Juicing For Health - 5 Supplements For Adrenal Fatigue
5 Supplements For Adrenal Fatigue
This is probably one of the questions i get asked the most, what do i believe are the best supplements for adrenal fatigue. I suffered from severe adrenal burnout for near a decade and it was a truly terrible time. There are many dietary and lifestyle changes which can help speed recovery of the adrenal glands so here is some of what i felt were most important to me.
Most of the suggestions below are whole food, herbs or natural food supplements. The plus side to using natural food sources is that they often have other benefits and supporting nutrition which in my opinion is much better than taking a synthetic isolated vitamin or mineral.
Most of the suggestions below are relatively cheap which is always the aim as living healthy shouldnt be about breaking the bank. I always recommend people buy the raw herbal powders rather than the expensive encapsulated formulas, the raw powders are more effective in my opinion and are much cheaper to purchase.
Staying consistent is the key to any successful dietary or supplement program. The easy part is buying all these healthy foods and often expensive supplements but if you dont stay consistent you will likely see little to no results. Re-establishing the gut flora in particular requires commitment as you will read below.
1. Natural Vitamin C
Acerola Cherry extract powder which goes by the brand name Truly Natural Vitamin C mixed with a small amount of amla powder produced some substantial benefits for me. The best time to take this mixture in my opinion is first thing in the morning, hopefully you will feel a substantial increase in energy and anti-fatigue effect much the same as i did. I went from severe fatigue to being able to handle a mild walk due to the above. The adrenal glands contain the highest concentration of vitamin C of any other part of the body. Stress depletes the bodies stores of vitamin C so it is wise to make sure your diet contains rich sources of vitamin C such as fruits and vegetables.
Some will argue that a diet rich in vitamin C is enough, but personally after 10 years of severe adrenal fatigue i would say that supplementing with a little extra wholefood vitamin C is very beneficial. If you smoke cigarettes then be aware that smokers break down vitamin C twice as fast as normal people do. If you have adrenal fatigue and still smoke you should be encouraged to quit as nicotine acts as a stimulant to the adrenal glands and what goes up must come down. Good natural food sources of vitamin C include berries, kiwis, amla, acerola, rosehips and oranges.
Many recommend synthetic vitamin C supplements for those suffering from adrenal fatigue but i prefer natural whole food sources where ever possible. Natural vitamin C sources such as amla have been shown to be 12 times stronger than synthetic ascorbic acid. This is likely due to the supporting bioflavonoids which aid in the absorption of vitamin C.
You can purchase Truly Natural Vitamin C from The Fresh Network.
2. Replacing B-Vitamins
Replacing B vitamins was the second most important element in my adrenal fatigue healing regime. Again i prefer to use wholefood natural sources rather than synthetic B vitamin complex supplements. I have tried numerous syntethic vitamin B supplements such as B-50, B-100, Pantothenic acid and its various deriatives with pretty much zero benefits. Infact with many of the above supplements they actually over-stimulated my adrenal glands causing anxiety and panic attacks which can happen due to large doses of B vitamins.
In particular Vitamin B5 also known as Pantothenic Acid or the Anti-Stress Vitamin is the second most concentrated nutrient found in the adrenal glands. I know some have found synthetic vitamin B5 supplements and its various forms such as Pantethine helpful but personally i found them to be of no help and some even caused mild side effects for me.
One of the best plant sources of the B vitamin group happens to be Brewers Yeast. Pending you dont have any allergy to yeast then i would start with a tablespoon a day and work your way up to 4 tablespoons a day. Unless you are allergic to yeast ,i wouldnt worry about candida as the yeast is non-active and thus doesnt continue to ferment.
Nutritional Yeast is also a great source of B vitamins and is popular with vegans, but Brewers Yeast has a important benefit over Nutritional Yeast for adrenal fatigue sufferers being that it is a great source of the mineral Chromium. Chromium is a very important mineral for helping to maintain blood sugar and insulin levels and can be helpful for those suffering from rebound hypoglycemia which is in part caused by Chromium deficiency. Yeasts such as the above are also very good sources of protein(amino acids) by weight, which is very beneficial for those recovering from adrenal fatigue.
Other good food sources of the B vitamin group include various pollens, seaweeds, nettle leaf and rice bran.
3. Heavy Metal Toxicity & Detoxification
Heavy metal toxicity can impair adrenal gland and endocrine function so if you are getting nowhere with any of the usual steps in recovering from adrenal fatigue or chronic undiagnosed health problems i would definitley look into heavy metals. Some doctors will tell you that heavy metal toxicity theory is over-blown but personally i feel that isnt true and that many with common poorly diagnosed health conditions such as anxiety/panic attacks, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, autism/learning disorders etc are often found to have higher than normal levels of various heavy metals.
One problem is that there is no real solid diagnostic test for heavy metal toxicity other than tissue biopsy which is quite invasive to say the least. Hair mineral analysis tests are often the most common used to check for heavy metal toxicity but can be negatively influenced by outside factors such as hair products and thus produce false results. Challenge tests where you consume a chelating agent and measure the levels before and after are better but again by no means 100 percent accurate.
