Adaptogens by Wellness Goal
What NIH evidence summaries say about ashwagandha, ginseng, rhodiola and astragalus for stress, energy, sleep, focus and exercise. These pages look at the evidence and do not promise benefits.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Supplements can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read mushroom safety and interactions before you use any mushroom product.
People come to adaptogens for a goal: less stress, more energy, better sleep, sharper focus. This page asks, for each goal, what do independent evidence summaries say about each ingredient? Different ingredients do not share the same benefits, and for most goals the human evidence is limited, mixed or missing.
We use the summaries from NIH's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), because they are written for the public and reviewed against the research. Ingredients without an NIH summary that we have read are marked "not yet reviewed" and are not judged here.
Where the evidence stands
| Goal | What the NIH summaries say | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Stress, anxiety and resilience | Ashwagandha: some preparations may be effective for stress, but evidence is unclear about anxiety. [1] Asian ginseng: promoted for stress and anxiety, but there is not enough reliable information to say whether it helps anxiety. [2] Rhodiola: not enough reliable evidence for any purpose. [3] | Limited and mixed |
| Energy and fatigue | Asian ginseng: a 2023 review of 19 studies (2,413 people) suggested ginseng alone may have a small benefit for general fatigue, but not all research agrees, and ginseng formulas with other ingredients, not ginseng alone, may help chronic fatigue. [2] Rhodiola: not enough reliable evidence. [3] Astragalus: not sufficient evidence. [4] | Limited and mixed |
| Sleep and relaxation | Ashwagandha: some preparations may be effective for insomnia. [1] Other ingredients: not yet reviewed. | Limited |
| Focus and mental performance | Asian ginseng: a small amount of research suggests it may improve attention, arithmetic skills and reaction time in middle-aged adults but not young adults, and any memory benefit seemed to depend on adding ginkgo. [2] Ashwagandha: not enough evidence for cognitive function. [1] Rhodiola: not enough reliable evidence. [3] | Limited |
| Exercise performance and recovery | Asian ginseng: the majority of research shows it does not improve athletic performance. [2] Ashwagandha: not enough evidence for athletic performance; limited evidence that 2 to 4 months of use may raise testosterone and sperm quality. [1] Rhodiola: not enough reliable evidence. [3] | Limited, mostly negative or unclear |
What this does not mean
These are summaries of what research has found so far, not instructions. Nothing here shows that an adaptogen treats or prevents a condition. Evidence for one preparation does not apply to another, and results in one group of people do not apply to everyone. Talk to a clinician before using a supplement for a symptom such as ongoing fatigue, poor sleep or anxiety, because those symptoms have many causes.Ingredients not yet reviewed
Holy basil (tulsi), eleuthero, schisandra, amla, American ginseng, shatavari and maca do not yet have an NIH summary that we have read, so we do not describe their benefits here. Their guides will be added when sourced.How we judge a goal
See Adaptogen research for the evidence snapshot, the kinds of evidence, and a checklist for judging any claim. For the matching goal pages on lifestyle and other approaches, see Stress & Relaxation, Energy & Vitality, Sleep & Relaxation and Focus & Memory.In this section
- Stress, Anxiety & Resilience
- Energy & Fatigue
- Sleep & Relaxation
- Focus & Mental Performance
- Exercise Performance & Recovery
Dashed labels are guides in preparation. We link a page only when it has real, sourced content.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Ashwagandha: Usefulness and Safety. Page dated March 2023.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Asian Ginseng: Usefulness and Safety. Page dated February 2025.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Rhodiola: Usefulness and Safety. Page dated April 2025.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Astragalus: Usefulness and Safety. Page dated May 2025.