Botanicals. Herbs. Adaptogens. These words have been buzzing around in the wellness world for a minute but why do they matter? We’ve been taking a closer look at these ingredients, and the concept of using food-as-medicine, and found some scientific research that we’re excited to share. Because at Better Booch, we only use loose-leaf teas, botanicals, herbs, and adaptogens to flavor our brew – which helps us have the lowest sugar kombucha on the market.
What’s the difference between botanicals, herbs, and adaptogens?
Before we dive into all of the amazing benefits of botanicals, adaptogens, and herbs – and the science behind these ingredients – we think it’s important to talk about their differences. Essentially, botanicals are the umbrella-ella-ella in which herbs and adaptogens live under. To dig even deeper into the proverbial flower garden, adaptogens are herbs that help specifically with managing stress.
So an adaptogen like turmeric, for instance, would be considered a botanical and an herb and an adaptogen.
Herb your enthusiasm
When we think of herbs, we typically think of culinary spices, but the cool thing about herbs is that they add more than just flavor to our favorite dishes. Studies show that herbs can have some serious benefits to our health. Certain spices and herbs have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties, as well as properties that affect cognition and mood.
How can we start incorporating more herbs into our everyday lives?
The great news is that we already use herbs in most of our cooking. The only real change we need to make is to be more mindful of the herbs we’re using. For instance, if we’re experiencing an upset stomach we might reach for mint or ginger because of their ability to help with nausea. If we’re looking to get an antioxidant boost, we could start adding more sage into our diets.
Or we could drink a Ginger Boost which is brimming with ginger and mint, or Citrus Sunrise because it’s brewed with sage!
Adaptogens and chill
Adaptogens have been gaining popularity in the wellness industry, but what are adaptogens exactly? To put it simply, adaptogens are non-toxic herbs that can help the body manage physical and emotional stress. In fact, clinical trials show that adaptogens can help the body resist stress and increase concentration, performance, and endurance when fatigued.
Worrying about the safety of ourselves and our loved ones, trying to maintain some semblance of peace amidst the chaos, or you know, the billions of other things that can cause physical and emotional stress kind of run the gamut these days. Luckily, adaptogens can help give us the little boost we need to reduce stress.
How can we start incorporating adaptogens into our everyday lives?
It’s easy! Since adaptogens are non-toxic herbs, they can be incorporated into our diets without a bunch of fuss. Our favorite adaptogen is tulsi – otherwise known as holy basil or the “Queen of Herbs” – which can be found in our Golden Pear kombucha. Research shows that tulsi has been used for thousands of years because of its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and memory enhancing properties.
It’s important to note that even though we love adaptogens, they are not the end-all-be-all for stress relief and they certainly aren’t a quick fix. To really see the effects of adaptogens, it’s important to use them consistently over a long period of time. So instead of relying on adaptogens for all of our stress relief needs, we like to use them consistently in conjunction with stress relieving efforts like eating well, exercising regularly, and getting restful sleep.
The easy way to get more botanicals, herbs, and adaptogens
Drink Better Booch!
Our kombucha is flavored with loose-leaf teas, botanicals, herbs, adaptogens, and nothing else because we don’t think you need added sweeteners to create a delicious brew. Plus Better Booch is brimming with naturally-occurring probiotics which are great for your gut health (and your overall well being to boot)!