Heavy metal toxicity places as massive stress on the body so it is no wonder than it can be a cause of burning out the adrenal glands. There can be different causes of heavy metal toxicity, one is that you have problems with elimination due to deficiencies of certain nutrients which are required to chelate and remove metals. An other is that you are constantly exposing yourself to rich sources of heavy metals such as fatty fish, cigarettes and so on.
In my opinion one of the best heavy metal detoxifiers/chelators is a product known as brown seaweed extract or modifilan. This a type of seaweed which is extracted for its high levels of alginates which are potent heavy metal binders. Brown seaweed extract also has other benefits such as being a good source of organic iodine, trace elements and other compounds which have shown health benefits such as anti-inflammatory, immune boosting and much more.
You can purchase the above from Brown Seaweed Extract Powder.
Remember just because heavy metal toxicity was part of the puzzle in my recovery of adrenal fatigue doesnt mean it will be for you. Foods, herbs, supplements etc should all be tailored to your own needs. Which is why it is best to always consult a doctor or professional before embarking on any major lifestyle changes.
4. Restoring & Supporting The Gut Flora
Imbalanced gut flora can cause numerous problems such as poor digestion, lowered immunity, overgrowth of opportunistic pathogens such as candida and much more. The gut flora is thought to account for as much as 70% of the immune system so it is important to regularly support your flora with a good diet rich in prebiotic fibers and fermented foods. As i say below i am still not sure which comes first whether it is dysbiosis or adrenal fatigue but there is no harm for most in restoring their gut flora.
Many suggest expensive probiotic supplements for their ability in repopulating the gut flora with good bacteria but personally i prefer fermented foods for a few reasons in that they generally are often stronger, more effective and cheaper. Saying that there are many good probiotic supplements on the market but they are usually expensive for the dosage you may need. VSL3 is a very potent probiotic supplement and contains 450 billion live freeze dried good bacteria per sachet and i personally think it is one of the best on the market. Cocobiotic is a fermented drink made by the brand Body Ecology which is also very effective in repopulating your gut flora. The reason i mention the two products above is that many dont have the time to ferment foods or the knowledge how to.
Some good examples of fermented foods include water kefir, cultured veggies, sauerkraut, miso and tempeh.
As i explained above staying consistent is an integral and very important part of any gut flora restoration program. Taking probiotics and fermented foods for a week or a few days isnt going to do much at all. The key is to continually re-introduce good bacteria and at the right times also. The best times to take probiotics or fermented foods in my opinion is first thing in the morning and last thing before bed, this is when stomach acid levels are lowest. Stomach acid can kill off the good bacteria you are trying to replace before they have had a chance to do their job.
The most important element in any gut flora restoration program happens to be prebiotics. Prebiotic fibers are typically non digestible carbohydrates which stimulate the activity of and feed the gut flora. There are thousands of strains of gut bacteria and you can only replace so many with fermented foods/probiotics, so it makes better sense to feed the good bacteria with prebiotic fibers. Good sources of prebiotics include rice bran, wheat bran, fruits, vegetables such as onion and garlic, seaweeds and chicory root and jerusalem artichoke.
This comes down to the chicken and egg dilemna of what comes first, dysbiosis or adrenal fatigue ?. Many experts believe that adrenal fatigue occurs first and as a result lower levels of hydrochloric, poor digestion and dysbiosis follows. But i am not so sure, i have seen many people have symptoms of adrenal fatigue after long term anti-biotic use which has depleted their gut flora. Personally restoring the flora and the normal terrain in my intestinal tract was one of the best things i have done for my health. Everything fell into place from there, probably due to better absorption/assimilation of nutrients and preventing overgrowth of opportunistic pathogens such as candida, bacteria and parasites all of which place a massive burden on the adrenal glands and nervous system from the toxins they generate.
5. Adaptogenic Herbs
Adaptogenic herbs are my favorite class of herbs and i could speak about my love for them for hours. Adaptogens are non-toxic and non-specific herbs which help increase the bodies resistance to stress whether physical or emotional. Adaptogenic herbs help the body maintain optimal homeostasis and will help both hypo or hyper functioning systems. For example if blood pressure is low adaptogenic herbs will help to try and normalize, or if blood pressure is high they will help to lower.
When it comes to adrenal fatigue adaptogenic herbs can be of great benefit as they help support adrenal gland function as well as normalizing the endocrine system. They also provide a natural mild energy boost which is non-CNS stimulative and thus doesnt harm the adrenal glands.
Some examples of popular adaptogen herbs include the ginseng family(asian/panax/korean), ashwagandha, licorice root, schizandra berry, maca root, astragalus, suma root, siberian ginseng and medicinal mushrooms such as reishi and cordyceps are the most commonly used adaptogenic herbs.
Recommended Herbal Retailers
Indigo Herbs are a good retailer of herbal powders and superfood products, if you wish to purchase these please use the link below as it helps keep our site running. Thanks.
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