Supplements For Adrenal Burnout

Certain dietary supplements may be helpful in treating your adrenal burnout. Your adrenal glands are triangular-shaped glands that sit on top of your kidneys and produce steroid hormones such as cortisol, aldosterone and testosterone. When your adrenal glands are not functioning properly, you may become sick. Before taking dietary supplements to help treat adrenal burnout, talk with your doctor about possible side effects, proper dosage and potential drug interactions.

Licorice

Licorice, which belongs to the Legume family, is an herbal supplement that may be helpful in treating your adrenal burnout. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, licorice, also known as Glycyrrhiza glabra, has been used for culinary and medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Licorice is a perennial plant with an extensive root system that grows wild in certain parts of Europe and Asia. Licorice has a flavorful, sweet and nutritious taste and possesses moistening tendencies. The roots and underground stem, or rhizome, of the licorice plant are used for medicinal purposes. Dr. William A. Mitchell Jr., a naturopathic physician and author of the book "Plant Medicine in Practice," states that licorice is specific to your adrenal glands, prolonging the half-life of cortisol, which decreases your body's need to generate more of this important hormone. Licorice is an adrenal modulator, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

Gotu Kola

Dr. Sharol Tilgner, a naturopathic physician and author of the book "Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth," states that gotu kola, also known as Centella asiatica, is an anti-inflammatory and adaptogen, or a substance that helps restore balance in your body and helps you better cope with physical, mental and emotional stress. According to Tilgner, gotu kola is an anti-stress herb that provides general support for your adrenal glands and nervous system, helps reduce the size of your overworked adrenal glands, and can help treat stress-related ulcers. Gotu kola belongs to the Parsley family, has a spicy taste and fragrant smell, and possesses cooling tendencies. Practitioners of botanical medicine used the entire plant medicinally. If you are pregnant, cautions Tilgner, you should avoid taking supplements containing gotu kola, due to its abortifacient effects and its ability to stimulate menstruation.

Siberian Ginseng

Siberian ginseng, also known as Eleutherococcus senticosus, is a small, woody shrub that grows in mixed and coniferous forests in the mountains of China, Japan and Russia. Siberian ginseng, a member of the Araliaceae family, grows in most types of soil. The University of Michigan Health System states that Siberian ginseng is used for numerous purposes, such as improving athletic performance, boosting your immune function, and treating the stress and fatigue associated with your adrenal burnout. According to Tilgner, Siberian ginseng has adaptogenic properties and supports your body through stressful situations. Siberian ginseng, notes Tilgner, is particularly effective in supporting the health and function of your adrenal system, boosting your endurance and concentration and decreasing general exhaustion and weakness. The principal active constituents in Siberian ginseng are eleutherosides, states the University of Michigan Health System.