寻找管理压力和焦虑的方法需要耗费大量心力，这也是为什么有些人会借助补充剂获得额外支持。如果你曾研究过各种不同的压力和焦虑管理建议，你很可能听说过“适应原”这个词。适应原是自草药、根茎、蘑菇和植物中提取的成分，被制成营养补充剂或添加到其他食品中。
适应原补充剂的人气激增，其市场价值在2023年估计已超过100亿美元，并且预计将继续增长。常见的适应原补充剂包括南非醉茄、红景天和人参，它们可以制成胶囊或茶饮；还有灵芝等真菌类，通常被干燥并研磨成粉末。随着适应原日益成为主流，你甚至能买到蘑菇咖啡、气泡水和混合饮料等形式的产品。
但这些补充剂真的有效吗？且听一位专家怎么说。
适应原有助于缓解压力和焦虑吗？
加州大学洛杉矶分校医学中心（UCLA Medical Center）高级营养师主管兼菲尔丁公共卫生学院（Fielding School of Public Health）教授达娜·亨尼斯表示，适应原“可能帮助我们的身体管理压力，或在承受压力后更快地恢复体内平衡（即身体的自然平衡）”。
她补充道，这些压力源可以是生理性的，如受伤或工作倦怠，也可以是心理性的，如情绪困扰。
亨尼斯解释说，适应原可能有助于降低皮质醇水平，从而缓解身体的应激反应。但这很大程度上取决于摄入的剂量，而剂量往往难以精准确定。
亨尼斯在给《财富》杂志的一封电子邮件中写道：“它们的效果到底有多显著，以及‘需要’多少剂量才能产生预期效果，目前尚不明确。”
例如，南非醉茄是一种在印度阿育吠陀医药体系中已使用数百年的草药。一些研究表明它可能有助于改善睡眠和缓解焦虑，但需要摄入多少才能获益尚不清楚。
亨尼斯表示：“此外，目前尚不清楚市售适应原的剂量，或者在补充剂或饮料中的含量，是否足以产生药用效果。”
亨尼斯解释道，由于几乎没有证据表明某种适应原优于另一种适应原，因此很难判断哪种适应原最适合。
服用适应原的风险
与其他补充剂一样，适应原不像药品那样受到严格监管，这可能导致剂量差异巨大。亨尼斯表示：“所以你购买的产品，其实际含量可能低于、有时甚至高于你的预期。”
她还警告称，适应原存在风险和副作用，这就是为什么在服用任何补充剂之前都应咨询医生。作为较受欢迎的适应原之一，南非醉茄与急性肝中毒或休克的风险增加有关，孕妇禁用。南非醉茄还可能提高睾酮水平，这对女性通常并非好事。
根据纪念斯隆·凯特琳癌症中心（Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center）的信息，灵芝可能产生恶心、失眠等副作用，并可能造成肝损伤。
亨尼斯表示：“并非所有‘草本补充剂’都是有益的或安全的。”
此外，她表示，服用任何适应原都可能产生潜在的药物相互作用。灵芝可能与华法林等常用处方抗凝药产生负面相互作用，增加出血风险。将适应原与抗抑郁药同服可能导致腹痛、恶心和不宁腿综合征等症状。
她表示：“某些物品即使单独看起来是健康的，并不意味着它在人体内或与其他药物混合时仍然是健康的。”
你应该服用适应原吗？
亨尼斯表示：“坦率地说，我并不推荐。服用‘补充剂’、‘草药’与药物（甚至是非处方药），可能产生太多未知或不可知的相互作用。”
她补充道：“我确实提倡寻找非药物途径来管理焦虑或压力。”
如果你发现自己正经历高压或高度焦虑，亨尼斯建议在服用补充剂之前尝试以下缓解策略：
• 放慢脚步，留出给自己的时间。
• 设定界限。
• 做些让自己放松的事情。
• 亲近大自然。
• 减少咖啡因摄入，因为咖啡因可能导致过度兴奋。
美国心理学会（American Psychological Association，APA）也提供了一些接地和放松技巧，以帮助平静你的神经系统。然而，如果你正与慢性压力和焦虑作斗争，美国心理学会建议寻求心理医生的专业帮助。（财富中文网）
译者：刘进龙
审校：汪皓
Finding a way to manage stress and anxiety takes a lot of mental effort, which is why some look to supplements for additional support. And if you’ve ever researched the many different suggestions for stress and anxiety management, you’ve likely come across the term adaptogens. These are ingredients derived from herbs, roots, mushrooms, and plants that are converted into nutritional supplements or added to other foods.
