Adaptogens by Melissa Petitto, R.D.

Adaptogens by Melissa Petitto, R.D. ISBN-13: 9780785838470 Hardcover: 160 pages Publisher: Chartwell Books Released: May 26th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Harness the ancient healing power of adaptogens: herbs, roots, and other medicinal plants that help the body function better than its natural capacity. Learn all you need to know about 50 of the most common healing herbs and how to make delicious, nutrient-dense recipes to have you functioning at a higher frequency. Adaptogens are packed with amino acids and/or vitamins that help manage the harmful effects stress has on the body.

The bulk of the book is the adaptogen A–Z directory so that you can figure out which products and powders will best work with the stresses of your life. Then there's a slew of delicious and nutritious recipes. These plants are not a quick fix for a stressful situation. Rather, they are a way to help the body better deal with the higher amounts of stress we seem to be seeing a lot of right now.


My Review:
Adaptogens is a short book about herbs, foods, and supplements that help your body deal with stress when taken over time. The author started by briefly describing what an adaptogen is, then there's a directory of adaptogen profiles. Each profile gave the common and scientific name, a brief history of its use, the health benefits, any safety concerns, and dosing information (though this was sometimes merely a recommendation to ask your doctor). There were about 40 full adaptogen profiles plus about 10 brief superfood/powder profiles. The author also included some recipes for drinks, soups, spreads, and more using combinations of these adaptogens. The book doesn't actually include a lot of information as one page of each profile or recipe is simply a full-color picture of the herb or recipe. But it might be good for a beginner who would be overwhelmed by more information. I'd recommend this book to those who don't know about adaptogens who are specifically interested in these herbs rather than medicinal herbs in general.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.