iridoids, are able to inhibit the enzyme responsible for the regulation of neuronal excitability, inducing relaxation and sleep. Valerian can be taken in the form of valerian essential oil, dispersed in a glass of water. This supplement will relax the nervous system and promote sleep: disperse 20 - 30 drops in water, to be taken twice a day, preferably away from meals.
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Passionflower, or Passiflora incarnata, is a relaxing sedative plant, one of the most commonly used natural remedies to promote sleep and relaxation. Its active ingredient is passiflorine, an alkaloid that acts on the nervous system to improve anxiety, stress, and therefore combat insomnia. Combined with other herbs, it can be an excellent herbal tea to take before going to bed: for example, on Terza Luna you can find our Relaxing Herbal Tea with lime and passionflower.
Passionflower was already used as a relaxing plant by the Aztecs, and during World War I it became very popular as a treatment for "war anxieties" due to its anxiolytic, antispasmodic, and insomnia-healing effects. Before going to bed, you can prepare a passionflower infusion using dried passionflower, to be left to infuse in boiling water for 15 minutes. Ideal before going to bed, add lime or valerian to enhance its sedative effect.
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Lemon balm is a relaxing nerve-soothing and sedative herb, belonging to the mint family: ideal for preparing a relaxing herbal tea to counteract insomnia and help the body rest well. On Terza Luna, you can find dried lemon balm, useful for making infusions, but also lemon balm essential oil, to be used with a diffuser or added to warm baths and foot baths before going to bed. Lemon balm leaves can instead be used alone or with other plants to prepare a relaxing and sedative herbal tea with calming effects, able to reduce anxiety, stress, restlessness, and sleep disturbances thanks to its sedative action on the nervous system, but also at a visceral level in case of anxiety somatization: it is one of the best teas for stress-related stomachaches.
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Chamomile is perhaps the most well-known relaxing herb, although not everyone knows that it is a nervine plant and not sedative, therefore it does not necessarily induce sleep as much as muscle relaxation from tension and nervousness caused by stress. It is a common practice to give chamomile to children to help them sleep, but in reality, this is done to alleviate the pain caused by colic that prevents falling asleep. Because it is a nervine relaxing plant, chamomile does not lower cognitive functions, but allows to relax and calm muscle tension and accumulated stress in the muscles. To enjoy its effects, you can prepare an infusion with dried chamomile flowers to be taken during the day when feeling nervous or stressed, before going to sleep to relax the muscles, or use the herbal tea in a warm bath or foot bath, enjoying the relaxing vapors.
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Lavender is a relaxing herb used to sleep better. It is indeed a moderately sedative plant with a relaxing and calming aroma that helps relax the nerves and instill a sense of tranquility and calm. Due to its predominant aroma, lavender essential oil is widely used as a natural relaxant: its constituents can be absorbed both through olfactory, oral, and cutaneous routes: prepare massage oils with a few drops of lavender essential oil, or rub a little on your temples before going to sleep to promote sleep, or diffuse it with a vaporizer in the room a few hours before going to bed. By using dried Provence lavender, you can also prepare excellent relaxing herbal teas for sleep.
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Hawthorn is considered a relaxing and nervine herb, thanks to its active ingredient, vitexin, which has a natural spasmolytic, hypotensive, and anxiolytic effect. Hawthorn, also known as the "heart plant" precisely because it has a very effective effect on anxious forms accompanied by tachycardia and palpitations. The sedative and relaxing action of hawthorn is beneficial especially in very nervous subjects, prone to strong anxiety and emotional states, or suffering from mild hypertensive disorders. An infusion prepared using hawthorn leaves is ideal for relaxing the body thanks to its tropism on the heart organ and the relaxation of blood vessels.
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The Withania Somnifera, known as Ashwagandha or "Indian ginseng" is an adaptogenic anti-stress plant, with both relaxing and invigorating properties. It comes from India, where it is still used to regain strength and stimulate the mind. It is very beneficial for combating situations of psychophysical stress and allowing the body to recover after periods of convalescence. The botanical name of withania somnifera refers to its particularity, that of being an adaptogen with calming properties. Generally, all adaptogens can be consumed at any time of the day, but Ashwagandha is highly recommended to be consumed in the evening precisely because of its relaxing action, which adds to the increase in the body's resistance to stress, regulating the action of cortisol, the hormone produced by the body to cope with stress. Withania powder therefore improves sleep, relaxes the nervous system, and enhances concentration and memory.
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The maca or Peruvian maca is a root from which a powder is obtained that can be taken to combat stress and fatigue, being an adaptogenic tonic. It is classified among anti-stress plants precisely for its adaptogenic properties, adapting its action to the constitution of each individual. Maca powder can be taken to support the body in situations of high stress, helping us balance mood, recover energy, and improve response to fatigue and effort, and resistance to stress. Being a tonic, it is not recommended to take maca in the evening, as it is not a sedative plant, so it could cause difficulty falling asleep and insomnia.
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Eleutherococcus is an anti-stress plant and an adaptogen, known for its ability to rebalance energy and stimulate metabolism. It is also called "Siberian ginseng," and is highly appreciated for its ability to increase the body's resistance to stress, and to "adapt" it to changes, especially climatic and seasonal ones, protecting us from external attacks. Like many other adaptogens and anti-stress herbs, eleutherococcus improves attention and cognitive functions, making us more lucid and increasing performance. It is also called the "ginseng of women", because it seems to have a more effective function on the female body, where stress is more likely to turn into strong states of anxiety, depression, and trigger nervous tension. The properties of eleutherococcus powder make it the ideal plant to calm nervousness and anxiety without affecting cognitive functions, improving performance without increasing agitation or anxiety, as other stimulants do.
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Perhaps not everyone knows that cacao is a powerful anti-stress and adaptogen, capable of combating stress and improving mood, thanks to the theobromine it contains. Pre-Columbian populations considered cacao a natural medicine, and indeed there are multiple beneficial properties for the body, especially for the cardiovascular system and the nervous system. Cacao and chocolate are considered natural antidepressants, as the nervous substances within cacao act positively on the neurotransmitters responsible for influencing mood, with a significant anti-stress action. Cacao powder is an adaptogen, as it is able to improve cognitive functions, promote concentration, and enhance fatigue response, making it ideal for those who want to modulate stress but need to remain active and alert, avoiding a sedative effect.
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