Is Adrenal Fatigue a Real Thing?

Adrenal fatigue was once a controversial term in conventional medicine because it was hard to identify — and even harder to address using standard approaches.  

Still today, many doctors do not recognize adrenal fatigue (aka adrenal burnout or adrenal exhaustion) as a real phenomenon — and as a result, do not manage it properly. Unfortunately, this can cause a lot of frustration among those who are affected.  

However, progress has been made in the last decade, and more health providers recognize that adrenal fatigue is indeed real. Most importantly, it is manageable with integrative strategies.  

The adrenal glands are a primary source of the body’s “fight-or-flight” hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which play key roles in hormone balance, blood glucose levels, and other factors that directly influence your energy levels. A surge of these hormones can help when you need an immediate escape from danger, but over time, they can fuel chronic inflammation and damage your health.    

Chronic stress and burnout deplete your body’s deepest energy reserves and strain your adrenal glands. Eventually, the adrenals become exhausted and are not as effective at producing the essential hormones you need — when you need them.  It becomes impossible for your body to create sustainable energy.

"Stress can include everything from work pressures, relationship problems, and financial issues to infections, poor sleep, and exposure to toxins and heavy metals."

• Extreme fatigue 
• Difficulty getting out of bed in the mornings 
• Need several cups of coffee (or other stimulants) to get through the day 
• General feeling of weakness 
• You have more energy in the evenings 
• Low immunity  
• Brain fog  
• Hormone imbalance  
• Low stress tolerance 
• Salt cravings 
• Depression 
• Skin issues 

To overcome adrenal burnout and increase your stamina, managing stress is key. Other ways to boost your energy production include reducing inflammation, detoxing your body, using adaptogens to enhance your body’s response to stress, and improving circulation.  

Certain medicinal mushrooms are particularly beneficial for adrenal and immune health. Thanks to their multi-targeted, adaptogenic abilities, mushrooms support a healthy immune and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is a negative and positive feedback system that plays a key role in stress reactions, immune function, fertility, and more. Chronic stress can create a dysfunctional HPA axis, negatively impacting immune function in many ways including immune suppression and dysregulation. 

The following medicinal mushrooms are especially helpful at restoring adrenal health, enhancing immune function, and increasing energy:

Maitake (Grifola frondosa) offers powerful adaptogenic and immune-supportive benefits. Maitake is often used to balance under-responsive immunity caused by sensitivity to stress.  

Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) addresses fatigue with powerful benefits for the body’s energy production systems. This mushroom also supplies potent antioxidants and supports immunity by balancing the expression of specific immune components. 

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is a prized adaptogenic, adrenal-supportive, “longevity” mushroom. It helps improve immune defenses, supports cognitive and neurological function, enhances circulation, and provides essential support for kidney and adrenal health, among other essential benefits.    

Consider incorporating a mushroom formula into your daily routine, and you will discover what health seekers worldwide have known for millennia — the power of adaptogenic mushrooms for achieving next-level health, immunity, and vitality. 

Classical adaptogenic botanicals such as astragalus, ashwagandha, and Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus) are also well-known for supporting immunity and mitochondrial energy production and helping modulate stress hormones. These time-honored botanicals offer powerful balancing support for healthy adrenal function. They can be taken in combination or as single supplements.

Nutrients — particularly vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, and magnesium — are critical for adrenal and immune support. They also help promote balanced stress response and neurological health. Stress can deplete these essential nutrients, so it is important to make sure you are getting enough. In addition to a multiple vitamin, eat more of the following foods: 

Vitamin C — acerola cherries, rose hips, guava, lemons, strawberries, oranges, spinach, yellow bell peppers, parsley, kale 

B-complex vitamins — eggs, trout, salmon, beef, yogurt, spinach, lentils, clams, sunflower seeds, Swiss cheese, turkey, nutritional yeast 

Magnesium — black beans, Swiss chard, almonds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, avocado, edamame, quinoa, dark chocolate

In today’s world, chronic stress may pose the biggest threat to our immune systems and long-term health. Scientists continue to unravel the intricate relationship between stress and health. As new data emerges, it is becoming increasingly apparent that adrenal support is necessary to build a solid foundation for optimal immune function and energy production.