People mainly take Adaptogens for mood. Based on 6 first-hand reports and 4 meta-analyses & systematic reviews in the medical literature. Ranked #1450 of 1,974 overall.
Of reports that state an outcome, 0% are positive.
Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.
3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.
Conclusion: The data from the meta-analysis showed that plant adaptogens could provide a number of benefits in the treatment of chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment, and immune protection. In the future, there is great potential to register medicinal products that contain plant adaptogens for therapeutic purposes.
PubMed 34445021 ↗Conclusion: Brief-term supplementation with WS appears to have a stress-reducing effect in stressed individuals. However, since the long-term effects of WS supplementation are not yet fully understood, WS supplements should be used under medical supervision.
PubMed 38140274 ↗Conclusion: John's Wort and saffron as non-pharmacological strategies while also help commissioning future research on the efficacy of other adaptogens. It also contributes to the design of future clinical research studies that evaluate the consumption of herbal extracts plus physical exercise, mainly resistance training, as a potentially safe and powerful strategy to treat depression.
PubMed 37047914 ↗Conclusion: Their mechanisms involve regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, neurotransmission, immune and hormonal pathways. Further long-term, high-quality clinical trials, supplemented with molecular and systemic approaches, are required to consolidate their role in integrative, evidence-based medicine.
PubMed 41906501 ↗As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.
How often each side effect came up across all reports.
Verbatim quotes, shortened only — each links to the original discussion.
“Research adaptogens and incorporate them into your lifestyle”
“Adaptogens will help: ashwagandha, rhodiola, algae, ginseng, certain mushrooms.”
“No new nootropics really. In fact, some adaptogens I bought actually made me more depressed for a while.”
“many many nootropics racetams, adaptogens, modafinil etc”
“adaptogens mentioned in supplement stack”
User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 2, 2026. How we rate