The hustle and bustle of everyday life can leave us feeling stress and drained – in desperate need of some energy to keep going.
Practising self-care, eating a healthy diet, maintain your weight and getting enough sleep all play an important part in making you feel like your best self. There are even supplements – both herbal and medicinal – that you can take to improve alertness and boost your cognitive health.
While these supplements are readily available, they may interact with certain medications and result in some side effects, which is why we always recommend talking to your doctor before taking any new medications or supplements.
10 Energy-Boosting Herbs
Ginseng: This herbal supplement is famous for being an energy booster. It also stimulates brain functioning and is the best supplement for mental and physical performance. The recommended dose for improved concentration, energy and mood improvements is between 200 and 100mg. It is worth mentioning that it does have a list of possible side effects which includes elevated heart rate and blood pressure, diarrhoea and insomnia. It is also known to interact with medications used to treat heart disease, diabetes and depression.
Sage: The supplement is known to improve mood, increase alertness and assist in memory retention and recall. It also reduces mental fatigue.
Guarana: This supplement is often found in energy drinks as a result of its stimulating effects. It’s made up of tannins, caffeine and saponin – all of which boost energy levels and improve brain function. When consumed in high doses, guarana can cause anxiety as well as an increased heart
Bacopa monnieri: This is often used in Ayurvedic medicine and is used to treat memory issues, insomnia and anxiety. It is considered to be safe but can result in digestive issues and react with certain medications.
Peppermint: The aroma of peppermint can increase energy levels and improve performance, as well as improve mood and alertness. It is safe to use, although using too much peppermint oil can be toxic.
Rosemary: The aroma of rosemary wallows terpenes to enter your bloodstream and travel through to the brain. This allows for increasing mental performance.
Rhodiola Rosea: This has been proven to be beneficial in treating burnout and chronic fatigue. It also boosts brain function and mood while improving physical performance.
Ashwagandha: This ancient herb has been found to increase cognitive ability, attention, athletic performance and reaction time.
Centella Asiatica: Traditional medicines use this herb to increase brain function and alertness as well as improve your mood.
Maca: This herbal supplement reduces anxiety, boosts energy levels and increases performance.
Leading a balanced, healthy lifestyle is the best way to keep focus and have sufficient energy levels. This means that you have ways of managing your stress levels and ensure that you always get enough sleep – in addition to a healthy diet, of course.
Herbal supplements can assist you if you are experiencing difficulties, but exercise caution when trying new supplements and when in doubt, speak to your doctor. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
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