Adaptogen supplements have surged in popularity—the market value was estimated at over $10 billion in 2023 and only expected to grow. Common adaptogen supplements include ashwagandha, rhodiola, and ginseng, which can be found in capsules or teas; and fungi, like the reishi mushroom, which is often dried and crushed into a powder. As adaptogens have become more mainstream, you can even buy in the form of mushroom coffee, sparkling water, and drink mixes.
But do these supplements actually work? Here’s what one expert has to say.
Do adaptogens help relieve stress and anxiety?
Adaptogens “may help our bodies manage stress or more-quickly restore homeostasis (or the body’s natural balance) after stressful situations,” says Dana Hunnes, senior dietitian supervisor at UCLA Medical Center and professor at the Fielding School of Public Health.
Those stressors can be physiological, like an injury or burnout from work, or psychological, such as from emotional distress, she adds.
Hunnes explains that adaptogens may help lower cortisol levels which would dampen the body’s stress response. But that largely depends on the dose you get, which can be hard to pinpoint.
“It’s not really clear how effective they are and what dose is ‘needed’ to have the desired effect,” Hunnes tells Fortune in an email.
Ashwagandha, for example, is an herb that’s been used for centuries in India’s Ayurvedic system of medicine. Some research indicates that it may help improve sleep and alleviate anxiety. But how much is needed to benefit is unclear.
“Additionally, it’s not known whether the dose of adaptogens that are available for purchase, or the amounts found in supplements or beverages on the market are high enough to produce a medicinal effect,” Hunnes says.
And since there is little evidence that one type of adaptogen is better than another, Hunnes explains, so it’s hard to say which will work best for you.
The risks of taking adaptogens
Adaptogens, like other supplements, aren’t regulated the way drugs are—which could lead to a wide variation in dosage. “So what you think you’re buying may not actually contain as much—or may sometimes contain more—than you think,” Hunnes says.
She also cautions that adaptogens carry risks and side effects, which is why you should always talk to your doctor before taking any supplement. Ashwagandha, one of the more popular forms of adaptogens, has been associated with an increased risk of acute liver toxicity or shock and should not be used during pregnancy. Ashwagandha may also increase testosterone levels, which is often not desirable for women.
Reishi mushroom may produce side effects, like nausea and insomnia, and could cause liver damage, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
“Not every ‘herbal supplement’ is good for you or safe to consume,” Hunnes says.
Additionally, there are potential drug interactions that come with any adaptogens, she says. Reishi mushroom could negatively interact with commonly prescribed blood thinners, like warfarin, increasing the risk of bleeding. Taking adaptogens with antidepressants could lead to symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, and restless leg syndrome.
“Just because something claims to be healthy in isolation, does not mean it will be healthy in your body or mixed with other medications,” Hunnes says.
Should you take adaptogens?
“I honestly wouldn’t recommend it,” Hunnes says. “There are just too many unknown or unknowable interactions that can take place between taking ‘supplements’ and ‘herbs’ and medications, even over the counter medications.”
“I really would advocate for finding non-medicinal ways of dealing with anxiety or stress,” she adds.
If you find yourself in a period of high stress or anxiety, Hunnes recommends the following strategies before reaching for a supplement:
• Slow down and take time for yourself.
• Set boundaries.
• Do things that relax you.
• Spend time in nature.
• Cut back on caffeine, which can cause more stimulation.
The American Psychological Association (APA) also has grounding and relaxation techniques to help calm your nervous system. However, if you are struggling with chronic stress and anxiety, the APA advises seeking professional help from a psychologist.