Supplements and Health Tips for Optimal Adrenal Support

Have you ever felt what could best be described as burnt out? Constantly running on empty? Barely able to conjure up any semblance of energy despite your best practices and efforts? Your adrenal glands likely have something to do with it. In recent years, many medical practitioners have even begun categorizing these symptoms as adrenal “fatigue.” Whether your symptoms fall under this category or not, adrenal support is important for your overall health and energy levels. 

What are your adrenals? 

The adrenal glands (suprarenal glands,) are located at the top of each of your two kidneys. They’re critical to the production and regulation of some of our most critical hormones: think sex hormones and cortisol. As you can safely assume, these small glands have a big job, as the adrenals and the hormones they produce help regulate metabolism, keep your immune system and blood pressure in check, and play a huge role in managing the body’s stress response. If you’re constantly living in overdrive mode and are under a lot of stress (who isn’t?), your adrenals have to work extra hard to produce the hormones that help keep your body regulated. Adrenal fatigue is a theory that high-stress levels tax your adrenals, resulting in their inability to keep up. There are other ways your adrenals may come under pressure, such as Addison’s Disease, which happens when your adrenals don’t produce enough hormones. 

With so many critical components of your health connected to these small glands, it’s clear that adrenal support is critical. Keeping your adrenals and adrenal functioning healthy is multifaceted and can be approached from several angles: it’s not just about supporting the adrenals themselves, but also keeping yourself in balance so these small glands aren’t overly taxed. 

From augmenting your diet to practicing certain types of yoga and movement to introducing supplements, there are many ways to support your adrenals. Read on for ways to support your adrenals, including herbs, supplements, and lifestyle tips!

Supplements and herbs to try:

In treating your adrenals with supportive supplements and herbs, you’ll likely feel a decrease in your overall feelings of stress and a boost of healthy energy levels. Many of these supplements contain calming yet energy supportive herbs such as Rhodiola, Holy Basil, Ashwagandha, Eleuthero, and Schisandra along with some B-Vitamins.  These adrenal supportive formulas are highly recommended by our staff for maximum efficacy. Some of our favorite blends come from Gaia, whose Adrenal products include Jump Start (recommended for 8-12 weeks), Daily Support (for longer-term use) and a Nighttime version if stress is affecting your sleep.

Garden of Life’s USDA Organic Adrenal Daily Balance, as well as Vitanica’s Vegan Adrenal Assist for Women are also wonderfully supportive supplement blends. Terry Naturally Adrenaplex makes a unique formula that contains herbs, freeze-dried bovine adrenal extract, and DHEA. We know many of you prefer liquid extracts, and we also carry Herb Pharm’s Adrenal Support 2 oz tincture. 

We know some of you are sensitive and prefer single herbs. We carry all the herbs mentioned above and also Licorice extract, which is another potent natural remedy for adrenal support. It can slightly elevate your blood pressure, so avoid it if you already have high blood pressure.

Other ways to support your adrenals include lifestyle changes and practices such as yoga.

Yoga, mindful movement, and meditation will help keep your adrenals supported by managing overall stress levels. Many of the postures in yoga, such as forward folds, give the kidney band and adrenals space, which is soothing. Listening to the breath during yoga and meditation is also incredibly soothing for the adrenals. Other small (but mighty!) actions you can take include getting enough sleep, sleeping at regular times for optimal hormone functioning, and maintaining a regular schedule for mealtime. 

We hope this helps you keep your adrenals, stress and energy levels, in check! If you have any questions about supplements for supporting adrenal health, we’re happy to discuss it with you, as always.