Best herbs for stress and anxiety
- , by SANUSq Research team
- 11 min reading time
Stress is unavoidable — but a handful of well-studied herbs can genuinely help your body cope with it, as long as you know what the evidence does and doesn't show.
Everyone deals with stress, from the low hum of everyday demands to the major upheavals of work, family and health. In short bursts it is useful — it sharpens focus and helps you rise to a challenge. The problem is stress that never switches off. When the body's stress response stays on for weeks or months, it begins to take a real toll on sleep, mood, energy and physical health. This article looks at what prolonged stress does to the body, how a group of herbs known as adaptogens are thought to help, and what the clinical evidence actually says about five of the most popular — rhodiola, ashwagandha, chamomile, valerian and jiaogulan — including where that evidence is strong and where it is still thin.
What does long-term stress do to your body?
When you sense a threat, your body launches a coordinated stress response, releasing hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol that make you more alert and ready to act. In the short term that is healthy and protective. The trouble starts when the response never stands down: constant activation keeps cortisol elevated, and over time that is linked to a wide range of physical, emotional and behavioural symptoms, including:
- Low energy and persistent fatigue
- Aches, pains and muscle tension
- Tension headaches
- Digestive problems
- Anxiety, racing thoughts and irritability
- Trouble sleeping
- Difficulty concentrating
- Changes in appetite
- Catching colds and infections more often
Left unchecked, ongoing stress can also aggravate or contribute to existing health problems — among them heart disease, high blood pressure, digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, and a weakened immune response that leaves you catching every bug going round. It can even worsen autoimmune conditions such as thyroid disorders. None of this means stress is something you can simply switch off, but it does mean managing it is worth taking seriously — through sleep, exercise, social connection, relaxation techniques and, for some people, herbal support.
Can adaptogens help with stress and anxiety?
Many of the best-known calming herbs belong to a group called adaptogens — sometimes described as "biological response modifiers". The idea, drawn from traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda and explored in modern research, is that these herbs help the body adapt to stress by supporting the systems that regulate it: the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathoadrenal system. In practice that is thought to mean steadier cortisol levels and a stress response that is easier to switch off. The evidence base is uneven — stronger for some herbs than others — so the herbs below are best judged individually rather than treated as interchangeable.
Five popular herbs for stress and anxiety
1. Rhodiola rosea
Rhodiola rosea is an adaptogen traditionally used as a tonic against fatigue and low mood, and its roots are rich in the active compounds salidroside and rosavin. The clinical evidence is encouraging but still early. An open-label trial reported improvements in people with burnout symptoms (Kasper & Dienel, 2017), and reviews have examined its potential as a botanical antidepressant (Amsterdam & Panossian, 2016). One randomised trial found it was less effective than the antidepressant sertraline at easing major depression, but it was better tolerated and caused fewer side effects (Mao et al., 2015). The fair summary: promising for stress-related fatigue and low mood, but built on relatively small studies.
2. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Ashwagandha is one of the best-known herbs in Ayurvedic medicine, used for centuries as a rejuvenating tonic — and it has the strongest modern evidence of the herbs here. Several randomised, placebo-controlled trials report that ashwagandha root extract can lower the stress hormone cortisol and reduce self-reported stress and anxiety (Chandrasekhar et al., 2012; Salve et al., 2019; Lopresti et al., 2019), and a separate trial found it improved sleep and anxiety in people with insomnia (Langade et al., 2019). Researchers attribute these effects to its action on the HPA axis, the system that governs the stress response.
3. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Chamomile is best known as a bedtime tea, and its calming reputation has some support. Its mild sedative effect is attributed to apigenin, a compound that binds to the same brain receptors targeted by benzodiazepine sedatives. Small trials have reported better sleep quality in older adults (Adib-Hajbaghery & Mousavi, 2017), reduced sleep problems and low mood in new mothers (Chang & Chen, 2016), modest relief of generalised anxiety disorder with longer-term use (Mao et al., 2016), and possible antidepressant effects (Amsterdam et al., 2012). These are small studies, so chamomile is best seen as a gentle aid rather than a treatment.
4. Valerian root (Valeriana officinalis)
Valerian root has been used since ancient Greece for sleeplessness and nervous tension, and it appears in many modern sleep blends. It contains valerenic acid, thought to raise levels of GABA, a calming neurotransmitter. Some small, short trials suggest it can help people fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly, without the dependency risk of prescription sedatives (Bent et al., 2006; Donath et al., 2000). The honest caveat is that these trials are small and their results inconsistent, and high-quality evidence is still lacking — valerian has a long traditional track record but a thin scientific one.
5. Jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum)
Jiaogulan, known in southern China as the "herb of immortality", is a potent adaptogen rich in saponins — the compounds behind much of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Like other adaptogens it is thought to support the body's stress-handling systems, and it is also believed to encourage the body's own production of protective antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione and catalase. The most relevant clinical finding comes from a 2019 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, which reported reduced anxiety in healthy adults under chronic psychological stress (Choi et al., 2019).
Jiaogulan was traditionally taken as a tea, but it is also available as capsules of the powdered leaf. Our jiaogulan capsules offer a convenient way to take it if you would rather not brew a tea. As with any of these herbs, it is a complement to good stress-management habits — sleep, movement, connection and, where needed, professional support — not a substitute for them.
Using these herbs safely
Herbal does not mean risk-free. The herbs above are generally well tolerated, but they are biologically active and can interact with medicines and existing conditions. A few sensible rules:
- Talk to your doctor first if you take prescription medication. Adaptogens and sedative herbs can interact with antidepressants, sedatives, and blood-pressure or blood-thinning drugs, among others.
- Avoid them in pregnancy and breastfeeding unless your healthcare professional advises otherwise, as safety data in these groups is limited.
- Introduce one at a time. Starting several at once makes it impossible to tell what is helping — or what is causing a side effect.
- Treat them as support, not a cure. Persistent anxiety, low mood or insomnia deserves proper medical attention; these herbs work best alongside that care, not instead of it.
Related reading: The best vitamins and minerals for stress and anxiety — how key nutrients support a calmer, more resilient stress response.
Frequently asked questions
Do adaptogenic herbs really work for stress?
The evidence varies by herb. Ashwagandha has the most supportive clinical trials for lowering stress and cortisol, while rhodiola, chamomile, valerian and jiaogulan rest on smaller or more preliminary studies. They can help many people, but they work best as one part of a broader stress-management routine rather than a quick fix.
How long do they take to work?
It depends on the herb and the person. Calming herbs such as chamomile and valerian may have a noticeable short-term effect on relaxation or sleep, whereas adaptogens like ashwagandha and jiaogulan are usually taken consistently over several weeks before benefits build. Give any of them a fair, uninterrupted trial.
Can I take these herbs together, or with my medication?
Some can be combined, but they are biologically active and may interact with prescription drugs — including antidepressants, sedatives, and blood-pressure or blood-thinning medication. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining herbs or adding them to existing treatment, and introduce one at a time.
Are they safe in pregnancy?
Safety data for these herbs in pregnancy and breastfeeding is limited, so the cautious advice is to avoid them during these times unless your healthcare professional specifically recommends otherwise.
References
- Kasper S, Dienel A. Multicenter, open-label, exploratory clinical trial with Rhodiola rosea extract in patients suffering from burnout symptoms. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017;13:889–898.
- Amsterdam JD, Panossian AG. Rhodiola rosea L. as a putative botanical antidepressant. Phytomedicine. 2016;23(7):770–783.
- Mao JJ, Xie SX, Zee J, et al. Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 2015;22(3):394–399.
- Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian J Psychol Med. 2012;34(3):255–262.
- Salve J, Pate S, Debnath K, Langade D. Adaptogenic and anxiolytic effects of ashwagandha root extract in healthy adults: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study. Cureus. 2019;11(12):e6466.
- Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Malvi H, Kodgule R. An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(37):e17186.
- Langade D, Kanchi S, Salve J, Debnath K, Ambegaokar D. Efficacy and safety of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract in insomnia and anxiety: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Cureus. 2019;11(9):e5797.
- Adib-Hajbaghery M, Mousavi SN. The effects of chamomile extract on sleep quality among elderly people: a clinical trial. Complement Ther Med. 2017;35:109–114.
- Chang SM, Chen CH. Effects of an intervention with drinking chamomile tea on sleep quality and depression in sleep-disturbed postnatal women: a randomized controlled trial. J Adv Nurs. 2016;72(2):306–315.
- Mao JJ, Xie SX, Keefe JR, et al. Long-term chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: a randomized clinical trial. Phytomedicine. 2016;23(14):1735–1742.
- Amsterdam JD, Shults J, Soeller I, et al. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) may provide antidepressant activity in anxious, depressed humans: an exploratory study. Altern Ther Health Med. 2012;18(5):44–49.
- Bent S, Padula A, Moore D, Patterson M, Mehling W. Valerian for sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2006;119(12):1005–1012.
- Donath F, Quispe S, Diefenbach K, et al. Critical evaluation of the effect of valerian extract on sleep structure and sleep quality. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2000;33(2):47–53.
- Choi EK, Won YH, Kim SY, et al. Supplementation with extract of Gynostemma pentaphyllum leaves reduces anxiety in healthy subjects with chronic psychological stress: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytomedicine. 2019;52:198–205.
The health information contained in this article is for educational purposes only. Consult your healthcare professional before making any medical decisions.
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